Make your own Christmas lights

Are you Christmas enthusiasts like us? If that’s a yes, have you ever thought of being more original and customising your own Christmas lights for the festive season?!

If you are sick and tired of your Christmas shop lights always going out, build your own strand of LED Christmas lights.

There are just 3 easy steps to follow:

Step 1: Choose your cord and bulbs

The cord used for building custom lines is called empty socket light line. Upon choosing, make sure you check the bulb size, the spacing between the bulbs, the cord gauge and the cord colour. Make sure you wire the lights in parallel, which means that if one bulb goes out the rest will stay on.

Step 2: Cutting

You need to measure out the precise length you need for a line, and cut that length off your supply of empty socket cord. You can create light lines of any length you desire; the only limitation is that it’s probably best to avoid exceeding 300 bulbs per line.

Now you just need to install a fitting on each end of the line: a male fitting on one end, and a female fitting on the other. The male fitting is what you’ll plug into an electrical outlet or extension cord (or the end of another cord), and the female fitting will allow you to plug another line into the end of this one.

Installing the fittings is very simple – no insulation-stripping or wire-crimping is necessary. You don’t even need any tools; you just slide the fittings onto the ends of the cord.

Now screw your bulbs into the sockets, and your custom light line is ready for installation.

Step 3: Clip

Now that you have light lines custom-built for your Christmas lighting project, you’ll want to install them neatly and with precision. You can do that by using the same installation aids that professional installers use: an assortment of purpose-built clips.

Plan on using one clip per bulb socket, even for light lines with the closest bulb spacing. And choose the correct clip for the surface to which you’re attaching your line. Clips are available for attaching to:

  • Clay roof tiles · Wood or asphalt shingles · Flashing · Roof ridge rows · Gutters · Trees and shrubs · Smooth, flat surfaces (wood, metal or plastic) · Artificial foliage (trees, wreaths, garlands, sprays) · Brick · Ferrous metal (magnetized clips) · Concrete and brick surfaces

With the proper attachment hardware, your custom light line installation will be quick and easy, and will yield a professional look.

Not only is it ridiculously cool that you made your own Christmas lights but, the LED’s last over 100, 000 hours and they produce little heat and use minimal energy and the bulbs aren’t hallow which makes them virtually indestructible.

So now you have professional-looking lights at a low cost, go and show them off!

Have a lovely Christmas!

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