Multicolor Christmas Lights: How To Choose Classic Multicolor LEDs

Multicolor Christmas lights are the look most of us grew up with: red, green, blue, orange, and gold points of light scattered across a tree or tracing the roofline of the house down the street. They feel joyful, a little nostalgic, and unmistakably Christmas.

Choosing a set takes more thought than it seems, though. Multicolor comes in screw-in C9 and C7 bulbs, light strings in four lens styles, icicles, and net lights, and each one can be steady, twinkling, fading, or strobing. This guide walks through how to match the right multicolor product to each part of your display. Everything here lives in our multicolor Christmas lights collection.

Multicolor Or ColorCraft®: Know Which Look You Want

Traditional multicolor uses the classic mix of colors that has been on Christmas trees for generations. Our 70 and 100 light 5mm multicolor strings, for example, alternate red, green, blue, orange, and yellow across every string.

Our ColorCraft® Christmas lights are different. Each ColorCraft® string is a designed blend of two to four specific colors, like lime green and red, or teal, blue, and purple. If you want a themed palette rather than the full rainbow, start with our ColorCraft® light strings buyers guide. If you want the classic, keep reading.

One more thing to check: the exact mix varies by product. Our C9 and C7 Smooth multicolor bulbs mix red, blue, green, orange, and warm white, while the C9 Twinkle Multicolor bulbs mix red, blue, green, orange, and gold. Every product title or description lists its colors, so match mixes if you want the whole display to read as one palette.

Rooflines And Outlines: C9 Multicolor Bulbs

For rooflines, gables, and large architectural outlines, use screw-in C9 bulbs on a socket stringer. They are the bulbs serious roofline displays are built on, and they let you control the pattern bulb by bulb.

• C9 Multicolor Faceted ProCore® LED Christmas Light Bulbs have a cut lens that throws sparkling points of light, the most classic multicolor roofline look.
• C9 Multicolor Smooth ProCore® LED Christmas Light Bulbs (red, blue, green, orange, warm white) give a softer, even glow from each bulb.
• C9 Twinkle Multicolor Faceted ProCore® LED Christmas Light Bulbs (red, blue, green, orange, gold) twinkle on their own at about 6 flashes per 10 seconds.

All three use an E17 intermediate base, draw 0.84 watts per bulb, and come in packs of 25 with a nearly indestructible polycarbonate lens. The steady bulbs are dimmable; the twinkle bulbs are not, so keep them off any dimmer. Screw them into a 25' C9 stringer with 12" spacing or a longer run from our C9 stringer collection, and plan about one bulb per foot. Our C9 LED retrofit bulbs guide covers lens finishes and stringers in more depth.

Windows, Doors, And Trees: C7 Multicolor Bulbs

C7 bulbs are smaller than C9s and shine on window and doorway outlines and on indoor and outdoor Christmas trees, where you see the lights up close. Choose C7 Multicolor Faceted ProCore® bulbs for sparkle or C7 Multicolor Smooth ProCore® bulbs (red, blue, green, orange, warm white) for an even glow. Both use an E12 base, draw 0.8 watts per bulb, are dimmable, and fit a 25' C7 stringer. For a vintage tree, C7 multicolor on a stringer is about as classic as it gets.

Trees, Shrubs, And Garland: Multicolor Light Strings

Light strings are made for wrapping tree branches, trunks, garland, wreaths, and railings. Every multicolor string below has sealed sockets, a fused male plug, and green wire that blends into branches.

• 5mm wide-angle: The 70 5mm Multicolor LED Christmas Lights cover 23 feet of lit length at 4" spacing, draw 4.8 watts, and connect up to 45 strings end to end. The 100 5mm Multicolor string covers 33 feet, draws 6.9 watts, and connects up to 27 strings. 5mm is our go-to for bright, even color on trees.
• M5: The 50 M5 Multicolor LED Christmas Lights use the elongated faceted lens of a traditional mini light. The 50 light string covers 16.33 feet of lit length and connects up to 90 strings end to end.
• C6: The 70 C6 Multicolor LED Christmas Lights have a strawberry-shaped faceted lens that scatters color in every direction, like tiny colored gems.
• G12: The 70 G12 Multicolor LED Christmas Lights use a 12mm round faceted globe lens, a playful look for trees, shrubs, and porch railings.

The 70 light C6 and G12 strings also cover 23 feet of lit length and connect up to 45 strings end to end. Not sure which lens style suits you? Our Christmas string lights buying guide compares all four side by side, and the Christmas tree light string calculator tells you how many strings your tree needs.

Icicles And Net Lights

Multicolor icicles hung under the eaves add a cheerful fringe below a C9 roofline. The 70 M5 Multicolor LED Icicle Lights cover 6.5 feet of lit length with drops of 10", 16.5", and 19.5" spaced 6" apart on white wire, and up to 43 strands connect end to end. See our LED icicle lights buying guide for planning tips.

For shrubs and hedges, net lights are the fastest way to get even color. Our 4' x 6' Multicolor 5mm LED Net Lights hold 100 lights on a 6" x 4" grid and connect up to 18 nets end to end. Drape, tuck, and you are done. More in our Christmas net lights buying guide.

Choose Your Effect

Multicolor already has plenty of energy, so think about how much movement you want on top of it.

• Steady: Every light stays on. The classic choice, and the best fit for rooflines and anything on a dimmer.
• Twinkle: The C9 Twinkle Multicolor bulbs flash on their own, so a roofline seems to shimmer.
• DreamSpark® slow fade: Each light fades in and out at its own pace for a gentle, living glow. Try the 70 5mm Multicolor DreamSpark® Slow Fade string on a tree, the 4' x 6' Multicolor DreamSpark® Smooth Fade Net Lights (red, blue, gold, green, amber/orange) on shrubs, or the 70 M5 Multicolor DreamSpark® Slow Fade Icicle Lights under the eaves.
• SuperSpark® strobe: The 50 5mm Multicolor SuperSpark® LED Strobe Lights make every light fire rapidly and randomly like a tiny camera flash. It is extremely flashy, so use it on one feature, like a single tree, rather than the whole display. The 50 light string covers 24.5 feet at 6" spacing.

Twinkle, slow fade, and strobe strings can technically be dimmed, but dimming may cause undesirable visual effects, so run them at full brightness. Our SuperSpark®, QuadSpark®, and DreamSpark® guide explains each effect in detail.

Tips For A Multicolor Display That Looks Planned

• Keep one mix. Use the same multicolor mix on the roofline, windows, and trees so the colors repeat across the house.
• Pick a pattern for C9s. Because each bulb screws in, you can run the colors in a repeating order or buy single colors and design your own sequence. Our C9 roofline patterns guide has layouts to copy.
• Balance with a solid color. If the display starts to feel busy, wrap tree trunks or fill shrubs in a single color like warm white, red, or green and let the multicolor carry the roofline and canopy. Our Christmas light color combinations article has pairing ideas.
• Limit the motion. One animated element, whether twinkle, fade, or strobe, reads as a highlight. Three or four start to compete.

Built To Last Season After Season

Every multicolor product in this guide is LED, UL Listed, and rated for indoor and outdoor use, with colors that never fade, chip, or crack. Our LED light strings and ProCore® C7 and C9 bulbs are backed by our 3-Season Reindeer Proof™ Warranty. Our team decorates rooflines, trees, homes, businesses, and some of the largest Christmas displays in the world, so if you are not sure which multicolor product fits your plan, email help@thechristmaslightemporium.com and we will help you build your list.