The big Christmas light shows you see online, with whole houses flashing in time to a song, are built with controllers and hours of sequencing on a computer. You can get much of the effect at home without any of that: lights that already have animations, music modes and an app do the work for you. Here's how to put a small show together, piece by piece.
1. Start with a screen in the window
Every show needs a stage, and the window is the one the street can see. Smart curtain lights hang behind the glass or along a covered balcony and turn it into a screen of 400 LEDs, each one controlled on its own. Pick from more than 100 ready-made scenes in the app, or draw your own.
Shown: smart animated Christmas lights, 2 × 2 m or 3 × 3 m, 400 LEDs.
2. Add a tree that dances
Smart tree lights do the same for the Christmas tree: every LED is controlled on its own, so the whole tree can show moving colours, text and pictures. Switch on music sync and the lights move to the beat, so the tree dances along with the song. The curtain lights have 5 music modes of their own.
Shown: smart Christmas tree lights, 1.8 m or 2.4 m strands, 256 LEDs, with star topper, USB controller and remote; tree not included.
3. Open with a title card
Shows start with a title. Type a short message in the app, MERRY CHRISTMAS, your family name or SHOW TIME, and let it shine on the curtain or the tree for the first minute before you switch to the animations. Need words? Here are 48 short messages for curtain lights.
4. Chase lights in the garden
Outside, a star waterfall turns a garden tree or a porch post into a cone of light, and its 8 modes go from a steady glow to twinkle and chase. For spots with no socket, the solar version comes with its own panel.
Shown: star waterfall Christmas lights in Multicolor and Warm White; also in White, with 2 m or 3 m strands, solar or USB.
5. Snow on the walls
Inside, a Christmas projector throws slowly turning snowflakes and reindeer across a wall or the ceiling, so the show carries on in the living room. It has 16 patterns and throws from about 1.5 to 5 metres away, so it works in a small room or a big one.
Shown: Christmas light projector, 16 patterns, throws from about 1.5 to 5 m (5–16 ft).
6. A fireworks finale
Every show needs a finale. Wind firecracker lights around the window frame or a mirror, and at the end of the last song switch them from a steady glow to twinkling sparkles with the remote: a burst of warm-white fireworks with no bang and no smoke.
Shown: firecracker fairy lights, 1.5 m with 50 LEDs or 6 m with 200 LEDs, USB powered.
7. Put it all on timers
The curtain lights and the smart tree lights both have a timer that switches them on and off by themselves, so the show can start and stop without anyone reaching for a phone. Set the off time before the neighbours go to bed.
8. Tell the street when it starts
Put the showtime in the window: marquee letters and numbers spell SHOW AT 6 on the windowsill behind the glass. The children on the way home from school will soon start checking the time.
Shown: light-up marquee letters, 22 cm (8.7 in) tall, sold one letter at a time, with an “&” and a red heart.
Before the show: power, outdoors and delivery
- Power: the curtain lights, the smart tree lights, the projector and the firecracker lights run on USB 5V (adapter not included); the projector needs a 5V/2A adapter, not a fast charger. The star waterfall comes in a USB or a solar version, and the marquee letters and numbers take 2 × AA each (not included).
- Outdoors: the curtain lights are IP44 splash-resistant, for indoor and sheltered outdoor use, and the star waterfall is made for gardens, porches, balconies and patios. Keep the marquee letters and numbers and the firecracker lights indoors; behind the window is fine.
- Neighbours: keep the music at a friendly volume and let the timers switch the show off at a reasonable hour.
- Delivery: free tracked shipping, dispatched in 1 to 3 business days and delivered in 7 to 12. Order by 1 December for Christmas.
- Returns: unused items in their original packaging can be returned within 30 days of delivery.
More ideas
- Still have a question? Here are 15 answers about smart curtain lights.
- Not sure curtain lights are the right type? Compare curtain lights, a projector and fairy lights.
- Still comparing sets? Here's how to choose Christmas curtain lights: 8 things to check.
- Browse all our Christmas decorations or our 12 Christmas gift ideas under $30.
Using a projector? Here are 8 tips for a Christmas light projector: wall, distance and picture size.