Mini lights are the sets with small bulbs closely spaced along a flexible wire, best for wrapping trees, wreaths, garland, columns and railings. They arrive with the bulbs already on the string. Choose LED for long life and energy efficiency, or incandescent for a classic glow at lower initial cost.
Good things come in small packages...
Mini lights are named for the bulb. The bulbs are small and closely spaced along a flexible wire, which is what sets them apart from the larger C7 and C9 bulbs.
Mini lights come in LED and incandescent, in bulb shapes from Lux360™ D5™, 5mm and M5 to T5, C6 and G12, and on green, white, black and brown wire. Most sets are steady, with twinkle, SoftTwinkle® and chasing sets also available. Battery powered sets go where there is no outlet.
Mini Lights Decorating Ideas
Mini lights were made for wrapping: columns, bushes, Christmas trees, wreaths, garland, stair railings and outdoor trees. To make it easy and tangle free, take a tip from the pros and start by winding your mini lights into a ball. The round shape makes passing lights through small spaces like railings easier and keeps the strand from tangling. Our Lux360 D5 and 5mm sets arrive already wound into a ball, so that step is done for you.
There are more ways to decorate with mini lights than wrapping.
String light art. Using clips or tacks, direct mini lights around an existing structure or a design traced on a wall, wooden board or other flat surface to create any shape you want. Illuminate a favorite quote, outline your initials or create a tree of light on the wall.
Jars and shadowboxes. Place fairy lights or battery operated mini lights in a decorative jar or shadowbox to create a lighted centerpiece or Christmas mantel decoration. Add faux snow, ornaments or other adornments as filler, which hides the battery pack. Change the light color and the filler to suit Halloween, the Fourth of July or everyday ambient room lighting.
Glossary of Mini Light Styles
Incandescent mini lights are the traditional Christmas mini light: a small bulb with a familiar glow, in clear or colors. Individual bulbs can be replaced, and the three lines below differ mainly in durability and use.
Standard - A budget friendly mini light on 22 gauge wire, ideal for decorating and craft projects that don't require commercial grade durability. Standard sets do not have lamp locks, which means bulbs can come loose more easily than on other incandescent mini lights. Remove them gently from Christmas trees and other greenery to avoid snagging.
Commercial - Commercial grade mini lights have external lamp locks and tighter wire twists, and what sets them apart is heavy duty 20 gauge wire where standard is 22. Professional installers love these lights for outdoor decorating projects that may encounter rough handling during setup and removal.
Viviluxe™ - Exceptionally vivid lights with a brighter light output than traditional mini lights. Viviluxe strings also have external lamp locks that keep bulbs from twisting in their sockets and creating misaligned connections. Outstanding brightness and quality design make these a must-have for larger outdoor projects where vivid illumination is required.
LED mini lights are the favorite for holiday and decorative lighting: long life, energy efficiency, distinct brightness, and a variety of styles. Each style below is a different bulb shape, and the shape is what changes the look.
Lux360™ D5™ Mini Lights - Lux360™ D5™ LED Christmas lights deliver richer color and radiant coverage from every angle. Their proprietary bulb design creates displays that look consistently beautiful, no matter where you're standing. Best for any Christmas display.
Wide Angle LED Mini Lights - A concave lens broadcasts the light in a starburst halo that carries from a distance. 5mm bulbs are smaller than traditional mini lights and sit flush against bark and branches, which is why they are popular for wrapping indoor and outdoor trees, wreaths and garland.
M5 & T5 Mini Lights- M5 bulbs have a faceted design that catches the light; T5 bulbs mimic the shape found in traditional mini lights. Either style is especially impactful wrapped around greenery, porch columns and indoor Christmas trees.
C6 Strawberry Lights - A strawberry bulb shape that looks beautiful wrapped around bushes and trees. Also used for ambient indoor lighting, Christmas mantel displays and as a party or wedding accent light.
G12 Raspberry Lights - A round bulb shaped like a raspberry or a gum drop. Good for parties and for indoor or outdoor accent lighting, and especially charming wrapped around bushes and shrubs to mimic berries or flower buds.
Fairy Lights - Tiny bulbs on a thin, flexible wire, in a variety of light colors. Wrap Christmas wreaths, illuminate glass jars or brighten craft projects.
Pro Tip
Pro tip. Mini lights are most popular for things you wrap: trunks, branches, columns, railings, wreaths and garland. The small bulbs on flexible wire are ideal for tight turns and close-up detail. C7 and C9 bulbs are commonly used to line a long straight edge, like a roofline or driveway, and net lights cover a broad surface like a hedge. Many displays use some of each.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the difference between incandescent and LED mini lights? Incandescent mini lights use a filament, are rated for 3,000 hours, and come in one traditional shape with replaceable glass bulbs. LED mini lights are rated from 50,000 to 100,000 hours with no filament to burn out, draw under a quarter of the power, stay cool to the touch, and use shatter-resistant acrylic lenses rather than glass.
What size are mini lights? Mini lights are sold by bulb shape rather than by a single size. LED sets come in seven shapes: Lux360 D5, 5mm wide angle, M5, T5, C6 strawberry, G12 raspberry and fairy lights. Incandescent mini lights come in one traditional shape. All are small enough to wrap closely.
Can you replace the bulbs on mini lights? On incandescent mini light sets, yes. Individual bulbs come out of the socket and can be replaced one at a time, which is what lamp locks are for. On our LED mini light sets the bulb and base are molded as one piece, sealing out moisture at the joint where lights usually fail first, so the bulbs are not removable.
If one bulb goes out, do the rest stay lit? Yes. Mini light sets on this page are built so that one bulb going out does not take the rest of the string with it. On an incandescent set you can replace the dead bulb; on an LED set the rest simply stay lit.
What are the best mini lights for wrapping trees? Lux360 D5 and 5mm wide angle are the usual choice, and they are nearly the same size bulb. Both sit flush against bark and branches. The 5mm concave lens broadcasts a starburst halo; the D5 delivers brighter, richer color for perfect illumination from every angle. For a trunk too large to wrap, 5mm net wraps cover the same ground faster.
