If you’ve ever driven through neighborhoods like Hillside during the holidays, you’ve seen them. Those glowing Christmas balls hanging high in the trees that make the whole street feel ✨magical✨.
Unlike that inflatable Santa gathering dust in your garage, these glowing orbs are cheap, relatively easy to make, fun to hang, and quintessentially North Carolinian. The most dramatic effect happens when many of them are hanging high above the ground in a grand old tree, appearing suspended in air and illuminating the cold winter sky with a subtle sophistication.
We made ours last year and they quickly became one of my favorite holiday projects with Jamie toddling in the yard watching the lights blink on. This is an easy weekend craft that adds so much charm to your home, whether you hang one or twenty.
What You'll Need:
Materials:
- Chicken wire - ideally green. This is the one we used.
- Outdoor string lights with at least 100 bulbs. We used these which have 50 lights so we needed 2 strings per ball
- Paracord or strong rope
- Three-pronged outdoor extension cords (more than you expect!). This one has worked well for us.
- Soft weight for throwing (water bottle or tennis ball)
- Wire cutters/snips
- Measuring tape
- Work gloves (chicken wire will poke your fingers)
- Electrical tape
- Outdoor timer
- Above-average digital dexterity
- Band-aids for when you inevitably poke your fingers
Time Commitment: 5-10 minutes per ball once you get the hang of it
Step 1: Cut Your Chicken Wire to Size
Spread out your chicken wire into a 2'x3' square. This creates a medium-sized ball that's easy to handle and looks great when lit up.
Size considerations: Obviously, the bigger the square, the bigger the ball. But remember -you'll need to wrap lights densely around it for the best effect, and you're going to have to huck this thing over a tree branch. Bigger is not necessarily better! Vary your sizes for visual interest: make some smaller (18"x24") and some larger (24"x48").
Step 2: Form a Cylinder
Take your sheet of chicken wire and roll it into a cylinder, securing the edges together overlapping hexagons from each end and then twisting them around each other. This is the easiest step. The chicken wire will naturally want to hold this shape.
Step 3: Create Your Ball Shape
Now for the fun part! Use a rotational fold technique to transform your cylinder into a sphere:
- Pick one end of the cylinder and start folding in the corners until it gets round
- This is much more art than science, so keep at it until it looks spherical
- Repeat the rounding process for the other end of the cylinder
Don't worry about perfection! No one will judge you if your chicken wire ball looks lumpy in the stark winter sunlight. It's just an underlying structure for the real star: your lights. The goal is to create a ball that looks good wrapped in lights at night.
Step 4: Secure the Lights to the Ball
Hook one end of your string of lights inside the ball. Wrap the plug through the chicken wire a few times to secure it. Note: you will scratch up your hand doing this. But it's worth it. And you might get a nice scar to remind yourself of the holidays. Fun!
Step 5: Wrap the Lights Around Your Ball
Here's the key technique that makes all the difference:
Every 2-3 lights, push the bulb through the chicken wire mesh and pull it back out on the other side. This secures the lights in place and prevents them from sliding around or bunching up during hanging.
Keep wrapping and securing until you've covered as much of the chicken wire ball as possible with lights. The lights should be dense and show off the spherical shape for the best effect.
Safety step: Cover the female end of the light string with electrical tape for #safety.
Congratulations! You've created a festive holiday light ball!
Step 6: Set Up Your Hanging System First
Here's a pro tip that creates a much cleaner look: Set up all your paracord lines first before hanging any balls. This approach is more organized than hanging them one at a time.
The paracord setup process:
- Wrap your paracord around a soft weight - a water bottle works perfectly. A lot of people recommend a tennis ball but it wasn't heavy enough for us!
- Pull out plenty of slack so the cord hangs freely without obstruction
- Hold one end of the paracord in your left hand
- With your right hand (if right-handed), throw the weighted end over your chosen tree limb
- The weight will dangle down on the other side of the branch
- Grab both ends and tie them together to create a secure hanging point
Repeat this process for each ball you plan to hang. Unless you have a death wish and nothing but time, climbing the tree to hang them is impossible - this throwing method is the most effective way to get your extension cords over high branches
Step 7: Hang Your Illuminated Orbs
Now you're ready to get your glowing orbs in the air!
- Tie a knot on one end of the paracord to your finished ball
- Plug the ball's lights into your outdoor extension cord
- Pull the ball up using the other end of the paracord until it reaches your desired height
- Secure the loose end of the paracord to the tree trunk
- Bundle all the electrical cords at the base of the tree
This bundling technique is crucial - it allows you to funnel all your power cords from various branches together neatly at the tree's base, creating a clean look and making it easy to connect everything to your outdoor outlet.
Power Management: The Three-Pronged Secret
Use three-pronged outdoor extension cords! This game-changing tip allows you to power three balls from a single outlet.
Strategic placement: Hang your balls in groups of three per tree (if the tree is large enough to accommodate them). This maximizes your power efficiency and creates balanced, eye-catching clusters that really make an impact.
Pro tip: Hook everything up to an automatic timer so your display turns on and off without you having to remember. You'll want these beauties glowing from dusk until late evening.
Design Tips for Maximum Impact
The most dramatic effect happens when there are many light balls hanging high above the ground in a grand old tree. Charlotte is perfect for this type of decoration because of our tree canopy - take advantage of those stately old oaks!
Creating your display:
- Vary your sizes: Mix medium, small, and large balls for visual interest
- Go high: The higher the better for that magical floating effect
- Create clusters: Groups of balls in one tree create more impact than single balls scattered around
- Consider spacing: Don't overcrowd—let each orb breathe and shine
- Test before you hang: Always check that your LED strings work before wrapping and hanging
But even if you don't have a massive oak, you can create a pleasant effect hanging just a single ball on your small porch outside your apartment. Every bit of light ball magic counts!
Time & Cost Breakdown
- Per ball: 5-10 minutes once you get into a rhythm
- Full display setup: Plan for an afternoon project (making the balls goes quickly, hanging takes more time)
- Materials: Budget-friendly! Chicken wire and basic LED strings are the main expenses. You'll need more extension cords than you expect, though!
Safety Reminders
- Always use outdoor-rated lights and extension cords
- Keep electrical connections protected from weather
- Secure all cords to prevent tripping hazards
- Wear work gloves when handling chicken wire (seriously, you will poke yourself)
- Use a stable position when throwing weights over branches
- Connect to a GFCI-protected outdoor outlet
The Final Result: Endless Christmas Magic
There's something truly magical about these glowing orbs suspended in your trees. They illuminate the cold winter sky with a warmth and sophistication that inflatable decorations just can't match. The tradition has spread throughout the region for good reason—these light balls bring joy to everyone who sees them.
Whether you make a few for a subtle accent or go all out and turn your street into the next Hillside Avenue, these DIY Christmas balls are sure to become a beloved holiday tradition. The time investment is minimal, but the impact is maximum!
So get after it and create your own light ball destination. Boom, endless merriment.
Share a picture of your creation with us! Have you made light-up Christmas balls before? What tips would you add?
Happy decorating, and may your holidays be merry and bright! ✨🎄
