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Snake Christmas Lights

Great lights, terrible name! Snake lights are one of my favorite ways to light a Christmas tree. They're long, lightweight strands with lots of tiny LED lights, making them especially useful when you're lighting medium and tall Christmas trees.

Both Holiday Hangups and RAZ make snake lights, and I use both brands. They have slightly different looks and light colors, so I've included both options depending on the look you're trying to create.

I typically start at the top of the tree and work my way down using my zig-zag method. The long strands make it easy to get consistent coverage without having to connect a bunch of shorter strands.

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Snake Lights vs. Cluster Lights

What's the difference between snake lights and cluster lights? The LED lights themselves are the same. The main differences are the spacing of the lights, how the lights connect to the main wire, and the length of the strand.

With snake lights, the lights sit close to the main wire and are spaced slightly farther apart. The strands are typically longer, which makes them a great choice when you want to cover a tree from top to bottom.

With cluster lights, each light has a small piece of wire that extends from the main wire, and the lights are packed more closely together. This allows you to pack more lights into a smaller area and creates a denser, more concentrated look.

I use my zig-zag lighting technique with both snake lights and cluster lights. The difference is really in the look you want and how you want to use the lights.

You can also combine the two! One of my favorite ways to light a Christmas tree is to use cluster lights down the trunk and snake lights on the branches. I can put the cluster lights on a different setting, often twinkle, to add subtle movement inside the tree without making the entire tree look like it's flashing or animated.

Want to see the difference? I've made a short video showing exactly how snake lights and cluster lights compare.

Video
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Cluster Christmas Lights

Cluster lights have lots of tiny LED lights packed closely together, creating a dense, sparkling look. I love using cluster lights when I want a tree to have plenty of light and sparkle without having to see a lot of wire.

Both Holiday Hangups and RAZ make cluster lights, and I use both. They have slightly different warm-white tones, so I recommend choosing one brand for the main lighting on a tree if you want the color to look consistent.

Cluster lights aren't just for Christmas trees, either. They're one of my favorite choices for lighting the trunk of a tree, wreaths, garland and other holiday displays.

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How Many Christmas Lights Do I Need?

One of the questions I get asked most often is, “How many Christmas lights do I need for my tree?” The answer depends on the height and fullness of your tree, the type of lights you're using, and how densely you want it lit. Here are the amounts I typically use on my own trees.

10-Foot Christmas Tree

  • For a 10-foot, full-bodied Christmas tree, I recommend using 5–7 strands of 75-foot snake lights. This gives you enough length to use my zig-zag lighting technique and create consistent coverage from top to bottom.

7-Foot Christmas Tree

  • For a 7-foot Christmas tree, you'll typically need 3–4 strands of snake lights or 3 strands of 50-foot cluster lights, depending on how full your tree is.

6-Foot Christmas Tree

  • For a 6-foot Christmas tree, I recommend 3 strands of snake lights or 3 strands of 50-foot cluster lights.

Don't Forget the Rest of Your Christmas Decor

  • Cluster lights aren't just for Christmas trees. They're also perfect for mantels, garland, wreaths, and other holiday displays.
  • One of my favorite combinations is using cluster lights down the trunk of a tree to create that extra inner sparkle, while using snake lights to light the branches. There are so many ways to combine them depending on the look you're going for!

Choosing The Right Christmas Light Color

The color of your Christmas lights can completely change the look of your tree and holiday decorations. I primarily use warm white Christmas lights, but the right color depends on the look you're trying to create.

Warm white lights have a softer, warmer glow and work beautifully with traditional Christmas decorations, red and green, neutrals, gold, and natural elements. They're the lights I use most often in my own Christmas decorating.

Multi-color Christmas lights are a fun choice when you want a more colorful, nostalgic Christmas look. They're especially pretty on traditional trees and work well with colorful ornaments and vintage-inspired decorations.

When you're combining multiple strands on the same tree, I recommend sticking with the same brand and light color when possible. Different brands can have slightly different shades of warm white, and you may notice the difference when they're right next to each other.

Specialty Christmas Lights


Not all Christmas lights are string lights. I use the term specialty Christmas lighting for lights that have a different design or shape and can be used in creative ways throughout a Christmas tree or holiday display.  

Specialty lighting is where you can really have fun and use Christmas lights as part of the design—not just as something you put on the tree.

  • Borealis Ball Lights

    Borealis Lights are one example. These 8-inch lights look like giant ornaments with lights inside, making them a fun way to add a larger illuminated element to a Christmas tree or holiday arrangement.

  • Wire Cluster Lights

    My favorite way to use wire cluster lights is on the outside of a decorated Christmas tree. This adds another layer of light right where you need it most.

  • Cascading Light Branch

    Cascading branch lights are another specialty light I love. They look beautiful coming out of the top of a Christmas tree topper, hanging from the edge of a mantel, or tucked into a tree to highlight a particular feature or creative element.
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