Can You Cut Fairy Lights: Functioning Of Fairy Lights

Fairy lights are standard when it comes to indoor and outdoor decorations. Today people also use the fairy lights to decorate during Christmas and use them for lighting in rooms such as bedrooms. 

However, you can buy fairy lights, only to find out it’s too long for the place you want to hang them. In such a situation, you will have two options: to leave it dangling or not. 

However, if you do not have any issues with asymmetry, you need not worry. You might be wondering whether it’s possible to cut the fairy lights. Let’s, find out. 

Can You Cut Fairy Lights

Yes, you can cut down fairy lights to the length you desire when the bulbs are in a parallel connection. The bulbs will now receive equal bolts from the battery or the USB power source. Plus, shortening the length will reduce overload and burning out of bulbs.

Shortening The Fairy lights 

The practical and straightforward way to shorten the fairy lights is by cutting them using a pair of scissors. It will not affect the power connection between the fairy lights and bulbs. 

It’s because the bulbs are connected in a parallel connection. Plus, fairy lights are designed so that bulbs get similar bolts simultaneously. 

That’s whether they are USB powered or connected to the battery. Therefore, even if you cut the fairy lights, the bulbs will still work; however, you need to cap the two wire ends with wire connectors. 

How To Cut Fairy Lights 

The first thing to do is check whether the lights are connected in parallel or series. You can do this by removing the bulbs. Usually, the large C9 bulbs are connected in parallel. 

The incandescent bulbs and mini LEDs have several sections wired in series that are in parallel. If you remove a bulb in a section of connected lights in series, all of them will turn off. 

A series connection has two wires on each side. The two wires’ function is to connect multiple series sections in parallel. 

The best way to shorten lights that use series connections is by cutting only two wires after cutting the ends to expose the little wires. 

Twist the wires and cap them using a wire nut for protection. The C9 bulbs are large and usually connected in parallel, and all use the full 120 volts that come from the power source. 

Therefore you can cut light strands between any two bulbs. After cutting, you should add electrical tape or a wire cap on each side of the wire. 

Cut The Right Fairy Lights

You need to know that not all fairy lights can be shortened or cut. It would help connect the outdoor light ribbons using male and female ends, which contain plugs end to end. 

If you shorten the strings, you can override their safety assessment. Therefore, the string can stop functioning. The different Christmas coils and commercial strands come with a socket that can be cut if needed. 

Most custom Christmas lights sets come with loose wires. You should ensure the wire type and plug end are matching. 

The SPT-2 wires feature a thicker sheath to handle higher currents, while SPT-1 is thinner. You will decide where the wire ends of the plugs and sockets run to. 

It would help cut the wire with a white dashed line mark. However, the rope light sets have a predetermined length and do not include cut markings. 

You cannot cut the rope light set since it will not work, and there is no way to fix it. Cutting it will undoubtedly lead to the failure of the whole light system.

Can LED Fairy Lights Catch Fire? 

Almost all electrical devices can catch fire if used in poor operating conditions or are damaged. However, the fairy lights are safe because they do not heat up during operation. 

Many lights start fires when they get hot when plugged in power. However, there are things you need to consider when installing fairy lights. Here are the preventive measures you have to take: 

• Ensure all the light wires are in perfect condition. 
• Install a timer to help you power off the light when you aren’t at home or in the room. 
• Avoid putting tension on the wiring and stretching lights over metal edges. 
• If you are decorating a Christmas tree, do not add a flammable décor.
• If you choose to use a natural Christmas tree, consider a fresh one. It would help if you also chopped off the end of the tree trunk and constantly water it.
• Avoid using staples when fixing the lights since they can accidentally pierce the wires.  
• Do not install excess light strings in a single project. Read and adhere to the manufacturer’s maximum light lines per series specification. 
• You need to know your maximum breaker capability. You can ask an electrician to help you check. The fairy lights should not exceed more than 85% of your breaker maximum capability. 
• Do not exceed the maximum current rating of your cord and avoid daisy-chaining the extension cords. 
• You can call a professional electrician to make the connection. Alternatively, you can ask the electrician to check the connection after installing. The electrician will confirm whether you have correctly followed the electrical practices. 

How To Hang Fairy Lights

The fairy lights are simply any string lights which can include Christmas lights etc. Fairy lights are used year-round for decoration in your garden or house. 

The lights consist of miniature string lights with tiny LED bulbs and batteries. It doesn’t matter what type of light you are using; however, there are creative ways to hang them. 

Choosing And Secure Fairy Lights 

The light Should Be Proportionate to the Item

The standard-size fairy lights or Christmas lights will look good on a large wall or tree. If you use them on small items like small mirrors and house plants, they will look bulky. 

When decorating small items, you should use miniature fairy lights that feature tiny bulbs. You should note that fairy lights which use a power outlet are ideal for large spaces like trees and walls. 

The fairy lights with batteries are best for small items like house plants and mirrors. The other types of fairy light are the netted ones which come in standard size. The netted fairy lights work well with more oversized items like shrubs and ceilings. 

Hanging Fairy Lights 

Indoors 

Wall 

You can decorate your house wall using fairy lights in different styles. Firstly you can spell words on your wall. You will need to use a pencil to write the words you want on your wall. 

After writing on the wall, you can use thumb-tacks or nails to secure the lights on the wall. Follow the traced line, and space the pin closer in areas with loops and tight curves. 

With this method, you can create simple and interesting shapes such as hearts. The miniature or standardized lights are ideal for this decoration. 

There are other ways of decorating your wall, such as using picture frames, curtain rods, etc.

Ceiling 

Decorating the ceiling is another easy thing that will make your house look good. You can secure the light on the ceiling using wall hooks or thumbtacks. 

Place and secure the lights on the top edges and sides of the entire wall. The string lights are perfect for this job. You can also crisscross the light strands across the ceiling’s hallway to brighten it. 

Remember, the closer you pin the strands, the brighter your house and ceiling will be. You can also save much time simply using the latticed or netted lights. However, the net width should be similar to your ceiling or porch. 

Furniture 

You can also decorate your room through the furniture. You can put the fairy lights on the edges of your shelves; the standard-sized are perfect. However, you will have to remove the backing on your shelf unit. 

The netted or latticed fairy lights are the best for shelves; slide them at the back of the frame to replace the backing. 

You can also put the lighting on your chandelier; you can make or make a chandelier and suspend it on your ceiling. The other furniture that you can install the fairy lights on is the couch or the bed.

Conclusion 

It is possible to cut the fairy lights; however, it depends on how you cut them. You need to know that removing a few lights increases the voltage sent to the remaining bulbs. 

Therefore this can blow out the strands prematurely. If you intend to remove a small number of bulbs, there is no big deal. However, be cautious not to remove too many bulbs. 

However, certain fairy lights can be customized, and cutting them can’t cause issues. However, you also need to be careful and do the cutting properly.