How to Light Indoor Trees
Potted trees add color and life to the interior of your home, as well as bring a bit of the outdoors in. No matter if you have a potted palm tree or a ficus, illuminate the tree for a festive look during the holiday season, or light the tree on a daily basis to add a touch of whimsy to the room year-round. All you need are some strings of lights to light your indoor tree. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Unravel lights and examine them. Plug them in to test if the strands of lights work and to ensure that none of the bulbs are broken or the wires are frayed and to ensure that the bulbs are cool while lit. Broken bulbs, frayed wires and hot bulbs can possibly cause a fire. If the lights are in proper working order, use them to light the tree; if they aren't, purchase new ones as needed.
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Plug in the lights. If the tree is not located near a power outlet, plug the lights into an extension cord so that they will reach the tree. Tuck the cord along the floor and wall to make it less conspicuous.
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Wrap the lights around the tree trunk. Start at the base of the tree and move around it in an upward fashion, as if you are wrapping a ribbon around a maypole. Pull the lights tight to make sure they don't slip down to the bottom of the trunk.
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Light the leaves or fronds of the tree. Loosely wrap the string of lights around one branch, starting near the trunk and moving outward to the end of the branch. Once you reach the end of the branch, move backward, wrapping the lights around the branch in the opposite direction until you reach the point you started from -- this will ensure that there aren't lights dangling between branches. Light as many branches as you'd like, plugging in more lights as you go, if needed.
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Tips & Warnings
Light the tree to correspond with different holidays. For example, use red or pink lights for Valentine's Day, green lights for St. Patrick's Day, white lights for the 4th of July, orange lights for Thanksgiving, blue lights for Hanukkah and multicolored lights for Christmas.
To avoid fire danger, read the information on the packages of lights to determine how many strands can be plugged in together. Do not exceed the manufacturer's recommendations. Additionally, wrap all of the outlets on the strands of lights with electrical tape.
