DIY Year-Round Smart Holiday Lights | Easy to Hang & Control
- Brian
- Nov 6
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 7
Do you love the look of Christmas lights but dread the idea of standing on a ladder for hours in the cold hanging them up? What if there were a faster, easier way, one that takes just minutes to install and looks great all year long?
In this guide, I’ll show you how to build your own DIY Easy Hang Christmas Lights. This setup goes up incredibly fast, can blend in so well that you might leave it up permanently, and lets you swap between colors for any season, from Christmas to Halloween, New Year’s, or any theme you like. I’ve personally left mine up for two years now, and they still look fantastic.
Overview
The system uses simple, readily available materials such as 1x2 boards, an LED strip and some hooks to hang everything on your house. Once assembled, you’ll be able to control your lights from your phone or computer. You can even schedule timers to turn them on and off automatically.
Tools
Safety Glasses
Tape Measure
3D Printer (Optional)
Screwdriver
Saw (Hand or power)
Drill and drill bits
Hammer
Wire Stripper
USB C cable and Windows PC
Safety
This project is meant to be fun and hands-on, but it does involve tools, soldering, working with electricity and ladders. Please take your time, wear eye protection, and use the right gear for the job. Double-check your wiring before plugging anything in, and if you’re ever unsure, ask for help from someone experienced. Using the comments section is a great idea too. A little caution goes a long way toward keeping your project safe and enjoyable!
Also ensure the power supply is appropriately sized and you have a fuse as outlined in this tutorial.
Parts List
1x2 Boards (From your hardware store)
LEDs (RGBW) IP67 - https://amzn.to/3XezzJR
5v Power Supply - https://amzn.to/4hNGL9w
Fuse Holder - https://amzn.to/3LMjSHm
Fuses - https://amzn.to/43coXyQ
Project box (3D Printed or from your hardware store) - Water Resistant Project Box with TPU Seals
Corner Brackets (Optional - 3D Printed) - Christmas Light Bracket
Hooks
LED Strip Mounting Brackets or Insulated Staples - https://amzn.to/4nDIZJF
2 small 3/4" screws
Silicone Glue - https://amzn.to/43k7J2p
Small Wire Nut
Multipurpose Output and Input Kit Board - Multi-Purpose Output and Input Board (5v) | Widget KC
Planning Your Layout
Start with the 1x2 boards and LED strips. Keep in mind that their lengths might not match exactly.
Now’s also a great time to decide where your control box will go. This box houses the electronics that power and control your lights. It should:
Be sheltered from sun and rain
Sit near one end of your LED strip
Be close to a power outlet
Measuring Corners
There are two main corner types you’ll deal with:
Flat corners (such as along a roof peak): measure by butting one board straight into the next.
Edge corners (like wrapping around a porch): measure with the boards joined edge to edge.
Sketch a quick layout and note your measurements. Add up the total lengths to find out how much wood and LED strip you’ll need.
Calculating LED Length and Power Requirements
Measure from your control box to where the first LED lights up. Add that to your total LED length.
For flat corners, include about an extra foot of LED strip to form a small loop, this prevents stress on the strip and avoids cutting. Don’t worry if a few LEDs end up in odd places; you can disable them later in software.
For edge corners, no extra length is needed.
Power Supply and Fuses
This part is crucial: make sure your power supply can handle the total current draw of your LEDs.
For this project, we light up every ninth LED, which gives a traditional “Christmas light” look while saving power.
Each LED can draw about 0.08 amps at full brightness
Since we’re lighting every ninth LED, plan for 0.6 amps per meter or 1 amp every six feet
Always use a fuse rated for your power supply’s capacity. For larger installations, you can split the load with multiple power supplies, for example, one for the garage peak and another for the rest of the house.
Building the Control Box
You can use an off-the-shelf project box or 3D-print one.If you have a 3D printer, print corner brackets as well, they help prevent damage to the LED strips at bends.
The control board used in this project is the Widget KC Multipurpose Output and Input Kit Board, available here: Multi-Purpose Output and Input Board (5v) | Widget KC
Tools You’ll Need
3D printer (optional, for box and brackets)
Safety glasses
Tape measure
Screwdriver
Saw (hand, power, or rotary)
Drill and bits
Hammer
Wire stripper
Computer with USB-C cable
Not exactly your grandpa’s tool list, right?
Assembly Steps
1. Prepare the Boards
Lay out your 1x2 boards and cut them to length.
For flat corners, notch out space in one board for the LED strip to loop through.
For edge corners, connect the boards edge-to-edge.
2. Install LED Fasteners
Use electrical staples or LED clips about every 30 LEDs. The strip should be snug but still able to slide slightly.
3. Add Corner Brackets
Flat corners: Install brackets on the back to form an “A” shape.
Edge corners: Loosely screw both boards into the bracket so they can move freely.
4. Mounting Hooks
Install hooks every six feet along your boards. Hold the board in place against your house, mark the positions, and install matching hooks on the house.
5. Feed the LEDs
Pull the LED strip through the fasteners. At flat corners, loop about 20 LEDs through the notch.
Ensure the arrows on the LED strip point away from the control box, otherwise, they won’t light up.
Wiring the Control Box
Feed the LED wires into the control box through small drilled holes.
Red → Positive terminal
White → Negative terminal
Signal wire → D6 terminal on the board
If your colors differ, just match positive to positive and negative to negative.
Power Supply Wiring
Make sure the supply is unplugged before connecting.
Red wire (from power supply) → Fuse → 5V terminal on the circuit board
Black wire → Negative terminal
Always include a fuse for safety, these lights will face weather and possibly curious wildlife.
Seal the LED strip ends and any exposed connections with silicone glue.
Installing the Program
Remove the microcontroller from the board and take it to your computer. Start by downloading the free Widget KC Upload Utility.
Run the utility and select your program, for example, Christmas Lights – Kansas City Edition.
Plug in your ESP microcontroller via USB-C when prompted and the upload will start automatically. It only takes about a minute.
After uploading, connect to your device (it will appear as “Christmas_####”).
Configure Wi-Fi and name your device (e.g., “Christmas”).
Once it reboots and connects to your network, you can access it by typing http://christmas (or your chosen name) into your browser.
Configuring Your Lights
In the web interface, you can:
Set on/off times for your automatic timer
Choose a pattern
Enable or disable the timer
You can also specify LED ranges to avoid.For example:
LEDs 0–20: control box to start of strip
LEDs 120–140: a looped section at a flat corner
Save your configuration, reinstall the ESP into the circuit board, and power everything back up.
Enjoy Your Easy Hang Christmas Lights
That’s it your DIY Easy Hang Christmas Lights are ready to shine.
Sit back, relax, and use your browser to control any color or pattern you like. Whether it’s Christmas, Halloween, or just a backyard party, your lights are ready for every occasion.
If you enjoyed this guide, keep an eye out for more DIY electronics and holiday projects from Widget KC.
Disclaimer
*Some links above are affiliate links. They don't alter your price or checkout flow at all but they do help support the projects on this site. Thank you for using them!
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