Can You Cut Christmas Lights? (Explained)
It’s that time of year again when we’re all trying to make our homes look festive with Christmas lights.
But what do you do when those LED strings are just too long for where you want to put them?
You might be wondering if you can just cut them to size.
Well, it’s not as simple as you might think.
In this post, I’ll explain if you can cut Christmas lights. We’ll take a look at how Christmas lights work and figure out if cutting them is really a good idea.
How Christmas Lights Are Wired
Before we talk about cutting lights, we need to understand how these are wired.
Christmas lights usually come in two main types of wiring: series and parallel.
In a series circuit, the electricity goes through each bulb one after another. If one bulb goes out or gets taken out, the whole string goes dark. Most of the newer mini lights and LED Christmas light strings are wired this way.
Also Read: No Outside Outlets For Christmas Lights
Parallel circuits are different. Each bulb has its own direct connection to the power source. So if one bulb dies, the rest of the string stays lit.
The bigger, old-school C7 and C9 bulbs usually use this kind of wiring.
Can You Cut Christmas Lights Wired in Series?
You should NOT cut Christmas lights that are wired in series. That includes most LED light strings and mini incandescent lights.
These lights are supposed to work as a complete circuit, and cutting them can cause problems.
What Happens If You Cut Them?
Cutting series-wired lights can create an electrical imbalance.
When you take bulbs out of a series circuit, it changes how the voltage is distributed across the remaining bulbs. This can make the lights burn way brighter than they should, which can make them burn out super fast or even fail right away.
Plus, if you don’t modify them correctly, you could end up with electrical shorts or overheating, which could be a fire hazard.
In a lot of cases, cutting series-wired lights will just make the whole string or a big part of it stop working altogether.
Exceptions And Cautions
Some LED light strings are made with multiple series sections wired in parallel. In theory, if you can figure out where these sections are, you might be able to cut between them.
Also Read: Christmas Lights Keep Blowing Fuse
But here’s the thing: you’d need to really know what you’re doing with the specific design and electrical stuff in that light string.
Unless you’re an electrician or engineer who knows their stuff, it’s probably best to just leave these types of lights alone.
Can You Cut Christmas Lights Wired in Parallel?
Parallel-wired Christmas lights (usually the bigger C7 or C9 types) are generally safe to cut.
Each bulb in these strings operates independently and gets full voltage straight from the power source. This means you can usually cut between any two bulbs without messing up the rest of the string.
How To Cut Parallel-Wired Xmas Lights
If you decide to go ahead and cut parallel-wired lights, here’s what you should do:
- Make sure the lights are unplugged. Seriously, don’t skip this step!
- Find a spot between two bulbs where you want to make your cut.
- Get some wire cutters and cleanly cut through the wires.
- Seal up the cut ends with weatherproof wire nuts or electrical tape to prevent any short circuits or electrical problems.
Just remember, cutting these lights will definitely void any warranty, so you’re at your own risk.
Advanced Methods For Cutting LED Lights
For those of you who really know your electrical stuff, there are ways to modify LED light strings.
You’d need to figure out individual segments in the Xmas light string, measure the current flow, and carefully splice wires to keep everything working right.
You’d need tools like a digital multimeter and a soldering iron, plus a really good understanding of how the light string is designed.
To be honest, this kind of modification is complicated, takes a lot of time, and can be pretty risky.
Only try this if you really know what you’re doing, and remember that it’ll void any product warranty and could be dangerous if you mess it up.
Alternatives To Cutting Christmas Lights
Given all the risks and hassles that come with cutting Christmas lights, it might even be a good idea to look at some other options.
Here are a few ideas:
Get Creative
One of the easiest ways to deal with extra light strings is to just get creative with how you arrange it. Instead of trying to make a perfectly straight line, why not use the extra length to make some cool loops or swags?
This can actually make your display look more interesting, turning a problem into a cool feature.
You could also wrap the extra length around tree trunks, pillars, or other parts of your house to make your light display more three-dimensional.
Hide The Extra Bulbs
Sometimes, you can just hide the extra length where no one will see it.
If you’re decorating a Christmas tree, you can tuck extra lights deeper into the branches where they’ll be hidden but still add to the overall glow.
When you’re decorating outside, you might be able to hide extra length behind gutters, in bushes, or along the back of a railing.
This way, you can use the whole string without changing anything or wasting lights.
Also Read: LED Christmas Lights Dim
Cover The Lights With Tape
For LED strings, you can use dark electrical tape to cover up bulbs you don’t want to light up.
This basically “turns off” specific lights without cutting the wire or messing with the electrical circuit. Plus, you can undo later if you want to.
So this lets you customize your light pattern or length without permanently changing anything.
Just make sure to use good quality electrical tape that can handle outdoor conditions if you’re using this method on outside decorations.
Multiple Shorter Strands
Instead of using one long strand that you need to cut, think about using multiple shorter strands connected end-to-end. This gives you more flexibility in how you set up your lights.
Plus, it makes it easier to replace sections if they stop working.
A lot of light strings are made to connect safely end-to-end, so you can customize your total length without any cutting.
Some stores even sell light strings or spools of lights that you can customize to the length you need. These are made to be cut safely at certain points, so you create custom lengths.
Bottom Line
You can cut Christmas lights that are wired in parallel, but cutting series-wired LED and mini light strings is not a great idea. The risks outweigh the benefits, and you could end up with lights that don’t work or even create safety hazards.
Instead of cutting, try some of the other alternative methods we’ve talked about.
