How many christmas lights per tree?

November 29, 2006 11:53 AM

How many christmas lights (either C7 or C9 size bulbs) are needed for a large 16' pine tree?

I have been asked to find lights for an outdoor commercial display & I don't have a clue how to calculate how many feet of lights are needed to decorate a tree. Is there some sort of rule of thumb for this?

posted by Alpenglow to home & garden (6 comments total)

It kinda depends on how saturated with lights you want the tree to be. Can you just buy a bunch, put them on - if you need more, buy more and if you don't need them all, return them?
posted by Sassyfras at 12:12 PM on November 29, 2006

If you go to Walmart or similar department store that sells fake trees, they usually tell you how many lights per tree on the sign or box. While I doubt you'll find a 16' tree there, you may be able to check the different sizes and work out a formula.

For instance, I have a 7.5' tree with a base diameter of 5' and used 300 regular sized lights (the box suggested 450). Since the surface area is ~ 200 ft^2 (area of base subtracted, I don't string lights underneath my tree) that means about 1.5 to 2.25 lights for every square foot. If you know the base diameter of the tree, or can guess, I'm sure you could work something out.

*Disclaimer: I only think my math is right.
posted by JeremiahBritt at 12:15 PM on November 29, 2006

The problem is that I'm here, the tree is in a different state & I need to order lights online & have them shipped there. And now my boss wants mini lights instead. So, anyone know how many mini lights are needed for a 16' tree? Bah.
posted by Alpenglow at 12:23 PM on November 29, 2006

3950 lights
posted by JeremiahBritt at 12:29 PM on November 29, 2006

Also, I was very wrong above, having switched radius and diameter. you would actually want about 5-7 lights per square foot.

Oops. Glad I put in the disclaimer.
posted by JeremiahBritt at 12:41 PM on November 29, 2006

In keeping with my family's tradition of totally overdoing it when it comes to Christmas lights, I put 20 strings of 100 small lights on my 5-ish foot tall tree. It glows like a miniature sun. Most people would want way fewer than that.
posted by mostlymartha at 1:42 PM on November 29, 2006