Decorating The Top Of My Piano For Christmas

Staff, Courtesy of Winter Wonder Lane

We're sure there are a select few out there who enjoy installing holiday lights, though for most people, it's a time-consuming drag of a task. Stringing Christmas lights on your tree is one thing, but decorating outdoors is quite another. Luckily, a very clever person came up with the idea of Christmas net lights, which you can blanket over bushes, hedges, fences, and more in much less time than it takes to install individual strands. Read on for our top recommendations worth considering, plus shopping tips and advice on installation and storage.

What to Consider

The place to start when shopping for Christmas net lights is with the dimensions. Although it may not be exact, it's essential to find a set that's as close as possible to the area that needs coverage. Using net lights can save you a ton of time, but don't expect installation to be as quick as throwing them over the hedges and calling it a day. Slapdash jobs with net lights are painfully obvious. You want the end result to look like you spent hours stringing regular light sets, which requires pre-planning and patience.

Net grids are either square or diamond-shaped, and if you prefer a uniform design, a square grid may be easier to line up. As for power source, there are plug-in, solar, and battery options. The majority of sets have LED lights and offer end-to-end connection, and the selection of wire and bulb color is just as varied as traditional lights. In terms of extra features, there's everything from multiple lighting modes and timers to remote controls and memory function. There are also sets made specifically for wrapping tree trunks.

Installation Tips

For square or rectangular hedges, drape the net over the top and make sure the overhang is the same height on both sides. For help approximating where to place them correctly so you don't have adjust them, measure the hedge's height and mark the net with painter's tape or something similar to guide you where to fold them over. For bushes, aim to have the middle of net top and center. Tuck any excess net underneath.

Storage

How to store net Christmas lights is a common question, as they tend to tangle easily. To prevent them from becoming a ball of wire next season, spread the set out on the grass or driveway and fold it into quarters. If you want to get fancy, lay sheets of tissued paper in between folds and use a piece of cardboard on the bottom to keep them flat. Slip them inside a large Ziploc bag or buy a clear organizer bag for long-term storage.

How We Chose

Every set of net lights we write about below have an average customer review of four stars or more. Our selection includes lights in a range of sizes to suit small and large installation projects, as well as the best plug-in, solar, and battery-operated sets. We feature multicolor, warm white, and cool white net lights on both green and white wires, and note if there are other options available.

Best for Small Bushes

100 Christmas Net Lights

Key Specs

Dimensions: 5 x 5 feet
Bulb count/type: 100 LED
Power source: Plug-in
End-to-end connection: Yes; up to 12 sets

This set of net lights is ideal for small bushes, as it's a 5-foot square. It has 100 LED lights spaced about 6.5 inches apart and features end-to-end connection with up to 12 sets, so you easily decorate multiple bushes, plus a generous 16-plus feet of lead wire for landscaping that's spaced farther apart.

The set is available in multicolor lights in addition to the warm white lights shown in the photo.

Best for Larger Bushes

200 Christmas Net Lights

Key Specs

Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.6 feet
Bulb count/type: 200 LED
Power source: Plug-in
End-to-end connection: No

For larger bushes—or to hang from the porch—this set of lights is your best bet. The net has 200 LED lights and is nearly 10 feet long and 6.6 feet wide, giving you plenty of square footage for coverage, plus there's almost 10 feet of lead wire. There are also eight lighting modes to choose from using a button on the plug. The set comes in cool white, plus green and other colors.

Best for Hedges

360 Christmas Net Lights

Key Specs

Dimensions: 12 x 5 feet
Bulb count/type:360 LED
Power source:Plug-in
End-to-end connection: Yes; 3 sets

For decorating hedges, you'll need a longer set of lights that are just wide enough to cover the sides and top of the shrubs, ideally with no overhang. This option is 12 inches long by 5 feet wide, with an impressive 360 LED lights and a lead wire that's more than 16 feet, plus end-to-end connection for up to three sets.

They also feature eight lighting modes with a memory function that saves your last choice along with timer that keeps lights on for 6 hours and automatically shuts them off for 18 hours.

Best for Long Hedgerows

300 Christmas Net Lights

Key Specs

Dimensions: 14.8 x 4.9 feet
Bulb count/ type: 300 LED
Power source: Plug-in
End-to-end connection: Yes, 2 sets

This set of net lights is perfect for long hedgerows, at nearly 15 feet long and 5 feet wide. It features 300 cool white LED lights, with end-to-end connection for two sets, plus a separate extension cord (which acts as a lead wire) that's more than 16 feet long.

There are also eight lighting modes, with a button on the plug for switching them up. The set is available in multicolor and green, and five other color options.

Best Battery Powered

100 Christmas Net Lights (2 Pack)

Key Specs

Dimensions: 4.9 x 3.9 feet
Bulb count/type: 100 LED
Power source: Battery
End-to-end connection: No

Most Christmas net lights are plug-in or solar-powered, and it isn't as easy to find a set that runs on batteries.

While the sets in this two-pack don't offers as much square footage as others we cover, they each have 100 multicolor LED lights on a dark green wire and feature a 6-hour timer, plus eight lighting modes to choose from.

They're a great option for anyone who wants lights that are consistently bright, which can be an issue with solar lights, and to skip running wires around their property.

Best Solar

200 Christmas Net Lights

Key Specs

Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.6 feet
Bulb count/type:200 LED
Power source: Solar
End-to-end connection: No

This set of solar Christmas net lights is ideal for hedges and larger bushes, and will also work well for decorating fences or your garden pergola. It has 200 LED lights and spans nearly 10 feet long, plus there are eight lighting modes and a memory function to save your last setting.

No end-to-end connection is a drawback, though may not be a dealbreaker if you aren't set up for plug-ins and would rather skip having to use batteries. The set comes in warm white and cool white options, in addition to green and other colors.

Best Incandescent

150 Christmas Net Lights

Key Specs

Dimensions: 6 x 4 feet
Bulb count/type: 150 incandescent
Power source: Plug-in
End-to-end connection: Yes, up to 3 sets

LED lights certainly have plusses, but they don't offer the same warmth that you get with an incandescent bulb. If that quality of light is a non-negotiable in your search for Christmas net lights, this is the set for you. It features 150 incandescent bulbs on a green wire that spans 6 feet long by 4 feet wide, with the option to connect up to three sets and choose from steady or flashing light modes.

Best for White Wire

100 Christmas Net Lights

Wintergreen Lighting

$53.99

Key Specs

Dimensions: 6 x 4 feet
Bulb count/type : 100 LED
Power source: Plug-in
End-to-end connection: Yes, up to 21 sets

You can't have a dark green wire showing up against a white fence. Thanks to its large square grid, this set of Christmas net lights with 100 cool white LED bulbs will blend it well with low railings and vertical panels. It's also the perfect dimensions for a low fence or balcony, at 6 feet long and 4 feet tall, plus you can connect up to 21 sets.

Best For Trees Trunks

50 Christmas Net Lights

Key Specs

Dimensions: 45 x 37 inches
Bulb count/type: 50LED
Power source: Plug-in
End-to-end connection: Yes, up to 45 sets

This set of net Christmas lights makes the task of wrapping tree trunks a snap, with a stretchable cord woven into the brown wire and loop clasps to keep the net in place.

It features 50 LEDs and is wide enough for trees up to 14 inches in diameter, though with the ability to connect up to 45 sets, you'll be more than covered for the largest trees on your property. It also has a square grid that creates a neat, uniform look.

Rachel Klein Rachel Klein Rachel Klein has been a professional editor and writer for more than a decade, with a background in digital media, publishing, and journalism.

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