Holiday lights guide

How to wrap a tree with Christmas lights

Written by Backyard Boys Lawn Co., San Antonio · October 31, 2026

The short version: measure the trunk, plug in first, start at the bottom, wrap about a hand apart (3 to 4 inches), then run the main limbs out a few feet and back. A big front-yard oak takes a ladder, a few hours and more strands than most people expect.

What you need

Outdoor-rated LED mini lights, 4 inch bulb spacing. Ours are 50 bulbs, about 17 feet a strand.
A tape measure, zip ties or light clips, and an outdoor extension cord.
A timer, so they come on at dusk without you (how to set one).
A ladder and a helper for anything above head height.

How many strands: the 1-minute math

Measure around the trunk (circumference) in feet.
Count the wraps: trunk height in inches divided by your spacing. An 8 foot trunk at 4 inches is 24 wraps.
Multiply: 24 wraps x 2 feet around = 48 feet of lights.
Divide by the strand length: 48 / 17 = 3 strands. Do the same for each main limb and add 10% spare, since guides disagree on exact counts.

Step by step

Plug the strands in on the ground first. Find a dead one before it is 12 feet up.
Start at the bottom, plug end down, so the cord runs to the outlet without a loose tail.
Wrap up the trunk a hand apart. Keep the spacing even; uneven wraps show at night.
Run the main limbs. Wrap out along each big limb, then work back toward the trunk to fill gaps.
Tie off the ends with a zip tie so wind does not unwind them.
Plug into a timer on an outdoor GFCI outlet and keep the plug off the ground, under cover.

Mistakes we see

Too far apart. Six inches or more looks thin from the street.
Daisy-chaining too many strands. Follow the limit printed on the strand tag; never exceed it.
Mixing whites. Warm white and bright white side by side looks off at night. Pick one.
Plugs on wet ground, which trips the outlet after rain (how to reset it).

Or skip the ladder

We wrap tree trunks across San Antonio with our own lights, up to about 8 or 15 feet, and big oaks up into the main limbs, installed, kept lit all season and taken down in January. Send your address and we text you a picture of your house with the trees lit, with your price. You can book it online.

Quick answers

How far apart should I wrap lights on a tree trunk?

About a hand apart, roughly 3 to 4 inches between wraps, looks full from the street. Wider than 6 inches starts to look patchy at night.

How many strands of lights do I need to wrap a tree?

Measure around the trunk, multiply by the number of wraps, and divide by the length of one strand. An 8 foot trunk that is 2 feet around, wrapped every 4 inches, takes about 48 feet of lights, or 3 strands of 17 feet.

Should I wrap the branches too?

Wrap the main limbs out about 3 to 10 feet. The trunk alone looks like a lit pole; the limbs are what make it look like a lit tree.

What kind of lights should I use on an outdoor tree?

Outdoor-rated LED mini lights with 4 inch bulb spacing. They stay cool, use little power and handle San Antonio rain.