Christmas projection videos: free, built-in and how to play them on a window or house

Christmas projection videos are what turn a projector into a holiday display: snow in the window, a Santa scene on the garage, wrapping paper on a stack of presents. The hard part isn't the projector, it's the content. Free videos are scattered across YouTube with ads and watermarks, paid packs are built for one specific setup, and none of them know the shape of your window. In the clip beside this article, the content comes from inside the app instead: Christmas shaders played from an iPhone with EasyMapper Studio, wrapped around a real box.

Here's where to get Christmas projection videos, what format works, and how to fit them to your house.

• YouTube. Search "Christmas window projection" and you'll find hours of free loops: snow, Santa flying past, elves at a window. The catch is ads, logos and the licence: many are for personal viewing only, and playing a stream outdoors means an ad can interrupt your display. If a creator offers a download, use that clean copy.
• Free stock video sites. Snowfall, bokeh lights and fireplace loops are easy to find with free licences. They're generic, but a slow snowfall on a dark background is one of the best window effects there is.
• Paid window projector packs. Some companies sell Christmas videos made for window projection, with a black background and the scene sized for a window. Good quality, but you pay per pack and they're made for a single rectangle.

Whichever you choose, download the file to your phone before the evening. A display that depends on a stream stops when the Wi-Fi does.

The app's latest update adds Christmas shaders. A shader is a live animation rather than a video file, so it has no loop seam, fits any shape and stays sharp at any projector resolution:

• Christmas Trees. A red and green checkerboard of cream fir trees that scrolls and cycles through festive colours.
• Christmas Baubles. Red, gold, blue and silver ornaments swinging between holly on midnight-blue paper.
• Christmas Tartan Stars. Woven tartan with gold stars rocking at every crossing.
• Candy Snowflakes. Candy stripes with spinning snowflakes and a foil shimmer.

You can stack visuals on one surface, for example your own snowfall video over a tartan, and adjust each one's opacity, speed and colour until they blend. The Christmas projection mapping app page covers the whole set.

• MP4 or MOV, saved to your camera roll. Anything the Photos app can play will play in a layer.
• A black background for windows. Black projects as no light, so only the snowflakes or the figure glow and the rest of the window stays dark. That's what makes a window scene look like it's really inside the house.
• Landscape or portrait to match the surface. A tall window suits a portrait video; a garage door suits landscape. The app stretches the video to the layer, so a close match avoids distortion.
• A clean loop. Look for videos that start and end on the same frame, or the jump will show every time it repeats.

1. Set up the projector. For a window, hang a white sheet or close a light blind and project onto it from inside. The window projector guide shows the setup (it's written for Halloween, but every step is the same).
2. Map the surface. Add a layer and drag its corners onto the window frame, garage door or wall so the video fits exactly.
3. Pick the content. Choose a Christmas shader or a video from your camera roll, then tap each surface you want it on.

For a whole house, map each window and the door separately and give each its own video. The Christmas projection mapping house guide goes surface by surface.

Can I use Christmas videos from YouTube on my house?

Only if the creator allows it and you have a downloaded copy. Streaming YouTube to a projector shows ads mid-display, and many videos are licensed for personal viewing only.

Do I need a special Christmas projector?

No. The LED Christmas projectors sold in shops play fixed patterns from built-in slides. A regular video projector with HDMI or AirPlay plays any video or shader you choose. The projector guide covers what to look for.

Are the built-in Christmas shaders free?

EasyMapper Studio is free to download, and you can try visuals free on the connection screen. Premium ($7.99 a month or $39.99 a year, with a trial) unlocks the full shader library.

Skip the download hunt this year: open EasyMapper Studio, map your window and play Christmas Baubles tonight.