Where to Hang Christmas Lights Besides the Roofline: Our Top 5 Picks
- Holiday Heroes
- Christmas Light Installation
Roofline Lights Are the Starting Point, Not the Whole Display
We love a good roofline. It frames the house, shows off the peaks, and gives the home that clean Christmas outline everyone recognizes from the street. A custom-fit C9-style roofline is usually the foundation of a strong display.
But here is the part people miss: the roofline is only the outline.
The best outdoor Christmas light displays have depth. They do not just sit on the top edge of the house like a glowing hat. They pull your eye across the property, down to the entryway, through the landscaping, and toward the parts of the home people actually see up close.
When we plan a display, we are not asking, “Where can we put lights?” That is too easy. Lights can go almost anywhere if someone is determined enough and has questionable ladder confidence. The real question is: where will lights actually make the display better?
Usually, the best spots do one of three things. They add depth, create a focal point, or connect the roofline to the rest of the property. That is the difference between a house with lights on it and a house that looks designed for Christmas.
So, once the roofline is handled, these are our top five favourite places to hang Christmas lights next.
#5: Christmas Lights on Railings and Fences
Railings and fences are not the loudest part of a Christmas display, which is exactly why we like them. They are the connectors: they link the porch to the walkway, the steps to the entry, the fence to the house, and the upper roofline to the parts of the property where people are actually standing.
This works especially well for homes with front porches, townhomes, balconies, decorative fencing, or rooflines that sit high above the yard. A railing wrapped with clean, consistent lights can make the display feel less top-heavy and more finished.
The danger is overdoing it. Railings and fences should guide the eye, not compete with every other part of the house. If the roofline, shrubs, windows, and fence are all screaming for attention, nobody wins. Done properly, railing and fence lights are subtle. You may not immediately notice why the display feels more complete; it just does.
#4: Christmas Lights on Shrubs, Hedges, and Greenbelts
Shrubs and hedges earn their spot because they fix a common problem: all the lights are up high, and the yard below is doing absolutely nothing.
A well-lit roofline can look great, but if the lower half of the property is dark, the whole display can feel unfinished. Adding lights to shrubs, hedges, garden beds, or greenbelts brings the design down to ground level and gives the front yard some weight.
This is especially useful when landscaping already frames the home. A hedge along the front of the house can anchor the roofline, low bushes beside a walkway can make the entry feel more intentional, and a few lit shrubs in the right spots can make a small display feel fuller without adding a giant feature.
Warm white lights on greenery give a clean, classic look. Colour can work too, especially when it connects to the roofline or a playful theme. The main thing with greenery is coverage. Too few lights look patchy, while too many look like the shrub is being interrogated.
#3: Walkway and Driveway Christmas Lighting
Walkway and driveway lights are one of our favourite upgrades because they change how people move through the display.
Roofline lights are mostly for the street view, but walkway lights are for the approach. They pull guests toward the front door, make the entry feel more considered, and help the whole property feel less like “house with lights” and more like “someone thought this through.”
This is an especially great choice for homes with long driveways, wide front yards, dark paths, steps, side entrances, or holiday guests coming and going after sunset. It can also work for homes where the roofline is strong but the lower half of the property needs something to connect it to the ground.
The best walkway and driveway lighting is usually simple; this is not the place to use every colour pattern available just because the box says you can. Keep the spacing consistent, keep the line clean, and let it lead people somewhere. On long driveways, this matters even more. Too far apart looks disconnected, while too close together starts to feel like airplane runway lighting.
#2: Christmas Lights Around Windows, Doors, and Garage Frames
Windows, doors, and garage frames make the list because they add structure. They are also the parts of the house people naturally look at first.
A roofline can be beautiful, but if the front door, windows, and garage are dark, the display can feel disconnected. Framing those areas brings the lights down to eye level and gives the front of the home more shape.
Garage frames are especially underrated. In many homes, the garage takes up a huge amount of visual space. If the garage is left completely dark while the roofline glows above it, the front of the house can look unfinished. Framing the garage brings that big blank area into the design.
Windows and doors are also useful for smaller homes because they add detail without needing to cover the entire yard. A strong roofline plus a framed entry or set of windows can look clean, balanced, and intentional without becoming too busy.
This is one of the easiest ways to make a Christmas display look less like decoration and more like design.
#1: Christmas Tree Lighting for Large Outdoor Trees
Large outdoor trees are our number one pick because nothing changes a display faster.
A roofline frames the house, but a tree creates a moment.
A well-lit tree adds height, depth, and a focal point the roofline cannot create on its own; it gives the display something three-dimensional. It can be seen from the street, the driveway, the front window, and sometimes halfway down the block if the tree is big enough and the lighting is done well.
This is also where professional design makes a huge difference. Tree lighting is not just “wrap the trunk and hope.” Branch structure, height, spacing, light volume, and the shape of the tree all change the result. A good tree display looks intentional, and a bad one looks like someone lost a fight with the branches.
We love tree lighting because every single tree is different. Rooflines can start to look similar, especially in newer neighbourhoods. Trees have their own shape, scale, and personality, and that gives the display something custom right away.
Deciduous Tree Christmas Lights
Deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter, which makes them excellent for Christmas lights. Without leaves, the trunk and branches become the design. Wrapping the trunk and selected branches can create a sculptural look, especially when the lighting follows the natural shape of the tree instead of grabbing random branches just because they are reachable.
Evergreen Tree Christmas Lights
Evergreens work differently because they keep their fullness through the winter. They can handle spiral effects, canopy-style lighting, layered lights, warm white coverage, colourful patterns, and custom designs that use the natural cone shape of the tree.
A lit evergreen can carry a lot of visual weight, so it needs to connect with the rest of the property. If you only choose one place to go beyond the roofline, a large outdoor tree is usually the strongest pick.
Bonus Pick: Wreaths, Garlands, Lawn Ornaments, and Custom Holiday Décor
Once the main lighting areas are handled, décor can add personality without taking over the yard. Lit wreaths, garlands, lighted figures, custom lawn ornaments, arches, photo areas, and porch features can all work well, but only when they have a clear job in the display.
A wreath can finish the front door, garland can make a railing feel more substantial, and a custom lawn feature can give the yard a playful focal point. The issue starts when every piece is trying to be the main attraction. Too many colours, brightness levels, themes, and figures can make the yard feel crowded instead of designed, so it usually works better to choose one strong focal point and let the smaller details support it.
How to Choose the Best Places for Outdoor Christmas Lights
The best outdoor Christmas light display is not the one with the most lights. It is the one where the right areas are lit in the right order, based on how people actually see and move through the property.
Start with the most visible parts of the home. Is there a large tree that can be seen from the street? Does the front door disappear in the dark? Is the roofline very high? Does the garage take up most of the front view? Are there shrubs already framing the entry? Do guests usually use the front walkway, side entrance, or backyard during the holidays? Those answers tell you where lighting will make the biggest difference.
A simple plan usually works best:
- Start with the roofline.
- Add one lower-level feature, like shrubs, railings, or a walkway.
- Add one focal point, like a large tree, entryway, or garage frame.
- Add décor only if the display needs more personality.
Budget matters too, because lighting a large tree is a very different project from wrapping a porch railing. The goal is not to light everything on the property just because it is technically possible. The goal is to choose the places that will have the strongest impact from the street, the driveway, and the front door, then build the rest of the display around those.
Want a Christmas Light Display That Goes Beyond the Roofline?
A good roofline is a great start. The fun part is figuring out what else should be lit so the whole property feels finished.
Holiday Heroes designs and installs custom Christmas light displays across the Fraser Valley, from clean rooflines and large tree lighting to walkways, windows, railings, shrubs, lawn décor, and the custom ideas that do not come neatly labelled in a box.
If you want the display to look intentional from the street, the driveway, and the front door, book a free design consultation. We’ll help you figure out where the lights should go, what colours make sense, and which details are actually worth adding.
FAQs About Christmas Lights and Selling a Home
Do Christmas lights help sell a house?
Christmas lights do not guarantee a sale, but they can help a home show better during the holidays. Tasteful lighting can improve curb appeal, brighten exterior listing photos, and make the property more noticeable during evening drive-bys.
