Hi, all.

While it's not yet time to defrost Mariah Carey, it's certainly not too early to think about our outdoor Christmas light display for the front of our home. We have always used traditional incandescent lights, but this year we'd like to replace them all with LEDs. We'd also like to replicate our look as closely as possible.

We use a rather simple combination of about 1200 or so clear white mini-lights on green cords for most of our front shrubs, as well as about 150 C7 white bulbs on each of our 3 dwarf Alberta spruces and 1 dwarf blue spruce. The tricky part is that the C7 bulbs are a combination of "steady on" and "twinkle" bulbs randomly scattered about the 4 trees for a nice twinkly look.

I have looked around in-person at Lowes, Ace Hardware, At Home, etc. at the different options, as well as looked online, but there are so many from which to choose. I was wondering if any LED light aficionados here could point me in a good direction for some quality lights that will last a while, yet won't break the bank. Again, we are looking to replicate the "warm clear" look of traditional incandescent bulbs. We also wouldn't be opposed to incorporating some red bulbs in the strands of C7-size lights for our 4 larger trees.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Chris

We do the net lights for shrubbery, fast to put out and very fast to put up. No uncoiling, un twisting, breaking a bulb pulling strings out straight that you know you put up properly but like hangers somehow twist together like sex craved snakes in a box.

Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, all have sales, just get the size net you want and color temp/all color and it's easy, then each year it's just easy to replace any net that goes out.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
We do the net lights for shrubbery.

Thank you for the recommendation. We prefer regular string lights, since our shrubs are different sizes.

I just put up all the lights yesterday. My wife loves Christmas and anytime after Halloween, I’ll put them up. I make her wait until at least November 1st.

While I use the small bulbs, I buy them at Costco. They are very bright and extremely affordable. I am quite happy with them. I’ll buy a few more strands the next time I’m at Costco and add them.

Several years ago I paid over $500 for 10 strings of C9 green LED lights.
I got the commercial grade with replaceable bulbs, but they have cheaper lights.
I bought them here and I've never had a problem with them..

C7/C9 Premium LED Light Strings

I recommend red, white, and blue in old fashioned big bulbs. Twinklies may be used after the big bulbs are placed as the foundation.

If you want to match incandescent white lights with LEDs, make sure the ones you get are warm white.