Garden Trees, Shrubs & Vines
Sarah Vulpio
O’ Christmas tree, O’ Christmas tree, how lovely are your … string lights? With Christmas just around the corner, it’s never too early to start preparations for the holiday. This means busting out your tree, favorite ornaments, and the most important part — the lights! The tradition of lighting the Christmas tree began in 1882 when people lit candles around the tree to “signify the light of Jesus,” as collector John Hanssen explained to Time. In the 1920s, homeowners switched to electric lights courtesy of General Electric, says Time. By that point, lights were more accessible (and a lot safer than keeping an open flame near a Douglas fir).
Today, having lights on your Christmas tree is pretty much a given, and unless you have a pre-lit tree, you’re faced with the task of hanging them on yourself. It’s a daunting task that takes time, but is well worth it in the end. While you may already have your own method, we have the best way to hang lights on your Christmas tree.
Hang them vertically, not horizontally
Jacob Lund/Shutterstock
According to Simplemost, experts suggest hanging your Christmas tree lights from top to bottom instead looping them around the tree like many typically do. This is a simpler and more efficient technique that leaves less room for error or holes in your tree (areas where there aren’t any lights). Hanging your Christmas tree lights vertically requires less strands than the traditional method, and if a light bulb goes out, it’s much easier to replace. To begin, start at the top of your tree, tucking in the end of the strand without the plugs, as seen on “Today.”
As you work your way down the tree, you want to place the lights in an “S” formation. When you wrap your Christmas lights around the tree, the lights are tucked away, whereas wrapping them vertically keeps them on the tips of the branches, giving your tree a brighter glow. As you move up and down the tree, you want to keep the strands three to four inches apart. When you’re finished, plug the lights into your power cord, and your tree is ready for decorations!
