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Wondering how many commercial Christmas lights you need to wrap a tree? The answer depends on your tree’s height, width, species, and the spacing between each wrap. Our Christmas Tree Light Calculator takes the guesswork out of the process by estimating exactly how many commercial-grade LED light strings you need for both deciduous and evergreen trees. Whether you are decorating a single tree or planning a large commercial holiday display, this guide and calculator will help you achieve professional-looking results while avoiding wasted lights or unexpected shortages.
Creative Displays has been a leader in the commercial Christmas lights industry for over 65 years, and understands how challenging it can be to figure out the perfect number of lights to make the trees on your property shine. That’s why we’ve become experts on the subject. We’ve helped numerous businesses and Christmas light installers in our local Kansas City metro area, and nationwide, determine the best amount of string lights for their job.
We started to notice one recurring question that all of our customers would ask, “How many lights do I need to wrap my tree?” and while there’s no “one size fits all” answer, we figured out a formula for how to best wrap a deciduous tree with commercial Christmas lights, and how to best wrap an evergreen tree with commercial Christmas lights.
How Many Lights Do I Need to Wrap a Deciduous Tree?
Like we mentioned earlier, there is unfortunately no cookie cutter answer for this question. Every tree is different, so the amount of lights needed to wrap one can very greatly depending on the width of the the tree trunk, the width of any branches you want to wrap, how far apart you want the wraps on the branches, and the height of the tree. The general formula that our team at Creative Displays uses to determine how to best wrap a deciduous tree is: 20 X (height + width) x (12/spacing)
Deciduous Tree Wrap Calculator
Deciduous Tree Wrap Calculator
Wrapping deciduous trees in bright, eye-catching commercial Christmas light strings can create a visually stunning display. We created this calculator to help make the process of determining that amount of lights needed easier.
Tips for Wrapping Deciduous Trees with Commercial Christmas Lights
It can be difficult to determine the best place to start when wrapping your deciduous tree. Do you start at the top of the tree? At the trunk? And are you supposed to wrap the branches? We’ve compiled a list of tips to help you get started:
When Wrapping Your Deciduous Tree, Start from the Bottom
What we’ve found over 65 years of selling commercial Christmas lighting is that beginning at the base of the tree trunk and wrapping up is the best way to ensure even coverage. Starting at the tree trunk instead of the branches prevents uneven distribution of the lights as you move your way closer to the top.
Wrap Your Trees Using M5 LED Christmas Lights, C6 LED Christmas Lights, or 5MM LED Christmas Lights
When wrapping trees with Christmas lights, string lights tend to hold up better than C7 or C9 bulbs. They offer more saturated, even coverage, and string light bulbs come in a variety of sizes.
If you want lights on your tree that are little smaller but still give off a lot of light, then 5MMs are the best option for you–they are about the size of a pencil eraser. M5 light strings are a little longer and skinnier, while C6 light strings are comparable in size to small strawberries.
Keep the Spacing Consistent While You Wrap
As a rule of thumb, we recommend keeping about a 2-4 inch gap of space between each wrap on your tree. This makes it easier to maintain a more balanced and saturated look. If you wrap too close, your will have to invest in more lights, and your spacing might look too tight at close together. On the other hand, if you space your wrapping too far apart, your tree won’t appear as bright, and it might not achieve the effect you are looking for.
Test Your Commercial Christmas Lights Before You Begin Wrapping
Checking your commercial holiday lighting before you being wrapping a tree prevents a big headache down the line. Plug in your outdoor tree xmas lights before you begin wrapping so you can make sure that each light string works properly. This prevents the annoyance of wrapping your tree, plugging the lights in, and finding out the string in the center of the trunk is broken.
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Why is Wrapping Deciduous Trees with Lights Different Than Wrapping Evergreen Trees with Lights
One question our team hears a lot during the busy season is “a tree is a tree, you wrap them all the same way, right?” Unfortunately, that is not the case. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter, so there’s only bare branches and tree trunk to wrap. Wrapping evergreen trees is different because they still have their needles in the winter. This means that they require larger bulbs that can be seen through the thick green foliage of the trees. This also means that the technique used to wrap evergreen trees is different that the technique used to wrap deciduous trees.
How Many Lights Do I Need to Wrap an Evergreen Tree?
Similarly to a deciduous tree, there is no one answer for how many lights are needed to wrap an evergreen tree. The variables that impact how you wrap your evergreen tree are how tall and how wide your tree is. The general formula that our team at Creative Displays uses to determine how to best wrap an evergreen tree is: (height x 12) x (width x 12) x 0.0694.
Evergreen Tree Light Calculator
Evergreen Tree Light Calculator
Our Evergreen Christmas Tree Light Calculator allows you to easily determine the exact number of commercial Christmas lights needed to wrap your tree perfectly. By entering the height and width of your tree, you’ll get an instant calculation of how many light strings are required to achieve a professional-quality display. This tool is designed to help you create a visually stunning look without over- or under-lighting your tree.
No matter if you’re decorating a large municipal tree or your own front yard, using C7 LED Christmas lights or C9 LED Christmas lights with our Evergreen Tree Light Calculator ensures a professional result every time.
For evergreen trees, we recommend using C7 LED Christmas lights or C9 LED Christmas lights. These larger bulbs provide a bold and brilliant glow, perfect for illuminating the thick, lush branches of evergreens. C7 LED Christmas lights offer a slightly smaller, more traditional look, while C9 LED Christmas lights create a bold, statement-making display that’s perfect for both residential and commercial Christmas lighting. Both are known for their durability and brightness, making them ideal for outdoor use throughout the season.
Tips for Wrapping Evergreen Trees with Commercial Christmas Lights
Use C7 LED Christmas Lights or C9 LED Christmas Lights
Unlike deciduous trees, evergreen trees do not lose their foliage during the winter. This makes smaller bulb sizes, like 5MM or M5 light strings harder to see. That is why our experienced team at Creative Displays suggests choosing C7 or C9 LED lights to wrap around your evergreen tree. These larger bulbs provide a bold, brilliant glow that stands out against the dense branches. C7 offers a more traditional look, while C9 bulbs create brighter, more visible display.
Start Wrapping Your Evergreen Tree at the Top
Most evergreen trees don’t have any visible trunks to wrap. Starting at the top and working your way down is the easiest way to wrap an evergreen tree’s fluffy shape. It also makes it a bit easier to make sure your lights are evenly distributed throughout the entire tree.
Wrap Each Layer of Branches Individually
The best way to make sure that your evergreen tree is fully covered in lights is to wrap each layer of branches individually. Think of it as like wrapping lights around an artificial Christmas tree in your home or office. You take the time to carefully wrap the lights around each branch for an even distribution that looks fantastic. The same method should be applied for your outdoor evergreen trees.
Secure Your Professional Christmas Lights with Zip Ties
One major difference between evergreen trees and deciduous trees is that evergreen tree branches aren’t as sturdy. It’s more difficult to wrap your Christmas lights tightly around an evergreen tree, because there aren’t sturdy branches. This is why we suggest securing your lights with zip ties. This will make sure that your lights stay exactly where you want them to be, even during snow, wind, rain, and any other type of weather.
Keep Your Commercial Outdoor Holiday Lighting Visible
When wrapping your evergreen tree with lights, you should keep them out towards the front of the outer tree branches for maximum visibility. Tucking them too fair into your tree can diminish their glow and the visual impact of your display.
Order These Evergreen Products
Wrapping your deciduous trees and evergreen trees in commercial Christmas lights is an easy and beautiful way to decorate your property for Christmas. Commercial Christmas lights come in a variety of colors, lengths, and sizes, making it possible to wrap trees of any shape or size. What most people struggle with is determining how many lights to use. That is why our team at Creative Displays designed the deciduous tree and evergreen tree commercial Christmas light calculators. These tools will help eliminate the confusion and frustration of calculating how many lights are needed for each tree.
Frequently Asked Questions About How Many Christmas Lights You Need to Wrap a Tree
How many Christmas lights do I need to wrap a tree?
The amount depends on the tree’s height, width, and how tightly you space the wraps. For deciduous trees, use the formula 20 × (height + width) × (12/spacing). For evergreen trees, use (height × 12) × (width × 12) × 0.0694. Spacing is typically kept between 2-4 inches for even, balanced coverage.
What size Christmas lights are best for wrapping trees?
For deciduous trees, 5MM, M5, or C6 LED light strings work best because they offer even, saturated coverage on bare trunks and branches. For evergreen trees, larger C7 or C9 LED bulbs are recommended since they need to stand out against thick, dense foliage.
Should I start wrapping a tree from the top or the bottom?
For deciduous trees, start at the base of the trunk and wrap upward to ensure even light distribution. For evergreen trees, start at the top and work downward, wrapping each layer of branches individually for full coverage.
How far apart should Christmas light wraps be spaced on a tree?
A gap of 2 to 4 inches between each wrap is recommended. Spacing lights too closely increases the number of strings needed and can look overly dense, while spacing them too far apart results in a dimmer, less balanced display.
What’s the difference between wrapping a deciduous tree and an evergreen tree with lights?
Deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter, leaving only bare trunks and branches to wrap, so smaller bulbs like 5MM or M5 provide full visibility. Evergreen trees keep their needles year-round, so larger C7 or C9 bulbs are needed to shine through the dense foliage, and each branch layer should be wrapped individually.
Do I need to test Christmas lights before wrapping a tree?
Yes. Plugging in each light string before wrapping confirms every bulb and connection works properly. This prevents having to unwrap a tree later to fix or replace a broken string in the middle of the display.
Destinee S.
Destinee Smethers is the Marketing Manager at Creative Displays and specializes in creating educational resources about commercial Christmas decorations, commercial Christmas lighting, and holiday planning.