Figuring out how many Christmas lights you need to decorate your home can seem like a daunting task. With so many factors to consider, it’s easy to under or overestimate the amount you’ll actually require. However, by following some basic guidelines, you can come up with a reasonable estimate to ensure your home is properly lit up for the holidays.
Consider the Size of Your Home
The most obvious factor in determining your Christmas light needs is the size of your home. Larger homes will naturally require more lights. As a general rule of thumb:
- Small home or apartment: 500-800 lights
- Medium sized home: 800-1500 lights
- Large home: 1500-2500 lights
Of course, the specific architecture of your home will also come into play. More complex rooflines, lots of trees and bushes to decorate, and other exterior features will increase your lighting requirements. Evaluate all the areas you want to decorate and account for their size when estimating your totals.
Decide Which Areas to Light
You’ll also want to decide exactly which parts of your home’s exterior you want to decorate with Christmas lights. Typical areas include:
- Roofline
- Trees
- Bushes
- Door frames
- Pillars
- Fences
- Garage doors
- Gutters
- Soffits
Additionally, consider whether you want to create light displays in your front yard or backyard as well. The more areas you intend to decorate, the more lights you’ll need. Make a list of all the spaces both on your home and in your yard that you want to illuminate to help estimate your quantity.
Factor in Light Types
The types of lights you choose will also impact your quantity needs. The main options include:
- Mini lights: Very small bulbs spaced about 2 to 3 inches apart on each string. Provide great detail and outlining.
- C7 lights: Larger, old-fashioned bulbs spaced about 4 to 6 inches apart. Better for filling larger areas.
- Icicle lights: Designed for draping like icicles. Come in mini and C7 size lights.
- Rope lights: Entire string lights up. Good for outlining.
- Projector lights: Creates lighting effects on surfaces. More focused beams of light.
- Net lights: Mini lights woven into a flexible netting. Quickly covers bushes and trees.
For most general decorating, mini lights are the most popular option. However, you may need less of these versus something like C7 bulbs to get the coverage you want. Factor in your preferred types when estimating your totals.
Consider Spare Lights
It’s always smart to buy some extra Christmas lights over your initial estimate. This provides you with backups in case any of your strands are damaged or stop working when you go to decorate. A good rule of thumb is to add about 10% more lights than you think you’ll need. So if your estimate is 1000 lights, buy about 1100 strands. That way you’ll have spares on hand for any issues.
Think About Power Sources
When coming up with your lighting estimate, you’ll also want to think about available power sources. Most light strands connect into each other, but you’ll need outlets around your home to plug them into. Depending on your display plans, you may need extension cords as well. Factor in your home’s outlet situation so you don’t end up with more lights than places to plug them in.
Consider Your Decorating Style
Your personal decorating style will also impact your Christmas light needs. Here are some lighting considerations for common decoration themes:
- All-white lights: Typically require more light strands to achieve the desired brightness and coverage.
- Multicolor lights: Mix of colors helps light stand out better. May need less for visibility.
- Sparkling/twinkling lights: These special effect lights often require less overall for ample sparkle.
- Spotlights: Focus light in specific areas. Use fewer overall but place lights strategically.
- Outlining: Just outline home’s architecture, windows, doors, etc. Will need less than fully covering areas.
Match your lighting totals to the areas you want accented and the mood you want to create.
Consider Lighting Accessories
Besides the actual Christmas light strands, take into account any other lighting accessories you may want to incorporate:
- Light clips for attaching lights to gutters and rooflines.
- Spotlight stakes for illuminating yard decorations.
- Timers for automatically turning lights on/off.
- Extension cords for powering light displays.
- Splitters for adding more strands to outlets.
- Fasteners like zip ties and clips for securing lights.
Factor in these accessory needs as well so you’ll have everything on hand for decorating.
Account for Any Animated Elements
If your decorating plans include any animated lighting elements, make sure to account for them in your estimate. Popular options include:
- Inflatables with integrated lights.
- Lighted outdoor figures like deer, snowmen, Santas.
- Pixel trees and bushes programmed for effects.
- Programmable LED strips and controllers.
- Music-synchronized displays.
These elements have very specific lighting needs. Know how many you intend to include and factor that into your totals.
Make a Map
A handy way to estimate your light needs is to make a simple map of your home and yard. Sketch out the footprint of your house along with other structures like garages and sheds. Mark the locations of trees, bushes, fences, etc. that you intend to decorate. Then you can start plotting out how many lights each area will require. This visual exercise helps give you a better sense of totals and lighting placement.
Multiply Strand Length
As another tip, pay attention to the strand lengths of lights you purchase. Mini lights commonly come in strands of 100 or 150 lights. C7 bulbs are often 50 per strand. To get an accurate estimate, measure or mark off a section of the area you want to cover, count the bulbs in that section, and multiply to calculate how many full strands you’ll need.
Recruit Help for Hanging
Hanging all your Christmas lights is a big job, so make sure to recruit help from family or friends. Having an extra set of hands not only makes decorating go faster, but it allows you to safely use ladders and work on lighting higher areas. Factor in any assistance when determining how many lights to buy so you can get everything up in a reasonable amount of time.
Consider Yearly Growth
As you build your Christmas light collection over the years, it’s good to factor in expansion. Most people tend to gradually increase their displays each holiday season. Buy a few extra strands than you think you’ll need this year so you’ll have more to work with for next year’s bigger and better decor.
Check Your Supplies
Before making major light purchases, check over your existing supplies. Take inventory of leftovers from previous years. Make sure old strands still work and replace any that don’t. Utilize what you already have before buying more. But do account for any additional lights you’ll need to fill out your display.
Buy Early For Best Selection
Shop for your lights well in advance of the holiday season. Retailers begin stocking Christmas decorations earlier each year, so take advantage of the best selection by buying early. This also gives you time to order more if your initial estimate falls short once you start decorating.
Allow Time for Returns
Save your receipts and leave tags on light sets until your decorating is complete. This makes it easier to return unused lights that exceed your needs. Most retailers allow Christmas light returns up until early January.
Consider Renting a Lift
For two-story homes or especially high spaces like trees, consider renting a scissor lift or boom lift to make decorating safer and easier. You’ll be able to hang more lights in hard-to-reach areas. Just make sure to factor rental costs into your budget.
Shop End of Season Sales
Once the holidays are over, take advantage of end-of-season clearance sales to stock up on lights at discounted prices for the following year. This is a great way to buy the extra lights you’ll need for expanding your display at a fraction of the cost.
C7 Vs. Mini Lights
When estimating your lighting needs, one of the first decisions is whether to use C7 or mini lights. Here’s a helpful comparison:
| C7 Lights | Mini Lights |
|---|---|
|
|
So C7 lights are better for covering large areas efficiently, while mini lights allow for more intricate displays and outlines. Factor bulb size and coverage into your planning.
Calculate Length Required
To calculate the total length of Christmas lights required:
- Measure the area you want to cover in feet.
- Multiply by 2 for most displays to allow full coverage.
- Multiply by 1.5 for mini lights to allow for closer spacing.
- Divide by the strand length to get number of strands.
So for example, to fully cover a 15 foot roofline in mini lights allowing good density:
- 15 feet x 2 = 30 feet
- 30 feet x 1.5 = 45 feet
- 45 feet / 100 lights per strand = 0.45 strands
Round up to the nearest full strand, so you’d need 1 strand of 100-count mini lights for a 15-foot area.
Estimate Lamp Posts
Lamp posts generally require:
- Small post: 1-2 stands of mini lights or net lights
- Medium post: 2-3 strands
- Large post: 3-5 strands
Multiply by the number of lamp posts you need to decorate to get the total lights required.
Allow For Connection Loss
When connecting multiple strands of Christmas lights, you’ll lose some overall length:
- For up to 4 strands, allow about 6 inches loss per connection.
- For 5-8 strands, allow 12 inches per connection.
- For more than 8 strands, allow 18 inches per connection.
Factor these losses into your total length needed, especially for longer displays.
Consider Spare Bulbs
It’s a good idea to have spare Christmas light bulbs on hand for any individual bulbs that burn out. Recommended quantities:
- For mini light strands: Have 5-10% extra bulbs.
- For C7 strands: Have 10-15% extra bulbs.
Choose bulbs that match the type, size, shape, and color of your existing lights.
Buy Early for Discounts
You can often save 20% or more by shopping for Christmas lights in October versus December. Retailers start running sales and discounts on holiday decor early to boost early sales. So for the best value, shop well before the holiday rush.
Comparison Shop Online & Local
When estimating your needs, be sure to comparison shop both online and at local stores. Pricing and availability can vary:
- Online retailers may offer lower everyday pricing, but charge shipping.
- Local stores are convenient for immediate pickup, but may have smaller inventories.
Check all options to find the best lights at the best prices to suit your display plans and budget.
Conclusion
Estimating your Christmas light needs takes some planning, but following general string length guidelines per area and taking your home’s size and decorating style into account will give you a reasonable estimate. Factor in extra lights for expansions and replacements, and give yourself flexibility in case your initial estimate falls short. With an accurate estimate, you’ll be sure to buy enough lights at the best prices to create a beautiful, festive holiday light display.
