How Many Christmas Lights for a Tree?
Plan on about 100 lights per foot of tree height for a medium look: 700 lights for a 7 foot tree. Use 50 per foot for a light look and 150 per foot for a full, dense one.
Set your height and look below. Add the width if your tree is slim or wide.
lights, using about 100 per foot of height.
Strands to buy
| Strand size | Strands | Lights bought | Spare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 lights | 14 | 700 | 0 |
| 100 lights | 7 | 700 | 0 |
| 300 lights | 3 | 900 | 200 |
Light, medium or full
| Look | Lights | Strands of 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Light | 350 | 4 |
| Medium | 700 | 7 |
| Full | 1,050 | 11 |
Buy a strand or two more than the number shown if the tree is flocked, very full or your strands are short: running out halfway up is the usual mistake.
Quick table: lights by tree height
| Tree height | Light look | Medium look | Full look | Strands of 100 (medium) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft | 200 | 400 | 600 | 4 |
| 5 ft | 250 | 500 | 750 | 5 |
| 6 ft | 300 | 600 | 900 | 6 |
| 7 ft | 350 | 700 | 1,050 | 7 |
| 8 ft | 400 | 800 | 1,200 | 8 |
| 9 ft | 450 | 900 | 1,350 | 9 |
| 10 ft | 500 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 10 |
| 11 ft | 550 | 1,100 | 1,650 | 11 |
| 12 ft | 600 | 1,200 | 1,800 | 12 |
Need an answer for one size only? See how many lights for a 7 foot tree.
Light, medium or full
Light (50 per foot) reads as a sprinkling of sparkle and suits a tree with many ornaments. Medium (100 per foot) is the common choice and looks even without being glaring. Full (150 per foot) is for a tree you want to glow in a dark room or one that is flocked and absorbs light. Going past 150 per foot rarely adds much that anyone can see.
Why width matters
The per-foot rule assumes a standard tree, about 55% as wide as it is tall. A slim tree has less surface to cover, so the calculator scales down, to at most 40% fewer lights. A wide tree of the same height scales up, to at most 50% more. If you leave the width blank, the answer is the plain rule of thumb.
Stringing it so it looks even
- Start at the bottom and work up, or start at the top and work down; pick one and stay with it.
- Wrap each branch in and out rather than spiraling around the outside, so the lights sit inside the tree and glow from within.
- Test every strand before it goes on. Check the box for how many strands can be joined end to end, because that limit decides how many plugs you need.
- Keep a spare strand for the day one section goes dark.
Questions
How many lights do I need for a 6 foot tree?
About 600 for a medium look (300 light, 900 full).
How many lights do I need for a 7 foot tree?
About 700: seven strands of 100. The 7 foot tree page has the full table.
How many lights for a 9 foot tree?
About 900 for a medium look, 1,350 for a full tree.
Is 100 lights per foot the right rule?
It is a common rule of thumb, not a standard. Many people use 100 per foot for an even look. Fewer suit a tree full of ornaments and more suit a dense or flocked one.
How many strands should I buy?
Divide the number of lights by the strand size and round up. The table in the calculator shows strands of 50, 100 and 300 with the lights you have left over.
Does this work for outdoor trees?
The same rule works as a starting point, but for tall outdoor trees wrapped from trunk to tip plan on more strands and check the outdoor rating on every strand and cord.