I have seen really short strands of lights - can't remember exactly where (maybe craft type stores?). I don't know how easy that will be to find this late in the game, but in my opinion, I think continuing lights up to the top of the tree would look better than a spotlight.

Good luck!

tina

Maybe a clip on lamp? Or would it be too heavy?

Here is a link that might be useful: clip on lamp

If you cannot find a string of 10, then maybe 25 and then use a few more around the top of tree and then stuff the rest in the star. I think that will look good.

Is it possible to just extend the string of lights at the top to make at least one or two lights fit under the star?
I always leave lights at the very tip of my tree for that purpose.

Just purchased the same (at least looks very similar) for our LR tree. I did buy the battery LED's to use inside, but they looked off with the other tree lights. We used all white, but the LED seemed too white white. Could not find any sets of 10 or 20 hard wired sets. So, for us, the star's stayin dark. lol

graywings - I believe that would be too heavy, not to mention unattractive. :)

tinam61 and lyban - I think you are right on! I cannot stuff them into the star though, but can into the base.

declansmom - We didn't think of that when starting the lights. lol We also cut 6" off the top of the tree tip(I told DH to cut 3" and he cut what he thought was 3" lol) before putting the star up.

work_in_progress_08 - Did you get your star at Lowe's?

I think I will just get another short strand and work it around the stem and then down until I run out. The problem will be getting to the tip. I almost fell off the ladder trying to put the star on.

Thanks everyone!

****(I told DH to cut 3" and he cut what he thought was 3" lol)****

Now THAT'S funny!!!

I know! hehehe

OK, I went to Michael's for something else and they did not have the small lights except in LED. I decided to forget about the star this year, and make sure I leave enough next time. I may get out my handy grabber and see if I can pull some of the lights towards the star ofr now.

Not sure where DH purchased the star. Could have easily been Lowe's.

I thought of something that I could use...a nightlight! I have one with a clear bulb. I will have to get out the big ladder to reach the plug without banging into the tree and damaging the ornaments. I'll wait for DH to leave in the morning. He will flip out!

We did basically finish the tree tonight. I still have gold pine cones, willow, berries and the tree skirt to put on in the morning. Add a sparkly gold filigree like fabric, and gifts, and I will finally be done. I'll get to enjoy the tree and other decorations for two whole weeks before taking all the decorations back down. Already dreading that...UGH!

newhomebuilder,

I know what you mean!
The boxes and Sterlite tubs are stacked in the sunroom, tree has the branches stuck on, but I'm already dreading taking it all down and nothing is even decorated yet! UGH

I am late to the party but I had a similar problem a couple years ago with a beautiful angel topper I was given.
As beautiful as she was, she wasn't a lighted topper.

You see how long your Star branch is?
Cut it down, quite a bit so that when you put the base of the star back on, it's nestled into the next row of branches.
That way you can pack some lights on that next row of branches and up against the back of the star....the next row of branches will hold the lights against the back of the star.

Worked for my beautiful angel and she looked as if she was glowing all around her.

Or...
the nightlight is a good idea too, especially if it's an off at dawn/on at dusk type of nightlight.

Hey, we already cut it down 6" (or was it 3".) I wanted the star to stick out among the rest of the tree to look as grand as the star meaning. It doesn't look as high up in person as it does from the camera angle. In fact in the front is the only place that it does look long. However, I am willing to cut it down 3 more inches (I am doing the cutting this time! lol)

And to think we paid an $10 more for that extra foot of height that we are now cutting down. That number counts the 3 inches that had to come off the bottom to fit the stand.

The nightlight will not work. Luckily, I tried the light in a socket on a lower string of lights - before getting the big ladder out. lol It will not fit. :( I probably would have had the same problem with a plug in spotlight. I'll just cut the top a bit.

OK, it's done!

I cut off 4 instead of three. Our 11' tree is now 10. :( Looks better though, and there is a bulb right at the base. I used the Handy Grabber to place the star back up, and didn't have to lean into the tree. Don't know why I didn't think of using that thing before!

I'll have to wait until dark to see the difference, and will post a photo when all is finished.

newhomebuilder,

Please, Please come back with a new picture tonight....I wanna see!

Handy Grabber ....hmmmm. Never thought about using that for Christmas Decorations...Thanks!!!

That worked! Here's the tree. One with flash and one without, plus a close-up.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

Well done!

Awwww....your tree turned out beautiful, really beautiful! And BIG!
I love how that one strand of gold ribbon and the pinecone is at the base of the Star Topper....sets off the topper so pretty!

Hmmmmm.....Brown Bear, check. Toy Soldier, check. Girl Bear, check. Teardrop, check. Pinecones, check. Panda, check.

Yep, there's some similar DNA going on somewhere. lol

Until the rats ate them (don't ask) I had several more of my Grandmother's ornies that look very, VERY similar to yours.

Are those real cranberry beads that you strung?

It's beautiful!

I'm having trouble finding a tree topper. Maybe it's because my tree is artificial, but all of the ones I've tried so far are too heavy.

Thank you!

There are no cranberries on the tree. What you are seeing are some tacky, shiny red beads that I threw on last minute. This tree is so big, that I needed some fillers.

If you are talking about the round balls with pearls as looking like your grandmothers, my grandmother made mine out of costume jewelry. I cherish them.

juddgirl2 - My topper came from Lowe's, and is fairly lightweight compared to the huge angel we have had in the past few years.

A little late here but I have a very similar topper as OP that I got from Michael's that has 10 lights already built in. It was the Celebrate It Bright Tidings Lit Tree Topper and it is in a blue box in the XMAS section. I don't have a pic as our tree isn't decorated yet, but here is a Michael's as for it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Star Tree Topper

I used to have an angel topper also, which worked fine with real trees even though it was heavy. DH just brought home a lightweight star topper from Lowes or HD and our top branch can't handle the weight.

For my daughter's 5 ft tree in her bedroom, I bought some shiny star spray-type decorations on wire from Pier One and attached them to the top branches. It looks great so I'm thinking of doing the same for the larger tree. No lights though :-(