You’re the Grinch if you don’t use smart Christmas tree lights since they’re so cheap and simple to put up.
You can easily put your current Christmas tree lights into a smart outlet with the help of smart Christmas tree lights. You can program your lights to come on and go off at certain times, and you can do it all from a distance.
Smart Christmas tree lights were inevitable for me, since I am a huge fan of both the holiday season and smart home technology.
I’ll show you how to do this in two ways, the first of which is so simple and inexpensive that you’ll want to take it a step further after you have your lights up and running. Later, I’ll go into more depth on how to achieve this.
The convenience of having your Christmas tree’s lights turn on and off at certain intervals is undeniable.
It’s a no-brainer to pay $20 for the convenience of not having to go down and beneath your tree every night to plug it in.
However, for just $30 extra, you can have your Christmas tree lights come on and your Amazon Echo play Today’s Christmas on Pandora when you say “Alexa, Merry Christmas.”
You’ll be able to accomplish all of the above plus turn on your deck lights for an additional $20.
You get the picture.
Smart home automation grows more complicated and interesting the farther you travel down its rabbit hole.
Smart Plugs for Christmas tree
All you need to automate this process is a smart plug. You can learn more about smart plugs by reading our comprehensive guide.
- Buying the Kasa TP-Link Smart Plug (I own a few of them, and they’re fantastic!) is the first step. However, if you already have a smart hub or purchase one in the future, they work with all of them)
- Set up your smart plug on your phone using the Kasa app when it comes.
- Select “Custom” on the Kasa app (if you don’t currently have scenes, hit the Add sign at the upper right) and create your own scene.
- For your Christmas tree, choose the smart plug that you just installed from the list.
- To proceed, make sure the “on” button next to your plug is pressed.
- To save a scene, call it “Christmas tree lights” and then choose “Save” from the menu that appears.
- Go to “Smart Actions” in the app and select “Add an Action” to begin.
- Go to “Schedule a Scene”
- When you get to the first step, choose “Christmas Tree Lights” next to it. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO START?
- Select a time in Step 2 when you want your lights to turn on. You may set them to come on at the same time every day, or you can mix it up based on what day it is.
- It’s time to press the save button!
- After following steps 1-12, plan an off time by clicking “off” next to your plug at step 6 of the process.
This is a quick fix for the configuration above.
This is for those who have several plugs and wish to use a single smart plug to switch them all on and off at the same time.
For example, if you have a single socket for your Christmas tree lights and a separate plug for your star, you want them to turn on and off at the same time.
Get an inexpensive outlet converter instead of two smart plugs.
A single smart plug may now operate three independent outlets at the same time by plugging in an outlet converter.
Here’s a peek at my setup:
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Sponsored Content.
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Plug an outlet converter into a smart plug to make additional plugs smarter!
Instead, you may have an outlet with a lot of non-smart plugs that you don’t want to be part of your beautiful smart Christmas tree lights arrangement.
A arrangement like this would be ideal if that is the case:
Use an outlet converter to plug in your smart plug so that you may still use the outlet with ordinary plugs.
Summary
YAY! You’ve just got smart Christmas tree lights now!
What is it? Is there anything more you’d want to try? My buddy, continue reading.
For more than $20, you can get smart Christmas tree lights
With some additional cash on hand, you’re in the correct location if you’re wanting to have more enjoyable with this Christmas tree arrangement.
In the spirit of the holiday season, “Alexa, merry Christmas.”
This one was a lot of fun for my wife and I. I’ll explain precisely what this automation is doing and some of the steps/products required in getting it up.
However, keep in mind that you don’t have to set things up precisely like this video.
You may obtain a similar result by omitting two or three steps. When you say “Alexa, Merry Christmas,” you don’t need the exterior lights to turn on.
Automated processes are summarized.
- My command “Alexa, Merry Christmas” will work if I tell her to.
- When that’s done, I’ll switch on my Christmas tree lights
- Make my deck lights shine brighter by activating the switch.
- Turn off the lights in my Dining Room.
- Turn off the lights in my kitchen.
- On Pandora, listen to “Today’s Christmas.”
- Amazon Echo’s volume may be set to 10 dB.
Involved products in the setup
x1 SmartThings Hub from Samsung
Note that this hub is what binds all of the following sections together. The “routine” will be set up in the Echo Dot, but without a smart hub, it will not function
A single Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Gen. (Note: You can play the Christams music and use your voice to control it)
Two TP-Link Smart Plugs
One of these plugs is used to operate the Christmas tree, while the other is used to control the lights on my outside deck.) Despite the fact that they are not designed for outside use, I’ve kept mine outside (covered, of course) this past season and it worked well.
TP-Link x3’s Kasa Smart Light Switch
My kitchen, dining room, and bedroom lighting are all controlled by the same switch. A neutral cable is needed to install these switches. To avoid having to rewire the switch, just use some smart lights. Using these bulbs with this arrangement is a wonderful idea: White A19 Innr Smart Bulb x4)
Step-by-step description
- To get started, connect your Samsung SmartThings Hub to your phone and download the SmartThings app.
- Your SmartThings app should have access to all of the devices listed above.
- Install the Amazon Alexa app on your phone once SmartThings is ready.
- Add the “SmartThings” Skill to Amazon Alexa under the app’s “Skills” menu (You can use your smartThings hub to sync your Echo dot and you also can control all of your devices with Alexa)
- Alexa, Merry Christmas” is a new Routine that may be created after the “SmartThings” skill has been installed.
- Add the activities of the program.
- You’ve finished!
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This year’s holiday season was stolen by the Grinch, Alexa.
Take the same steps above, but reverse the action result on each of your devices.
Automated processes are summarized.
- “Alexa, The Grinch Stole Christmas” will activate if I speak it.
- AFTER that, I’m going to turn off the lights on my Christmas tree.
- Please turn off my deck lights.
- Turn on the lights in my dining room.
- The lights in my kitchen need to be turned on
- Turning off my Amazon Echo is what I want to do.
Conclusion
If this introduction to smart Christmas tree lights will help you and demystified the procedure and stages required, I’m glad to hear it.
Remember that the level of automation you implement is entirely up to you!
What are you waiting for?