There is one mistake behind almost every “half my tree stopped working after a season” message we get, and it happens on install day, not months later.
People wrap the tree tight. Tight looks neat on the day. But a living tree keeps growing, and every millimetre it gains pulls on the cable you wrapped around it. Inside that cable is a conductor finer than a strand of hair. Stretch it for long enough and it fatigues, then breaks, and a section of your tree goes dark. Wrap the same tree loose and it simply grows into the slack.
This guide is the method we give every customer. It takes no longer than doing it the wrong way.
In a hurry? Jump straight to the steps. The short version: wrap from the coil, leave enough slack to slip two fingers under, and tie with something soft.
The one rule: wrap it loose
Every step below exists to serve a single principle. The cable should never be under tension, not on the day you install it and not in three summers’ time.
Two things go wrong when a wrap is tight:
- The lights fail. The tree expands, the cable cannot, and the fine internal conductor stretches until it breaks. You lose a section, or the whole run past that point.
- The tree suffers. A tight band around a growing trunk or limb restricts it, the same way a forgotten stake tie does. Bark deforms around the cable and the growth above the band is choked.
The two finger test. At any point on the trunk or a branch, you should be able to slide two fingers flat under the cable without forcing them. If you cannot, it is too tight. Check as you go, not at the end.
What you need
- Your fairy light kit. Our outdoor fairy light tree kits come with connectable 10 m and 3 m strings plus the splitters to branch them out.
- Soft ties. Garden velcro, soft rubber tree ties, or plain twine. These hold without cutting.
- A waterproof extension lead to get power from the outlet to the base of the tree. Ours are rated for outdoor use with sealed quick connect fittings.
- Splitters if your tree has more than a couple of main limbs. They let you branch out from one feed instead of winding all the way back down.
- A stable ladder, set on firm level ground, plus a second person to foot it if you are going above about two metres.
Never use zip ties or wire. Zip ties do not give. As the limb thickens the tie cuts into the bark and through the cable insulation, which is both a tree problem and an electrical one. Wire is worse. If a tie is already on the tree from last season, cut it off and replace it with something soft.
How to wrap a tree with fairy lights, step by step
Step 1. Test every string on the ground first.
Plug each piece in and check it before it goes up. Look over the cable for cuts or nicks while you are there. Finding a dead string at the top of a ladder is a wasted afternoon.
Step 2. Plan the power run.
Run your extension lead from the outlet to the base of the trunk. Keep the connection between the lead and the first string off the ground, secured to the trunk about knee height, so it never sits in a puddle. Position the driver somewhere sheltered.
Step 3. Start at the base, plug end down.
Begin the first string at the bottom of the trunk with the plug end nearest your power. Everything then runs upward and outward, which is also the order you will unwind it in years to come.
Step 4. Wrap from the coil. This is the step that matters most.
Hold the coil in one hand and feed the lights out as you circle the trunk. Do not lay the whole length out on the lawn first and then wrap it. Working from a laid out length means you are pulling against the run with every pass, and that tension goes straight into the cable and stays there.
Step 5. Set your spacing, and leave slack on every pass.
Roughly 10 cm to 15 cm between passes gives a dense, even look on a trunk. Wider spacing, 20 cm or more, is fine out along thinner branches where you want a scattered effect. Use your hand as the gauge so spacing stays consistent as you climb. After every few turns, run two fingers under the cable to confirm it is still loose.
Step 6. Leave a reserve loop every few metres.
Every 3 m or so, leave a slack loop of spare cable roughly the size of your palm, tucked into a fork or against the trunk. It disappears once the lights are on, and it is the growing room that keeps the run alive for years.
Step 7. Split at the first limb junction.
When you reach the point where the trunk becomes limbs, fit a splitter and take a feed onto each branch rather than winding one string back and forth. The transition looks cleaner, and it saves a lot of cable. Repeat at the next junction if the branches divide again.
Step 8. Tie softly, and only where you need to.
Most of the wrap holds itself. Add a soft tie only where the cable would otherwise slide, usually on smooth bark or a steep branch. Leave the tie loose enough to rotate around the branch with your fingers.
Step 9. Work out along the branch, then back if needed.
Wrap out toward the tip, and if you are coming back down the same branch, leave a gap on the way out for the return pass to sit in. Even spacing in both directions reads as intentional from the ground.
Step 10. Walk out to the footpath before you finish.
Look at the tree from where people will actually see it. Gaps and heavy patches are obvious from ten metres away and invisible from the ladder. Adjust while everything is still loose.
How much fairy light do you need?
Work it out per section, then add the sections together.
Length needed = (height of the section ÷ your spacing) × the girth of that section
Measure girth by running a tape right around the trunk or branch. Example, a trunk 2 m tall and 1 m around, wrapped at 15 cm spacing:
- 2 m ÷ 0.15 m = about 13 passes
- 13 passes × 1 m girth = 13 m for the trunk
Then repeat for each branch you plan to light and total them up. Round up. Running short with one branch left is the most annoying way to end a Saturday.
If you would rather skip the maths, our tree kits are built around main branch count:
| Kit | Total length | Suits a tree with |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 37 m | 2 to 3 main branches |
| Medium | 74 to 80 m | around 5 main branches |
| Large | 150 m | around 10 main branches |
| XL | 300 m | around 15 main branches |
Every kit uses connectable 10 m and 3 m strings with quick connect fittings and includes splitters, so you can shape it to your tree rather than the other way round. All four are DIY friendly and run on a safe low voltage system.
If a section has stopped working
Before you assume a fault, check the tension. On a wrapped tree this is the most common cause by a wide margin.
- Find where the lights stop. The break is usually at or just before that point.
- Look at how tight the cable sits there. Bark pressing against the cable, a cable that has bedded into the trunk, or a spot you cannot get a finger under, all point to stretch damage.
- Check the connections either side of the dark section, and the driver, before anything else.
If it is tension, the fix is to release the affected run, replace that piece, and rewrap that section loose. Our strings are connectable in 10 m and 3 m pieces specifically so you replace a piece rather than the whole tree.
Our fairy lights are backed by a 2 year warranty, double the industry standard. Stretch damage from a tight wrap is an installation issue rather than a product fault, but tell us what you are seeing either way and we will help you work out which one it is.
Looking after a wrapped tree
- Check the ties each spring. Growing season is when a tie goes from comfortable to constricting. Loosen or replace anything snug.
- Rewrap every few years on a young, fast growing tree. Unwind, check the cable, and put it back on with fresh slack. It is an hour’s work and it resets the clock.
- Leaving them up year round is fine with genuinely outdoor rated lights. Ours are IP67 rated with sealed connectors, built for Australian sun, rain, and salt air rather than a few weeks in December.
Common questions
How far apart should fairy lights be on a tree?
10 cm to 15 cm between passes on a trunk for a dense look, and 20 cm or wider out along branches. Consistency matters more than the exact number.
Will fairy lights damage my tree?
Not if they are wrapped loose and tied with something soft. Damage comes from tight wraps and from hard ties, particularly zip ties and wire, which cut into the bark as the tree grows.
Can I leave fairy lights on a tree all year?
Yes, with outdoor rated lights. Check the ties and the slack once a year, ideally in spring.
How many fairy lights do I need for a 2 m tree?
For a small tree of about 2 m with two or three main branches, our Small kit at 37 m total is the usual answer. For anything larger, use the formula above or count the main branches against the kit table.
Can I use solar fairy lights on a tree?
Yes, as long as the panel gets direct sun for most of the day, which is worth checking under a full canopy. Our solar fairy lights switch on at dusk by themselves. For a large tree, mains powered kits give you more length on one run.
Why do LEDs suit trees better than traditional lights?
They run cool against bark and foliage, they draw far less power over a long run, and the low voltage system is safer to have in a garden. They also last tens of thousands of hours, so the wrap outlives the season.
Can I dim them?
Yes. A low voltage remote dimmer gives you brightness control from up to 15 m away, which is worth having when the tree is the main light source for a courtyard or a deck.
Light your tree properly
- Outdoor fairy light tree kits, small through to XL, warm white, connectable, outdoor rated.
- Splitters, extension leads and drivers to shape a kit around your tree.
- Not sure which size fits your tree? Send us a photo through our contact page and we will size it for you.
