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How to String Christmas Lights
First, we must mention the shortcut method, which is to purchase a pre-lit Christmas tree. These are a little pricier and bulkier than most artificial trees, but people who invest in them rarely go back to the stringing-the-lights method.

Assuming you don’t have a pre-lit tree and would rather use a real or artificial tree, there are a few things to keep in mind. With a real tree, be sure that the tree is kept moist by filling its stand tray with water regularly. Dried out trees lead to fire hazards—and a tree does not have to be brown to be dry. A real tree can catch fire even when it is green.

Second, consider the lights themselves. Bulb burnout and problems normally happen when removing the lights from the tree and storing them for the next year. If you’ve got a twisted pile that doesn’t work when you plug it in, consider ditching it and starting with a fresh set—lights are very inexpensive and you can take time to store them properly to keep them useful year after year.

Many light sets now come with end-to-end connections, allowing you to string many sets together in one long row. It’s best not to use this method however, as one bad set can end up turning off half your tree or more. Instead, get a good power strip and plug individual light sets into the strip until it’s full. Avoid overloading a single circuit. If you need more than the strip will hold, use a second wall outlet.

How much power do lights use? Check the packaging to be sure—a 100-strand of small lights will draw between 40 and 60 watts. Generally, you never want to put more than 600 watts or so on a single circuit (although they are usually rated for much more, 600 watts creates a great deal of heat, which can be a fire hazard with a Christmas tree). Larger bulbs come in shorter strands but will use much more electricity. Newer LED lights are best—they use very little power and generate almost no heat, despite being brighter than their incandescent counterparts.

How many lights do you need for your tree. With an average 6 to 7 foot tree, 400 small lights usually look quite beautiful, and 600 will be very full. Avoid the temptation to over-light the tree. Remember, your ornaments and other decorations will reflect the lights as well, giving the tree more “glow” than the lights alone will provide.

When stringing the lights, begin with the tree away from the walls so you can get to all sides. You can move the tree into final position once the lights are hung. (Remember this method, too, when removing the lights). Begin at the top of the tree and work your way around and down in a zig-zag pattern. Do not wrap the lights completely around the tree. Instead, designate one area as the “back” of the tree, and when you reach that area, turn around and go the other direction. When you near the end of a strand, take it directly down the “back” of the tree to the ground and the power strip. In this way, all the light cords will have free and easy travel to the power strip. And your lights will not wrap around each other, making them easier to remove later.

Begin with the lights loosly sitting on the various branches, then work your way around and tuck the lights in to the tree, hiding the cords as much as possible, and placing the bulbs where they will be seen.

One more tip—if you have indoor pets, be especially careful with lights at the lower levels of the tree. In fact, you might want to tuck them in a bit deeper and let the ornaments on these branches stay to the outside. This will deter Fido from chewing on the electrical cords and creating a shocking Christmas experience.