5 Types of Christmas Lights and Where to Use Them

Best For: Christmas trees and exterior bushes and branches

These stubby lights emit less of a flicker because the filaments aren’t visible through the bulbs. Warm white LED bulbs create a halo effect around branches.

Buy It: 50 5mm Warm White LED Christmas Lights, 6" Spacing, $19; amazon.com

Best For: Dormers, eaves, and peaks of roofs

Frey advises placing the centermost bulb at the peak of the roofline to align the lights hanging from each side.

Buy It: Wintergreen Lighting OptiCore C9 LED Multi-Color Smooth/Opaque Christmas Light Bulbs, $41; amazon.com

Best For: Walkways and exterior trees

Balance C9 bulbs on the roof with smaller ones below. Frey likes lining pathways with C7s to prevent eyes from being drawn down rather than up at the whole display. Choose pure white LED bulbs for outdoor displays; they’ll have a greater impact.

Buy It: Brite Star C7 100-LightFaceted LED Pure White Light Set, $29; homedepot.com

Best For: Wreaths and tabletop displays

Battery-operated strands are better options for decor placed far away from outlets, says Frey.

Buy It: Novolink 34 Ft. 100-Light LED Warm White Battery Operated Decorative String Light, $14; amazon.com

Best For: Anywhere that needs more light and color

Retro-style bulbs are great for hanging on trees or wrapping around porch columns. Using a 70-light strand is a cost-effective way to make a statement.

Buy It: Holiday Wonderland Christmas LED Light Set, C6, Multi, 70-Ct., $13; truevalue.com

If you’d like to consult a pro for your decorating your own home, Frey recently launched Online Holiday Design, which offers personalized DIY Christmas lighting. Send in a photo of your house, and Frey and his team will design a custom lighting display and send all the materials you’ll need to bring a magical vision to life.