How many lights for a Christmas tree: lights, garland and ornament calculator
It is the first evening the tree is lit, the room lights go off, and everyone stops to look. Tell it your tree, and get how many lights and strands to buy, how much garland, how many ornaments, and the order to put them on, with a list to print. Free, no sign-up, and nothing leaves your browser.
Your Christmas tree plan
Decorate in this order
Sources: 1000Bulbs (100 mini lights per vertical foot, 200 for a brighter tree, about half for LED), The Christmas Loft (9 to 12 feet of garland per foot of tree) and the U.S. Fire Administration (connecting strands, watering, 3 feet from heat). The shape, swag and ornament numbers are our own estimates; trees and tastes vary.
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Christmas tree questions
How many lights do I need for a 7 ft Christmas tree?
About 700 incandescent mini lights for a classic look, or 1,400 for a bright one: the usual rule is 100 mini lights per vertical foot, or 200 for a brighter tree. LED minis are brighter, so about half as many do the same job: around 350 for a classic 7 ft tree. A 6 ft tree takes about 600 incandescent minis, a 7.5 ft tree about 750 and a 9 ft tree about 900, all for a standard-width tree.
How many strands of lights is that?
Divide the lights by the number on one strand. Most mini light strands come in 50, 100 or more; 700 lights is seven strands of 100. The calculator rounds up to whole strands for the size you pick.
How much garland do I need for my tree?
For garland spiraled around the whole tree, a common rule is 9 to 12 feet of garland for every foot of height, so 63 to 84 feet for a 7 ft tree, or seven to ten lengths of 9 ft. For a looser swag, about half that is plenty.
How many ornaments does a Christmas tree need?
A common rule of thumb is 10 to 20 ornaments per foot of height: about 70 for a lightly decorated 7 ft tree, around 105 for a classic one and 140 for a full one. Mix sizes, with the biggest few deep in the branches and the smallest near the tips.
What order do you decorate a Christmas tree in?
Lights first, then the topper, then garland or ribbon, then ornaments from largest to smallest, and the skirt last. Test the light strands on the floor before they go on the tree.
How many light strands can I connect together?
It depends on the strand, so read the box: the U.S. Fire Administration advises following the manufacturer's instructions for the number of strands to connect. Incandescent strands usually allow far fewer than LED strands. Throw away any strand with frayed or pinched wires.
Do you store what I type in?
No. Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing is sent or saved; print the list or copy it before you close the page.