Buyers Guides

Illuminating Trees - Lights4fun style!

Lighting up a tree can be a very rewarding experience but will almost certainly take you longer than you think.

Where is my power supply? Firstly think how are you going to get power to the tree? With our connectible range or either Traditional outdoor String Lights or connectible outdoor LED fairy lights we offer extension cables in various lengths from 5 to 20 metre. All our outdoor ranges are designed for the worst of the British weather.

What style shall I drape the lights in? Are you going to drape the Christmas lights around the tree in hoops, at random or up and down from top to bottom?

To be creative you may possibly need more lights than you originally calculate. Our LED string lights are available in 10 metre lengths with 100 bulbs. We offer multi point connections and T connections plus 5, 10 and 20 metre extension cables to make the installation easier. This small tree ( 6ft tall x 4ft wide) has two sets.

Is there a quick and easy solution to lighting my small tree? Yes - for a 2 minute, stunning installation, simply throw a Net Light over your tree or bush for an instant symmetrical distribution of light.

We have a full range of connectible outdoor LED net lights in green or white cable. Green cable tends to blend with the foliage better during the daytime and be less noticeable. White cable makes a bold statement and is ideal for weddings, marquees, parties, snow etc. The photograph left was taken with a 2 x 1m net light on a weeping fig tree, approx 4ft tall. For bigger trees use larger net lights or connect several net lights together.

Illuminating Larger Trees

Lighting up large trees with Christmas lights is great fun but beware it can be very time consuming. Here are a few tips …

How high is the tree? To help decide how many sets of lights you need, you will need to 'guestimate' the height and width. A good tip is to stand someone you know near the tree and then step back and calculate the height. Remember to also guess the width at the widest point.

How many sets of lights will I need? Much depends on the effect you are trying to create. Are you looking to drape lights like garlands, or go all the way round the tree or up and down from top to bottom. Essentially you need to calculate the surface area you wish to cover, and think about the spacing between the light strings. We have lots of experience in estimating lights usage on trees so please call us free for help on 0800 0612 532 .

Will it be safe to use ladders to install lights on a tree? NO. We would strongly recommend you never use ladders for installing lights. Use a more stable method of installation, such as an 'access tower', a 'Scissor lift' or a 'cherry picker'. Even better get someone else to install them for you. If you buy our professional range of Outdoor Traditional Light Strings or our LED connectible fairy light strings then you will only need to install them once. These lights are maintenance free and are designed for extended outdoor use.

Should I choose traditional colour bulbs or LED's? We manufacture both traditional connectible outdoor tree String Lights and new LED connectible outdoor fairy lights.

Lights4fun traditional connectible warm glow outdoor string lights - can connect up to a maximum of 26 sets from one UK socket, Power consumption 31w per set.

Lights4fun LED connectible outdoor fairy / Christmas lights are slightly more expensive but they use considerably less energy (up to 90% click here for article) and will last longer - on average 4 times as long. It is possible to connect up to 60 sets from one UK socket, Average power consumption 7.7w per set (depending on colour). Choice of 7 colours

When is the best time to install Christmas or fairy lights in trees?

There is no need to wait for the cold weather if installing our professional range. Why not put them up in Autumn with the mild weather and use them all year round ?

Remember your trees will grow: If the installation is permanent or semi permanent it is important to allow enough slack in the cable for the tree and its' branches to grow. Do not wrap lights strings around the bark or branches too tightly. It is much better to drape them as in a garland effect across the branches and leave room for growth. Also if you are placing the lights in a tree that requires annual pruning such as apple trees, take great care not to damage the cables when pruning.

Please have a look at some Tree illumination projects below and click on the photos to take you to the products used. We hope you found this guide useful.