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Christmas Lights - Indoor and Outdoor String Lights

History of Christmas Lights

Christmas lights have been one of the most popular Christmas decorations for the past century. In 1882, three years after Edison invented the first sensible light bulb, Edward H. Johnson created the first Christmas lights in his home in New York City. The tree was hand-wired and lit with 80 red, white, and blue globes. The lights blinked and twinkled while the tree slowly revolved.

Christmas lights were first made available for sale in 1890, but were so expensive that most people could not afford them. They were a symbol of status among the wealthy and many people rented lights instead of buying them. In 1903, one set of 24 Christmas lights sold for $12.00. Considering the average person made about $9 a week, this was far too extravagant for the normal family. In addition to the cost of the lights, the service of a wireman was required and, if the house was not electrically powered, they also needed a generator.

Outdoor Christmas lights did not become practical for the average family until the 1930s. By this time, not only were homes decorated with electric lights, stores, community Christmas trees, and government buildings were also adorned with the twinkling lights. General Electric began to sponsor community Christmas lighting competitions in the 1920s, but it wasnt until the 1950s that it was common to see rows of houses lit on the outside. Today, the places you find the lights are as numerous as the types of lights available.

Varieties of Christmas Lights

Mini string lights are the most popular because of their versatility. Available in either incandescent or LED technologies and in a wide range of color options, these Christmas lights are the perfect addition to almost any Christmas lighting design. All of our mini string lights are very reliable and stay lit if a single bulb fails. Our incandescent mini string lights come with replacement lamps, and we carry LED testers and PODS for repairing the LED light strings.

Outdoor Christmas lights are most often C7 or C9 string lights. Either size is an excellent choice for those that want a more classic feel for your Christmas lighting. The difference between these types of outdoor Christmas light is primarily the size of the bulb. The number after the C represents the diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch, for example a C7 bulb is 7/8 or .875 in diameter. So the larger the number, the bigger the bulb. These string lights are available in several colors and in either LED or incandescent options. If youre looking to customize the colors in your Christmas lighting design, we also offer C7/C9 light strands and bulbs sold separately.

Decorate mantles, wreaths, or even centerpieces in light without needing to worry about having a nearby outlet or running an extension cord with battery operated Christmas lights. From lit ribbons and InvisiLite strings to LED spheres and mini light strings, youre sure to find the right battery operated Christmas lights for this holiday season.

You cant go wrong with net lights or tree wrap lights for trees, columns, and bushes. Tree wrap lights are long and narrow; designed for tree trunks and columns. Net lights are shorter and wider which is better suited for bushes and shrubbery.

Dont forget about the holiday greenery. Our selection of trees, wreaths, and garlands are available in unlit and pre-lit options. For the living room or lobby, we carry a wide variety of Christmas trees from realistic pine, fir, and spruce trees to tinsel trees available in several color options. Wreaths are a classic holiday addition for residential and commercial buildings. We offer a variety of sizes, styles, and colors for you to choose from. For mantles and banisters, browse our Christmas garlands offered in a range of lengths, bulb quantities, and colors to customize your holiday celebration.

Check out our Christmas lights by application page if you need further insight on how to best use your light strings! Or do you need technical help with your holiday decorations this year? Our lighting experts are available at 1-800-624-4488 to help you make your Christmas really shine!

Rope Lights - Clearance

Clearance Rope Lights

Rope light is the premiere system for special and decorative lighting, but the wealth of things needed for a full setup can be expensive. Thats where the clearance section of 1000Bulbs.com comes into play, discount rope lights, whether theyre full spools of cool white clearance rope light, rope light kits, or necessary accessories; youll find something to help you finish off your new lighting kit for less. If youre unsure about which pieces work with your system, call our expert support staff and theyll guide you to the products you need. Were always glad to help and we have the largest online inventory to back us up.

LED Light Bulbs

Benefits of LED Lights

LED light bulbs can save you money not only because they are roughly 80 percent more energy efficient than other bulbs, they also produce far less heat than metal halides, CFLs, and incandescent light bulbs. Upgrading to LED lighting means you wont spend your summer months cooling down rooms that your light bulbs are busy heating up. While originally a cooler blue tone than incandescent bulbs, LEDs now come in daylight and warm white color temperatures so you can more easily replace your existing bulbs without altering the color of your room. Visit our Lighting Guide to see what difference color temperature makes. LED lighting also offers a superior color rendering index (CRI), so you can see the colors of your artwork or makeup more accurately.

LED replacement bulbs are durable and ecologically friendly. Did you know you can recycle LED bulbs and reduce your carbon footprint up to one third? LEDs outlast the competition, staying bright for up to 11 years of continuous operation. This means less time climbing ladders trying to replace those hard to reach bulbs in vaulted ceilings.

LEDs are one of todays most promising technologies.

LEDs or Fluorescents - Which is More Efficient?

LED light bulbs for the win! When it comes to purchasing energy-efficient lighting, LEDs surpass CFLs by a wide margin. LEDs are instant-start with no warmup time needed. They work well in cold weather, and are substantially more durable since manufactured out of plastic instead of glass. From standard bulbs to fluorescent tubes, LEDs can replicate the same lighting conditions found in fluorescents while lasting longer and using less energy. As an added bonus, all LEDs are RoHS compliant and do not use mercury, a claim that cant be made by fluorescent bulbs.

LED Lighting Options

Things to Consider When Buying LED Lighting

Having trouble finding what you need? Shop by application to see additional categories or give us a call at 1-800-624-4488 to speak with an account manager during normal business hours.