What is a MegaTree?

A MegaTree is one of the most iconic elements in a Christmas light show—a large cone-shaped structure made from strands of pixels that simulate a giant Christmas tree using animated lighting effects. A MegaTree can be part of a light show or a show all on its own! I have also built a new MegaTree Calculator to help with all of the geometry and give you a ballpark estimate of what the pixels will cost.

How a MegaTree Works

• Center Pole — usually 10-20 feet tall provides the structure (there are many ways to mount the pole, depending on height and soil conditions) — see below
• Base Ring — often a ring of PVC or Steel attached to the ground around the base of the pole, where the bottoms of the light strands are attached
• MegaTree topper — attaches near the top of the pole and provides hooks/clips to evenly space strands of lights around the tree
• Light strands — strands of pixels that run from the top down to the base in a cone shape (typically bullet pixels or seed pixels)
• Controller — like all pixel lights, requires a controller to power and provide data to the lights; MegaTrees often have a dedicated controller
• Sequencing — xLights will control the MegaTree like any other prop in a light show, but can apply some unique effects due to the pixel density and size; xLights has built in models for MegaTrees, that are customizable to your build
• Star — most MegaTrees have a star or spinner type coro prop mounted on top, similar to a real Christmas tree

Bullet Pixels vs Seed Pixels Pros & Cons for Mega Tree

Pixel Type	👍 Pros	👎 Cons
12 mm bullet pixels mounted with strips (or coro)	– Brighter for large displays – Easier to repair – Standard for most builds	– Significantly Heavier – More wind resistance – Higher power consumption – Requires mounting strips (plastic strip with holes for pixels) – More work to build
Seed pixels	– Light weight (less sag) – Higher pixel density possible; great for smooth effects – Much more compact for storage – Less expensive per pixel – Significantly lower power consumption – Uses fewer controller ports – No mounting strips needed	– Harder to mount cleanly – strands can get twisted, but there are 3D printed clips on the market that can help with this – Long term durability is sometimes questioned, but may be less of an issue with newer versions of seeds with thicker wire

What did I do?

For my MegaTree (photos below), I chose to use seed pixels due to their lower power consumption, lower cost and much easier to store in the off season. My mega tree is relatively small because I have a small yard — it is 10 feet tall without the spinner on top (~12 feet with the spinner). It is also a 225 degree mega tree, meaning the lights don’t go all the way around (open in the back). Depending on your layout, you may want a full 360 degree tree, but in my case it would be a waste of lights in the back. If I were going to do it again, I would think about using 1 inch spaced seed pixels for better resolution/density. For 2026 I plan to hide the controller. The tree uses 5 ports on a 16 port controller and consists of the following:

• 10 strings of 240 seed pixels with 2 inch spacing (2,400 pixels total) in a “folded” configuration – one 240 pixel string becomes four 60 pixel strands on the tree – for a total of 40 strands of 60 pixels
• Two strings are daisy chained from each of 5 ports, and is power balanced via a tee connected to the start and end of each 480 pixel segment (powered from both ends)
• 64 string BillyGoat topper from PixelParadise USA
• 10 foot 1 inch galvanized steel pipe for center pole (plus 24 inch 3/4 inch pipe to hold the “star”)
• 36 inch x 3/4 inch steel rebar pin (as center stake to support main pole)
• 40 twelve inch steel tent stakes for base “ring” instead of traditional PVC or steel ring
• 4 steel guy wires with turnbuckles
• 2 galvanized “floor flanges” (3/4 inch) to attach topper securely
• 1 inch to 3/4 inch galvanized reducing coupler
• 1 inch 3/4 inch galvanized pipe
• 40 Bungee Balls to tension pixels
• 40 “Seedlink” 3D printed seed pixel clips from PixelParadise USA

Click to enlarge photos

Build Notes / Recommendations

• Be sure to have a stable center pole that can withstand whatever adverse wind / weather conditions could be expected at your location
• Due to the weight of steel pole plus the lights, this could potentially cause property damage or injury if not mounted correctly
• Need to design for your unique soil conditions
• Taller tree generally means thicker pole, if you don’t want it to bend or snap
• Base ring options (this is where light strands attach at bottom of tree):
  • Steel ring — usually purchased from lighting vendor, but some folks repurpose mini trampoline frames or similar objects
  • PVC ring — usually DIY — use a heat gun to bend PVC into ring
  • EMT (Electrical Metallic Tubing) conduit bent into a ring using a pipe bender
  • Tent stakes — I used 40 twelve inch steel tent stakes for my “ring” after trying PVC — I really didn’t like how the PVC looked, and the individual stakes combined with bungee balls let me better control tension on each string (but is more work)
• Pole mounting options (center pole):
  • Portable bases – either DIY or purchased from lighting vendor — made of wood (DIY) or steel
  • In ground PVC sleeves — bury a piece of PVC in the ground with concrete — just drop steel pole into PVC sleeve each season
  • Heavy steel stake pounded into the ground as a base, which you slip the pole over — good in heavy clay soil — mine is augmented with guy wires, although this may be overkill
• If digging or pounding in stakes, take care to avoid underground utility lines!
• There are designs out there for taller poles using winch systems to raise the topper
• Design your pole with room at the top for your star (or spinner)!
• If using seed pixels, it’s not super critical for the seeds to all face perfectly forward — even if there’s some twisting the pixels will be visible in the dark
• Many people mount the controller to the center pole; I had mine on a separate stake next to the pole last year, but didn’t like the appearance (see photos); planning to hide the controller behind a large coro prop off to the side of the tree next season
• Use bungee balls to tension your strings of lights to the base ring — you want to keep them under tension so effects look good even if it’s windy

FAQ