Nothing makes an otherwise beautiful Christmas light display look sloppy like stray cords. You’ve seen them before: the extension cord hanging down in an ugly loop from the edge of the roofline, the gnarled cable poking out from beyond the bushes, or the thick line of lights snaking across the lawn. In fact, one of the biggest differences between a truly professional-looking display and an amateur hobby-job is the degree to which the arranger successfully stows their Christmas light cords away from the display.

excess christmas light cordBut what should you do with those stray Christmas light cords mucking up your display?

It’s actually pretty simple to customizable zip cord and/or Christmas light lines to your precise specifications, removing the need for any stray cables.

How to Use Christmas Light Cord That Can Be Cut To Fit Your Light Run

Supplies You’ll Need:

  • 18-gauge, empty C9 socket line (or C7)
    • Comes in 50’, 100’, 250’, 500’, or 1000’ spools
    • Comes in bulb spacing from 4” all the way to 36” (for perimeter lighting we generally recommend 12-15”)
  • C9 bulbs for roofline and yard lines (or C7 bulbs for yard lines)—stick to Pro Christmas brand
  • Vampire plugs ‒ more on these in a second
  • 18/2 SPT-1 zip cord
  • Clips for roofline or stakes for yard perimeter
  • Outdoor Christmas light timer (optional)

The general idea is to have your light lines end precisely at the outlet, along with a slight bit of extra slack so that it can definitely reach where you need to go. Once you have the measurements of the lines you want to run, you’ll cut your socket line to size, install a male vampire plug on one end and a female on the other, and then you have a custom-length light line that will run taut within your display—no extra cord necessary!

christmas light cord that can be cutHere’s how:

  1. Bring your empty socket light line to the area you’re going to be installing
  2. Screw in the bulbs and attach the clips down the line
  3. Locate your power outlets—if possible, try to keep everything coming from a single power source to reduce potential failure points and ensure everything turns on in the same moment. (Keep in mind that 250 feet or 250 bulbs is the max that you should put on a single line, coming from a single plug)
  4. Starting at the corners, attach the clips to the roofline or put the stakes in the ground, making sure the spacing is taut and uniform
    1. If applying to the roofline, when you get to a section where you’re going from a lower roof to a higher roof, to avoid having extra, sloppy-looking lights between the transition, use a mallet to break off the intervening sockets (see here)
  5. Wherever a connection is needed to chain power from one line to another, including on the ends, install your vampire plugs (video guide)
      1. Locate the end of the cable
      2. Split the two wires apart
      3. Attach the vampire plug, lining the wire with the ribbed side with the wide blade on the plug, folding down the end, and sliding on the plug’s backplate
      4. Make sure you’re installing the male plugs where they’ll be plugging into the outlet. We always recommend adding a female plug on the other end to properly terminate your run. Don’t be tempted to leave it raw or quickly tape it off with electrical tape, as this will avoid any trapped moisture.
  6. Use zip cord + male/female vampire plugs to run power from the outlet to the actual light line.

creating custom christmas light cord with zip cord…and you’re done! It’s may seem like a lot of steps, but it’s actually totally straightforward. Once you’ve installed a vampire plug or two, you’ll understand the process completely. But if you’re more of a visual learner, check out our detailed, full video guide to hanging Christmas lights on the roofline like a pro, or watch our guide to yard line installation.

terminated female plugUse Zip Cord To Create Power Between Light Sets 

You can use custom-sized zip cord extension cables to run power to any of your light sets to avoid stray bulbs and cords messing up your display.

how to hide christmas light cords

 

  1. Wrap your tree, hedge or shrub with mini lights such as 5mm wide angle conical lights, T5 lights, M5 lights or C6 lights.
  2. Take your zip cord and add a male vampire plug to the end near your power source.
  3. Run the zip cord to the end of your mini lights and add a female plug.
  4. Inline female plugs can be added for any other light sets needing a power source.

zip cord custom christmas light cordAnd there you have it! With a few easy steps, you can have your Christmas display looking truly professional-grade. Use custom light line, size it perfectly, and you’ll be the envy of your block this holiday season. Get started with customizable C9 Christmas lights with a Christmas Designers’ C9 light kits, which includes C9 bulbs, light line and plugs.

Happy installation!