In this short how-to video, it comes in at just under four minutes, Nick demonstrates how to remove the end plug from a string of regular Christmas lights.
We received an email from Joe the other day asking us if there is a way to remove the female end from a string of lights and still keep it operational. Nick has used light strings with the end plugs removed in several of our Bottle Lamp Projects and we haven’t had issues with any of them.
Nick shows you how and where to cut the wires, what to do with the ground wire, how to cap the wires and more. You will be able to utilize the string of lights without the female end and you will be able to insert them into your recycled bottle without any trouble.
We hope our Christmas Light Video on how to remove the end plug was helpful to you!
If you have any video suggestions or comments please do so at the bottom of this page.
Do the Christmas lights you use and cut the male plug off have fuses in the plug that you cut off ?
Yes. I did cut a couple of cords that had tiny little fuses inside the electrical plug. I was apprehensive at first about by passing this but the light strings still came on.
Hi Shannon, I don’t know the answer right now and Nick is visiting family back home. I will try to get you an answer to your question soon.
You will need to complete the circuit in order for the last half of the light string to work.
I haver a LED three wire light string and I want to cut the plug off the end and move it close to the center of the string so I can have each end go in opposite directions. Can this be done so I don’t have to use an extension cord from the outlet to where I want the light string to start?
I wouldn’t recommend cutting your light string in half. This recommendation comes from an incident in which I attempted something similar. The lights seemed to glow a little brighter (my first red flag) and then the whole string burned out. The LED’s have a in-line fuse and to regulate the amount of voltage for a set number of lights. Changing the number of lights will render it useless. I’d go with the extension cord.
Can you simply cut off the female end without unwinding and then cutting it again back at the start?
I’m not sure if you’re referring to the electrical cord from the last bulb or the wires left over from the female end that you’ve cut. From the last bulb on the string, you should be able to wire them together without unwinding them.