Balcony Christmas Decorations: Lighting Ideas For Railings, Trees, And Planters

A balcony is one of the most visible spots on a building. It sits above the street, it is framed by a railing that practically asks to be outlined, and a little light goes a long way in a small space. The trick is choosing a few pieces that read clearly from below, attaching them without damaging anything, and getting power out there safely.

Here is how to plan a balcony display piece by piece: the railing, icicle lights, a potted tree, net lights, sparkle and motion, power and timers, plus three looks you can copy.

Start With Building Rules And Power

Before you buy anything, check your lease, HOA, or building rules for what can be attached to railings and how long decorations can stay up. Many buildings allow lights as long as nothing is drilled, screwed, or nailed into the structure.

Next, find your power. An outdoor-rated outlet on the balcony is ideal. If you need to run a cord from inside, use an outdoor-rated extension cord and route it so the door can close without pinching it. Keep every plug connection up off the balcony floor, where rain and melting snow collect, and point connections down with a drip loop so water runs away from them. Our guide to waterproofing outdoor Christmas light connections covers the details.

Outline The Railing

The top rail is the backbone of a balcony display. A single line of mini lights along it defines the whole shape from the street. Two good choices:

• Steady and bright: the 70 5mm Cool White LED Christmas Lights give a crisp, modern white at 6400K. Each string has 23 feet of lit length on 4 inch spacing, draws 4.8 watts, and up to 45 strings connect end to end.
• Soft and moving: the 70 5mm Warm White DreamSpark® Slow Fade lights have the same 23 feet of lit length, but each light fades and morphs independently at its own pace, so the rail looks like it is gently breathing. Our post on DreamSpark® slow fade explains the effect.

Attach the string with reusable twist ties or plastic cable ties every 12 to 18 inches so it stays straight and cannot slip off in the wind, and keep the plug end near your outlet. On a 10 to 12 foot balcony, one 23 foot string can run along the top rail and back along the bottom rail for a double outline.

Hang A Curtain Of Icicle Lights

Icicle lights hung from the outside of the railing are the move that makes a balcony read from far away. They drop below the rail line and fill the face of the balcony with light.

The 70 M5 Warm White DreamSpark® Slow Fade icicle lights and 70 M5 Warm White Twinkle icicle lights each have 6.5 feet of lit length from the first drop to the last on white wire, draw 4.8 watts, and connect up to 43 strings end to end. Measure your railing and divide by 6.5 to get your string count: a 13 foot rail takes two strings. On the twinkle version, every fifth light twinkles for a little life without a lot of motion.

Keep the drops tidy and make sure they do not hang down onto a neighbor's balcony or window. Browse every option in our icicle lights collection, and see our LED icicle lights buying guide for more on styles.

Light A Potted Tree In The Corner

A small potted evergreen in one corner gives the balcony a focal point and adds height. Wrap it from the base up in an even spiral of mini lights, or go one step further with app-controlled lights.

The Twinkly App Controlled RGB Christmas Lights, 100 Bulbs put 100 individually addressable RGB lights on 3 inch spacing, controlled from the free Twinkly app on iOS and Android. You can choose from 17 million colors, run pre-loaded animated effects, design your own, or sync the lights to music. They are rated for indoor and outdoor use. Twinkly strings have a male plug only, so each one plugs directly into your outlet or cord rather than connecting end to end. For a larger tree, the 250 bulb Twinkly string covers more branches. Our Twinkly buying guide has more on setup.

Cover Planters With Net Lights

If your balcony has a large planter with a shrub or boxwood, a net light is the fastest way to light it evenly. The 5mm 4' x 6' Warm White LED Net Lights drape over a shrub in seconds, draw 12 watts, have a 24 inch lead to reach your power, and connect up to 18 nets end to end. Tuck the edges under the foliage so the grid disappears. See the full net lights collection for other colors.

Add Sparkle Or Motion

For a balcony that catches the eye from the street, add one effect layer:

• Strobe: a 50 5mm Cool White SuperSpark® strobe string woven along the top rail beside a steady string. Every light strobes rapidly and randomly like a tiny camera flash, so it is a bold, very flashy effect. One string is plenty for most balconies, and it is worth considering the neighbors' windows.
• Slow fade: DreamSpark® on the rail or icicles gives motion that is calm rather than flashy.
• Color animation: Twinkly on the potted tree handles color changes and animated effects from your phone.

Put It On A Timer

Plug the display into the 2 Outlet 15 Amp Outdoor Photocell Timer and it turns your lights on at dusk and off after 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours, adjusting automatically as sunset changes through the decorating season. It has two grounded outlets, a 15 amp / 1875 watt maximum load, and is rated for outdoor use. Power is rarely the limit on a balcony: two 70 light rail strings and two icicle strings draw about 19 watts combined. Our guide to timers, photocells, and smart plugs covers more options.

Common Balcony Mistakes

• Drilling or stapling into the railing. Use ties instead; they hold well and leave no marks.
• Running a cord through the door. A pinched cord is a hazard. Route it so the door closes freely, or use an outdoor outlet.
• Leaving connections on the floor. Water pools on balconies. Lift every connection and add a drip loop.
• Mixing whites. Warm white and cool white side by side look mismatched. Pick one white for the whole balcony.
• Hanging lights into a neighbor's space. Keep icicles and garland within your own railing line.

Three Balcony Looks To Copy

• Classic Warm: Warm White DreamSpark® on the top rail, warm white icicle lights below, a fresh garland with a red bow, and a warm white net on the planter.
• Icy Modern: 5mm cool white on the top and bottom rails, one cool white SuperSpark® string for sparkle, and a potted evergreen wrapped in cool white.
• Smart Color: a warm white or cool white rail outline with a Twinkly-lit potted tree in the corner running a slow color effect.

For more small-space ideas, see our posts on lighting rails, posts, and gates on a fence and using LED string lights in an apartment. Not sure how many strings you need? Rudolph's Christmas Light Planner builds a shopping list in a few minutes.

Questions about your balcony? Our team decorates rooflines, trees, homes, businesses, and some of the largest Christmas displays in the world, so the advice is based on decades of experience and practical application. Email us at help@thechristmaslightemporium.com.