Classic Christmas Light String SVG

About this design

This is the string of lights most of us picture first: a dark wire that dips in three shallow swags, with nine C9-style bulbs hanging below it. Each bulb has a ribbed silver socket and a rounded, pointed glass body, and the bulbs tilt a little left and right so the string looks loose and hand-hung rather than stiff.

Every bulb and socket overlaps the wire, so the whole string cuts as a single piece. That matters more than it sounds: a one-piece border lifts off the backing in one go and stays perfectly spaced when you apply it, with no loose bulbs to line up.

Layers in the color file

• Wire in dark pine green, the base layer that holds everything together
• Sockets in silver
• Red, gold and blue bulbs, one layer for each color

Cut the base once, then cut each bulb color and stack the bulbs onto their outlines.

Where it works best

The string is wide and short, which makes it a natural header or footer:

• Across the top of a wood sign that reads “Merry Christmas” or a family name
• Along the bottom edge of a card front or a gift bag
• On a long-sleeve shirt, running from shoulder to shoulder
• Around a tumbler, wrapping two-thirds of the way around
• On a classroom bulletin board, repeated end to end

Size and cutting tips

The design passes our cut checks from about 3.5 inches wide. At that size the wire is still thick enough to weed without tearing. For a sign header, 10 to 14 inches is a comfortable width; on an adult shirt, 9 to 11 inches.

Weed the small gaps between each socket and the wire first, while the rest of the vinyl is still holding the string flat.

Step by step: a porch sign header

1. Measure your board and set the design in the editor about two inches narrower than the board.
2. Choose the color style and keep the default colors, or swap the blue bulbs for green.
3. Download the SVG and cut the wire layer from black or dark green permanent vinyl.
4. Cut each bulb color from glossy vinyl.
5. Apply the wire to the top of the board with transfer tape, then add the bulbs one color at a time.
6. Paint or cut your greeting below the string.

Color ideas

• Warm white bulbs on a black wire for a farmhouse sign
• Red and white bulbs for a candy-cane look
• All gold bulbs on a gold wire for something elegant

Pairs well with

Put it above the Merry and Bright with Lights saying, or use the Deep Swag Christmas Lights when you need fewer, bigger bulbs.