Instead, follow along as we’ll walk you through a few potential issues your tree may be running into, the tools to help you troubleshoot the problem, and then the solutions to get your Christmas tree lights back up and running at 100%!

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

How Traditional Incadencent Christmas Lights Work

Understanding how traditional incandescent Christmas lights work is essential to helping you troubleshoot the potential problem and find a solution. The great part is, it’s not rocket science!

To start, electricity flows through your light strand in a linear fashion. Electricity starts to flow from the outlet plug and then through each individual light creating what is called a circuit. If there’s a problem at any point in the entire circuit (i.e. a single bulb) the entire strand of lights will go out.

Let’s take a look at what might be disrupting your circuit.

Christmas Light Bulb Issues

Missing Bulb Prongs

If either of the wire leads on an individual bulb are damaged or missing (Bulb #1 in the photo above) the circuit is broken and electricity can not flow onto the next light.

Bent Bulb Prong

Similarly, even a slightly bent prong can break the circuit. Inside each bulb socket, there are two connector plates. When a bulb is inserted, the two bulb prongs touch these plates connecting the circuit. Bulb #2 in the photo above could have issues as the wire lead is bent out of position and may not touch the connector plates.

Burnt-out Bulbs

When a bulb burns out the small filament breaks. When this happens, a part of the lightbulb called the shunt is activated. The shunt ensures the circuit is not broken and electricity continues to flow to the next light. These shunts are somewhat delicate and often malfunction causing the circuit to break and the entire strand of lights to go out.

A burnt-out bulb can easily be identified by the black ring on the glass around the filament as shown in bulb #3 in the photo above.

Malfunctioning Bulb Socket

Again, there are two connector plates inside of every bulb socket. Also, each bulb has two prongs that when inserted into the socket touch these plates and help carry on the current. If one of these plates becomes loose, it will break the circuit causing your strand of lights to go out.

This issue can be easily identified if you see the metal plate sticking out of the bottom of the bulb socket as you see in the photo below.

An unseated connector plate may not be this apparent. In that case, you’ll need to remove the bulb and inspect the inside of the socket. Inside of a working socket, you will see both connector plates tightly seated to opposite sides of the socket wall like in the photo below.

In a malfunctioning socket, you may find one of these connector plates unseated.

If either of your connector plates (gold part of the green wires in photo #1 below) have become unseated you’ll need to reseat them. Reseat the plate(s) by pulling them towards the bottom of the socket while at the same time applying pressure with a pointed device like an Exacto knife.

CAUTION! When reseating the connector plates make sure to unplug the power to your Christmas tree lights!

Dead Fuse

Another possible issue may be a burnt-out fuse. The fuses are located in the plug(s) of your Christmas lights. To check your fuse, start by unplugging the lights. Next, slide back the fuse cover on the plug and pop out the damaged fuse like a battery. Replace with a new fuse and plug your lights back in.

The Ultimate Troubleshooting Tool to Fix Your Christmas Tree Lights

This year we had a TON of burnt-out lights on our Christmas tree. I began unplugging bulbs one by one and trying to replace them with a new bulb. It was taking forever and I thought “there must be an easier way”, so we searched the web. We came across a tool called the Light Keeper Pro and decided to give it a try.

The Light Keeper Pro is truly a must-have tool to fix your Christmas tree lights and moving forward will be a staple in our Christmas decor arsenal!

Below are some of the awesome features of the Light Keeper Pro.

Failed Bulb Finder

One of the best tools on the Light Keeper Pro is the Failed Bulb Finder. It’s essentially a voltage detector that can tell you if a burnt-out bulb is still passing electricity or not.

1. Start by making sure your lights are plugged in.
2. Hold down the black button on the top of the Light Keeper Pro and begin scanning the burnt out bulbs. Start out with the lights closest to the plug and work your way through the string of lights. You will hear a continous beeping indicating voltage is being dectected.
3. Move bulb to blub and when the continuous beeping has stopped voltage is no longer being detected. Voila! you’ve found the malfuctioning bulb, sockets or wires.

95% of the time you can insert a new bulb and the problem will be fixed.

Bulb Tester

The bulb tester allows you to quickly test a light bulb to see if it works. When a bulb is inserted it will glow if it is still working. This is one of my favorite features as it allows you to quickly eliminate malfunctioning bulbs and ensure you’re only using viable replacement bulbs.

Fuse Tester

On the top of the Light Keeper Pro, is a 3 Amp 125 Volt fuse tester. Simply touch the two metal ends of the fuse on the two metal spots on the top of the Light Keep Pro and if the fuse works, a red light will turn on.

Shunt Repair Tool

As I mentioned above, the shunt of the lightbulb is very fragile and can often get damaged. The Light Keeper Pro has an easy-to-use shunt repair tool. Just slide the bulb socket onto the shut repair tool and pull the trigger 10-30 times (lights must be plugged in). What happens is the shunt tool sends a burst of electricity through the broken shunt helping to activate the non-functioning shunts!

Bulb Popper

Some bulbs are pretty difficult to remove and you nearly lose your figure nails trying. The Light Keeper Pro has a little metal popper on the end (almost like a bottle opener) to make it easy to remove expired light bulbs.

Storage Compartment & Replacement Bulbs

You know your turning into one of your parents like in one of those Progressive Insurance commercials when you get excited about storage. When I first purchased the Light Keeper Pro I didn’t realize there was a storage compartment in the handle. When I found it, I was blown away to find there were 3 sections for storage and also a package of replacement bulbs. Talk about an unexpected bonus!

The three-section storage compartment is great as it allows you to store fuses, bulbs and bases separately!

The Red-Tipped Bulb

Over the years you might have noticed a single red-tipped bulb that typically comes in a small baggie along with a few clear replacement bulbs and fuses. This bulb is what’s called a “Blinker Bulb”. You can insert this bulb anywhere in your strand and the blinker bulb and all the bulbs that follow will blink!

The way these bulbs work is somewhat interesting. They have a small metal/bendable filament. When the filament warms up it bends breaking the circuit and turning the lights off. Once the metal cools, the metal filament bends back, the circuit is reconnected and the light comes back on. This process continues on and off causing the circuit to break/unbreak and all subsequential lights to follow suit.

In Conclusion

I have to admit, it feels pretty awesome to be able to save a Christmas tree that you spent a few hundred dollars on. Also, it’s also always a plus being able to inform your significant other that he/she has married a genius.

Hopefully, you learned a little more about Christmas tree bulbs and were able to save a pre-lit Christmas tree of your own.

While you’re in the holiday mood, check out other blog posts on our Favorite Christmas Decor of 2021 and well as our Christmas Porch Decor Makeover.

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In part one of this two-part blog post I’ll walk you through a few tips on where to find the best furniture, how to prep your pieces and finally how to paint, distress, wax and add antiquing dust to your furniture to give it that aged shabby chic look.

In part two I’ll take you some of my favorite chalk painting projects and share tons of face-melting photos, which will hopefully give you some awesome inspiration.

So let’s get to it!

Finding the Right Furniture

Being on the hunt and finding the right piece of furniture is part of the fun. Typically pieces that have scrolling legs and ornamental carpentry are the hottest finds as they allow you to add depth to the piece (I’ll share more on that later).

You can find great and inexpensive pieces using sites like Letgo/OfferUp, CraigsList and Facebook Marketplace. Other places to search include local thrift stores, furniture resale shops and possibly the Habitat for Humanity Resale store (if there’s one near you). Last, keep on eye on the tree lawn around bulk garbage day. I’ve got lucky a few times and found two or three amazing solid wood pieces that were on the tree lawn and heading to the dump.

Below is an awesome example of a unique end table that I found on the tree lawn and with just a tiny bit of love can be transformed into an amazing piece. Just look at that potential!

Cleaning Your Furniture

To make sure your paint adheres properly and stays on your furniture for years to come it’s best to give it a quick cleaning before painting.

I typically use this TSP all purpose cleaner/degreaser, but in a pinch have used warm water with a drop or two of Dawn. Make sure to clean all the nooks and crannies where the dirt and grime might hide. Once clean, allow your piece to dry thoroughly before you begin painting.

Buying vs. Creating Your Own Chalk Paint

Two great chalk paints that I’ve used and would recommend are Annie Sloan and Maison Blanche. These chalk paints are both great, but can get pretty expensive, so I’ve also fooled around with making my own chalk paint.

Original I was skeptical of making my own chalk paint, but it’s actually very easy, works amazingly well and is a fraction of the cost. On top of all those things, chalk paint companies only offer 10-12 colors. When you make your own chalk paint you can make any color.

Start by buying a small paint sample (in any color!) from your local hardware store for only $5-6. Then add roughly 1/8 cup of Paster of Paris and still in until smooth. Repeat this process 1-2 times until you have a medium think paint/chalky mixture.

Painting your Furniture

I’d recommend using either a 2” or 2.5” in brush. Get a strong first coat on your piece and allow to dry for 3-4 hours. Once dry, you may need to apply another coat or two to get full coverage.

Sanding And Distressing Your Furniture

Properly sanding and distressing your furniture can give your piece that amazing antique shabby chic look.

Before you dive right into distressing and removing paint strategically from certain areas it’s best to give you entire piece a light sanding. Use a light to medium-light grit sanding block and hit the flat areas. As you do so the goal is to level out these areas without removing the paint and exposing the original surface. When you done you’ll have a super silky smooth surface and will be ready to move on to the fun part – distressing!

I’d recommend starting off with a light distressing. It’s a lot easier to come back and sand/distress a little more at the end rather that repainting and starting over from scratch.

As you start the distressing process sand the highest areas of the your piece of furniture. lightly take off the paint in the areas were you might expect that would see some wear and tear. Check out the photos below and notice the areas where you might imagine the paint naturally wearing off.

Waxing Your Furniture

One of the most important steps of chalk painting is waxing your furniture. This is the simple and easy process of adding a protective layer of wax that will not only protect the paint, but also give it an amazing shine.

While I’ve created my own wax using melted paraffin/gulf wax (in the canning section at most grocery stores) and adding a few other ingredients, I’d suggest using either Varathane or Minwax finishing paste. It’s only slightly more expensive than making your own wax, but significantly less expensive than the wax the big chalk paint companies sell.

When you start, apply a generous amount of wax using an inexpensive chip brush. Rub the wax evenly into the wood and allow to sit for 20-25 minutes. When you return the wax will have slightly hardened and you can lightly buff smooth with cheese cloth.

Using Antiquing Dust to Add Detail & Depth

While it’s not 100% necessary, for some pieces of furniture you may want to add a little antiquing dust to give them that aged or patina’d finish. I’ve used this same can of Mason Blanche dust for years and it’s perfect for adding detail and depth to the nooks and crannies of your furniture or even to spice up a plain old ceiling medallion.

In order to add antiquing dust to your piece of furniture you’ll need:

• Medium Chip Brush
• Finishing Wax
• Small Chip Brush
• Antiquing Dust
• Cheesecloth or Waxing/Sanding Sponge

Start by applying a small amount of wax to your the nooks and crannies where you want your antiquing dust to stick. Do this using your medium sized chip brush. I recommend having one chip brush for applying wax and one for applying antiquing dust. If you use the same brush to do both you’ll get dust in your can of wax.

After you’ve applied the wax to your nooks and crannies, then use your separate/small sized chip bush to apply the antiquing dust. Simply dip your small chip brush into the dust and then dab the dust into your nooks and crannies where you just applied the wax.

Allow your wax/dust mixture to sit for 15-20 minutes unitl it hardens. Next use your cheese cloth or waxing sponge to polish your furniture and remove the excess antiquing dust.

Below are a few photos that really show off the awesome effect of the antiquing dust. Check out the nooks and crannies where the dust remained and even how it helped age two different ceiling medallions.

More Chalk Painting Project Ideas & Photo Gallery

If you enjoyed this chalk painting blog post, check out How to Chalk Paint – Part Two which features a TON of great before and after photos as well as a few next level tricks and tips.

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In this article, I’m going to show you exactly how to build this tree shaped bookshelf, which requires just over $100 in materials. However, be careful, as every time a mom sees this bookcase, you’ll most likely get a request to build one for their little one.

Some of our posts contain affiliate links. We often share links to the tools & products used in our home improvement projects and if you purchase one of these items using our link, we may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

Materials & Tools You’ll Need

• 4-5 Pieces of 4′ x 8′ Plywood (3/4″ Thick)
• Jig Saw
• Power Drill
• Large Drill Bit – 1/2″ Bit
• Palm Sander
• Router
• Router Bearing & Bit
• Wood Filler
• Stud Finder
• Mounting Brackets

Drawing or Stenciling Your Tree Shaped Bookshelf

First stencil or draw your tree with a Sharpie on a single piece of your 3/4″ thick 4′ x 8′ plywood. You could consider printing out some sort of stencil, but that’s a tall task as you would need a pretty large piece of paper or would need to piece together 14-15 pieces of paper.

Your best bet is to freehand and draw the tree. While this may seem like an impossible task if you lack drawing skills, it’s actually not that hard. Just know up-front that you’ll eventually be painting over your tree outline and if you mess up, you can fix or redraw the lines until you get it right.

Tips for Drawing Your Tree

• Measure to the center of your piece of plywood (2′) and draw a vertical line from top to the bottom of the plywood. Use that line to center your tree trunk on (see image below).
• Break up drawing the tree into different sections (draw the trunk first, then when completed add your branches).
• Make the trunk width about 4-5 inches at the bottom and slowly taper to a point at the top.
• As you add your branches make sure they get narrower as they go out.
• Don’t worry about messing up. It’s just marker and you’ll be painting over it!

Cutting the First Piece of Plywood

I used this super inexpensive, but awesome Ryobi jigsaw to cut out my tree shape. Surprisingly it was pretty easy and was actually the first time I ever used a jigsaw. I’d recommend using a fine jigsaw blade, which will give you the least amount of splintering as you cut.

For your first cut start at the bottom of your tree trunk and cut out the sections on both the right and the left of trunk below the first branch. Go slow and do your best to stay on your Sharpie line. If you want, you can make the cut in one fell swoop or cut up to the first branch, pause and then cut the bottom of the first branch and meet up where your last cut left off.

In order to cut some of the interior sections of your tree that don’t have an opening, you’ll need to drill a hole first using a large drill bit. I found it’s easiest to drill these holes at the intersection of a branch and the trunk. Once you have that pilot hole just insert your jigsaw blade into the hole and make the interior cut.

Cutting the Next 3-4 Trees

After you get your first tree cut, you can use it as a stencil for the next 3-4 pieces of plywood. I ended building my tree shelf out of 4 pieces of 3/4″ thick plywood and while it can hold most smaller books, 5 pieces of plywood may have been the way to go. I’ll leave that decision up to you!

Stencil your next 3-4 pieces of plywood with a Sharpie and cut out the negative spaces as you did with the first piece of plywood. The goal here is to cut each new piece of plywood as close as you can to the first one. The closer you can get each of these pieces to each other, the better they’ll match up when you screw them all together.

Combining the Plywood & Leveling Your Edges

Once you have your 4-5 trees cut out, you’ll want to make sure that you get all 4 or 5 pieces of plywood as close as you can to identical. The best way to do this is to use a router and a special bearing bit.

To start, screw only your original/first stenciled tree and second cut tree together. When doing so make sure to put your screws in the very center of the trunk or branch and we’ll be trimming the edges with our router and don’t want to hit a screw.

Once they are screwed together you can rest the bearing part of your router bit against the original stencil. The bearing bit allows you to just run/roll your router along the original stencil without cutting it, while cutting the lower second piece of plywood, so it matches the original.

After you’ve routed around the entire tree, screw on your next tree and repeat the process again and again until all 4-5 pieces of plywood are nearly identical.

Sanding & Filling the Gaps Between Trees

After you’ve evened out the sides or your tree with your router you’ll most likely have some rough edges. Sand down these edges using a palm sander. I have this super inexpensive – but awesome – DeWalt palm sander that also has a dust catcher. This palm sander will take care of most of the sanding, but you’ll need to hand sand in most of the tight nooks.

After sanding you’ll want to fill the gaps between the plywood. Filling these gaps will make your tree look like one solid piece of wood once painted.

For my project, I used DAP’s Plastic Wood. This stuff is awesome as it goes on pink and when it’s done drying it turns white. For my project, I needed roughly two tubs. Once your wood filler dries then just smooth out any bumps with sanding paper or a sanding block and you’re ready to paint.

Cutting Your Tree to Fit Flush with Your Baseboards

Before you paint you’ll want to cut roughly 3.5″ off the back two pieces of plywood on the bottom of your tree trunk. This cut will account for the baseboards and quarter round trim in your little one’s room and allow the rest of your tree to sit nice and flush against the wall.

I’d suggest taking the exact measurement of the height of your baseboards, drawing a horizontal line and cutting with something safe and easy, like a hand saw.

If you take a look at base of the tree shelf below you can see exactly what this cut looks like and the purpose it serves.

Also, if you love our white floors check out our post here after on how to prep and paint your hardwood floor white.

Painting Your Tree-Shaped Book Shelf

Once you have your tree bookshelf completely sanded you can then paint. There’s not much to this step! Pick an awesome color and put on 2-3 coats of paint.

Securing Your Bookshelf with Wall Anchors

This bookshelf is pretty heavy. With that being the case you’ll want to make 100% certain that it’s secured properly to the wall.

Step One: Place your tree shelf against the wall in your desired location.

Step Two: Use a stud finder to find out where your studs are located. The goal here is to find at least one stud left of the trunk and one stud right of the trunk.

Step Three: Make a mark on your tree branches to notate where the center of your stud is located and where we’ll be attaching our anchors. I’d suggest marking the center of our studs on at least two of the branches on each side of the trunk.

Step Four: Attach your anchors to the back of the tree with a screw making sure the second hole of the anchor will line up with the mark you just made on the wall for the studs.

Step Five: Place your tree up on the wall and use your anchors to attach the bookshelf to your studs.

Tree Shaped Bookshelf Conclusion

This is truly one of the most awesome things I’ve built. Every mom, dad and kid that comes over loves it! Also, it’s been in my daughter’s room for four and a half years and I’m sure will stay for plenty more years to come!

If you loved this post on building the tree shaped bookshelf, check out our post on How to transform your entryway closet into a fun and functional shiplap nook with bench. This is by far one of our most popular posts with over 3,000 social shares.

Or give a gander to one of the easiest and coolest upcycle projects out there – How to Chalk Paint a Chandelier. Back in the day I had a Etsy shop and made some decent money painting and refurbishing old chandees. Check it out!

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I began chalk painting chandeliers several years ago and for a short period resold them on Etsy under a shop called the Shabby Chandee. In fact, one of my chandeliers was purchased by a set designer and used in the Nicolas Cage and Williams Dafoe movie “Dog Eat Dog”.

Finding the Right Chandelier

Brass chandeliers from the 90s are tacky and out of style. However, that makes them widely available and inexpensive to purchase.

I found the best places to find bronze chandeliers are on Craigslist, LetGo and OfferUp. Also it’s worth checking out local thrift stores and second-hand home stores.

One of the best places I found many old brass chandeliers was a Habitat for Humanity “ReStore.” Typically I would pay between $10-$30 for a chandelier, with the more unique/ornate chandeliers being at the top of that range.

What You’ll Need

• Cleaner (soap & water is fine!)
• Alchohol Wipes
• Sample Paint
• A Paint Brush
• Plaster of Paris
• An old tooth brush
• Replacement Candle Sticks (if Necessary)

Cleaning Your Chandelier & Crystals

Most chandeliers were probably up and hanging for years, and during that time collected quite a bit of dust. Before you start painting make sure to give your chandelier a good scrub to remove and dirt/debris and provide a clean surface for the chalk paint to stick to. I often use an old tooth brush and soapy water to clean the tough to reach nooks.

If your chandelier has crystals, you’ll need to take each and every one of them off before painting. Gently bend the metal prongs and remove the crystals from the small holes. If you chandelier is more than a year or two old, you’ll want to clean each crystal to get the most sparkle. I found alcohol wipes work extremely well and make your crystals truly shine.

Pick Your Chandelier Paint Color

For my chandeliers I picked up a small $4-$5 container of sample paint at my local hardware store. Not only will you save a ton of money over buying a designer chalk paint, but you’ll also have every color possibility known to man instead of only a select 10-15 colors offered by the big chalk paint companies.

Making Your Own Chalk Paint

At first I was apprehensive about making my own chalk paint, but gave it a try years ago and still make my own to this day. Start by adding about 1/8 of a cup of Plaster of Paris to your 4-5 ounce paint sample. Stir in the Plaster of Paris until your paint is smooth. Follow this process about 1-2 times and if you notice the paint start to thicken up too much, do not add any more. The goal here is just to thicken the paint up just enough while adding some texture/stickiness to help it adhere to the metal.

Chalk Paint Your Chandelier

Before you start painting. Remove the white candle stick covers. While I’ve seen some people paint these, I wouldn’t suggest painting them as they ‘ll be close to the light bulbs and could potentially be a fire hazard.

Start by painting the underside of the chandelier, including the main body, arms and hard to reach nooks. Once covered, you can flip the chandelier back over and paint the top sections of the chandelier.

It typically takes 2 and 1/2 good coats (that 1/2 coat is just touching up a few areas) and don’t worry about getting every little nick and ding as you can touch those up after it’s hung.

Painting the Chain

After you’ve decided the length of your chain, go through link be link painting each side of the chain. This is the toughest part as it takes a few coats and as the chain moves, paint rubs off. Again though, it doesn’t have to be perfect as some of your paint is going to come off as you hanging the chandelier. Once the chandelier is hung, it only takes a minute or two to touch up the chain and any nicks.

Adding New Candlesticks & Crystals

Sometimes you’ll get a chandelier with old candlestick covers that are gross and old. For a few bucks you can get brand new candlestick covers and cut them to the proper size with a razor blade.

If your chandelier did not come with crystals you can add your own as I did with the white chandelier below. I purchased an acrylic crystal chain and split into even sections. Each section should have an equal number of crystals and hoops (I used about 20). I then connected these chains to the chandelier arms and added 1.5″ crystals to each chandelier arm.

For a finishing touch, include a ceiling medallion to go the extra mile and provide that added elegance.

Below is a small gallery showcasing some of our favorite chalk painted chandeliers. Take a look and let us know which is your favorite!

And if you loved this article check out our two-part blog post on Chalk Painting Furniture.

How to Chalk Paint Furniture – Part One covers:

• Where to find the best furniture on the cheap
• How to Prep/Clean before Painting
• Name Brand Chalk Paints vs. Making Your Own
• Distressing
• Applying Antiquing Dust
• Adding a Wax Protective Layer

In How to Chalk Paint Furniture – Part Two – I share some of our most successful chalk paint projects over the years. What are you waiting for check them out here – Part 1 and here – Part 2.

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