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The holiday season is here again, and if your goal is to have the most impressive house on the block, we support you! But before you haul out the holly and put up the brightest string of lights you’ve ever seen, let’s do a little planning.

Here are our tips for decorating your home with Christmas lights, from the windows to the walls. We’ll explore different types of holiday lighting, share safety tips, show you how to hang lights around your house, and more.

A cozy night scene of white POLYWOOD Vineyard Adirondack Chairs around a fire pit. String lights hang above, and a festive shed sits in the background.

Types of Outdoor Christmas Lights

Look over this list of the most popular outdoor Christmas lights.

  • String lights: Available in LED or incandescent options, these are the most common lights used during the holiday season.
  • Rope lights: These are perfect for outlining walkways, doorways, and windows. They can also create intricate designs and shapes.
  • Icicle lights: This kind of strand has long illuminated sections that look like dangling icicles.
  • Net lights: Designed in a grid instead of a single strand, a set of net lights quickly covers a large area—ideal for bushes and shrubbery.
  • Pathway lights: Line your walkway, driveway, or garden paths with these stake-in lights. They come in seasonal shapes like snowflakes, candy canes, or C9 bulbs.
  • Large-bulb lights: C5, C7, and C9 bulbs offer a retro vibe with their bright colors and larger size. Available in LED or incandescent versions, they’re perfect for roofs, walkways, and trees.
  • Projection lights: Use these to project moving or static images on large surfaces like garage doors.
  • Cluster lights: These strands' bulbs are closely packed together to create a dense, bright effect. For a fuller look, wrap them around wreaths, trees, or bushes.
  • Fairy lights: Little LED lights that glow or twinkle softly for a whimsical effect.
  • Pre-lit outdoor decor: Simplify your outdoor decorating with pre-lit artificial trees, reindeer, nutcracker statues, garlands, wreaths, and other festive yard ornaments.
  • Animated lights: Also called smart lights, they change color, flash in patterns, or can be synced to music via remote control or app.
Four holiday light types in a grid: rope lights, large bulb lights, string lights, and net lights.

Incandescent vs. LED Lights

Whatever light type you choose, they’ll either feature LED or incandescent bulbs. Here are the pros and cons of these lights:

A chart comparing the pros and cons of incandescent lights. Pros include a soft, warm glow; inexpensive cost; and a traditional appearance. Cons include a short lifespan; higher energy consumption than LEDs; heat generation with extended use; and fragile glass bulbs.
A chart comparing the pros and cons of LED lights. Pros include energy efficiency, long lifespan, durability, and cool operation. Cons include high upfront cost, poor color quality in cheaper options, and overly bright or harsh light for some.

How Much Effort Do You Want to Put In?

Before you start shopping for lights, consider how much work you’re willing to put into hanging them—don’t forget, you’ll have to take them down after the holidays.

Do you want a simple setup like lining your windows and front door with a few strands of LED lights? Or are you ready to go all out, Clark Griswold-style, and cover your house with 250 strands of imported Italian twinkle lights, each with 100 individual bulbs, for a grand total of 25,000 lights? The choice is entirely up to you.

Two festive homes: One is an elaborate setup with lots of holiday lights and decor, labeled, Clark Griswold approved. The other is an easy setup with few decorations.

How Many Christmas Lights Do I Need?

Now that you’ve chosen your workload, it’s time to figure out how many lights you’ll need.

  • When decorating your home's eaves and awnings, start with 60 feet of string or icicle lights. Add another 10–12 feet of lights for every eave or awning you plan to decorate.
  • For trees, use 100 mini lights or 50 C7 lights per vertical foot. Use half that amount for thinner trees.
  • Depending on how tight you want to cover them, use 9–10 feet of rope lights to wrap sections of porch railings.
  • To decorate your garage door, measure its perimeter and plan to use 16–20 feet of lights for a single-car bay or 32–40 feet for a two-car bay.
  • Use 10–12 feet of string lights per standard window frame for windows.
A cozy outdoor scene featuring brown POLYWOOD Modern Curveback Adirondack 5 Piece Conversation Set with Fire Pit Table surrounded by festive holiday lights.

Safety Tips

Safety first, everyone. Read these tips on how to hang Christmas lights safely.

  • Use a fiberglass ladder over one made from aluminum, as the former is heat tolerant and resistant to electricity.
  • Test your lights before hanging them, and replace any dead bulbs. Burned-out bulbs drain power and will dim the other bulbs in the strand.
  • Don’t use nails, staples, screws, or hooks to hang Christmas lights. Light clips are a better, safer option.
  • Use outdoor-rated lights and extension cords.
  • Don’t string too many lights together. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding how many strands you can safely connect.
  • Don’t overload your circuit. You’ll know you have if other lights in your house dim whenever you turn the outside strands on.
  • Avoid tripping hazards by securing your electrical cords with gaffer’s tape.
  • Don’t connect LED lights with incandescent lights. The two don’t perform well together, so stick with one type.
  • Always unplug your lights when not in use—automatic light timers are highly recommended.
Holiday lights connected to a roof with plastic clips.

How to Hang Christmas Lights

Up on the Housetop

On rooflines and awnings, use light clips to keep your strings in place and work from the top down. You can easily find exterior light clips compatible with gutters, windows, brickwork, and deck railings at your local department store or online. Once you hang lights, secure power cords in place with zip ties.

A man stands on a ladder and hangs a strand of colorful holiday lights on a roof.

Down on the Ground

For pathway lights, use lawn stakes to secure the lights along the path. When decorating bushes and shrubs, opt for net lights to cover a larger area with fewer strands and less effort. For tree branches, choose lights with 6–8 inches of space between bulbs, allowing you to wrap them tightly for a more polished look.

How to Sync Christmas Lights to Music

Follow these steps to create a dazzling display for passersby.

Festive snowmen and penguin decor stand in the snow by pine trees draped with colorful lights.

Step 1: Select a Lighting System

You have your choice between pre-synced light kits or the DIY route. Light kits are your best bet if you're a beginner, as manufacturers design them to sync to music or audio immediately. Use a light controller to sync individual light strands for more control and customization of your display.

Step 2: Pick Your Preferred Music Source

If you opted for a light system, you'll be happy to know that many come with pre-programmed tunes. For a more personalized approach, you can pick your own music, requiring additional software to sync your lights to different beats and melodies.

Step 3: Use Light-Syncing Software

There are many software programs available that make it easy to craft a custom outdoor light show. They'll help you map out your display and set the lights to blink, dim, or twinkle in time with the beat.

Step 4: Prepare the Hardware

Connect your lights to a light controller, then link it to the computer that's running your syncing software. If you want people to hear the music while watching your display, consider using weatherproof outdoor speakers and an FM transmitter to broadcast over a radio station viewers can tune into as they drive by.

Step 5: Program Your Light Show

Get to work programming each strand of lights to match the sounds of your chosen music or audio.

Step 6: Do a Test Run

Preview your display to ensure everything works perfectly. Check timing, transitions, and connections; and make sure your lights, extension cords, and power strips are in good condition.

Step 7: Start the Show

Begin your show at dusk to ensure the lights are easily seen. As a courtesy to your neighbors, keep music at a moderate volume and turn off your display at a reasonable hour.

Step 8: Monitor Your Display

Cold and windy weather can interfere with your setup, so check your lights regularly to ensure everything is in working order.