LED string lights or Christmas lights are a dime a dozen during the holiday season, where they’re used to light Christmas trees and other holiday ornaments.
But what about after the holidays?
Fortunately, there are many creative ways to use LED Christmas lights for regular lighting applications. Because of their flexibility, waterproof features (for those certified for outdoor use), and durability, LED string lights are perfect for a wide variety of lighting applications.
It’s likely you already have a set of string lights in your [city] home, so getting started should be easy. Here are a few ideas and projects to play around with to maximize their use.
1. Night Light Lamps
If you have a mason jar lying around at home, simply fill it with battery-operated string lights. Depending on the size and location of your mason jar, you can add as many string lights as possible to create your desired lighting effect. Your mason jar can be hung on a wall, placed on your bedside table, or in the corner of a room.
2. Path Lighting
The beauty of LED string lights lies in how energy efficient they are. This makes them ideal for areas that require light for several hours. Think outdoor paths leading to your porch or door, as well as hallways and stairways to the basement and/or garage.
Of course, you can also hang string lights in your garage storage area, or inside closets for additional lighting. You can either use hooks, or, if you don’t mind aesthetics, good old duct tape.
3. Home Décor With A Twist
String lights are great if you want to add a touch of flair to your indoor spaces. If you’re hosting an event or party, string lights are ideal for creating a “wow” effect in otherwise uninteresting rooms. You can either hang string lights in your backdrop, or use them to illuminate focal points such as tables, artwork, or the bar area.
4. Bedroom Lighting
Don’t have a headboard? No problem! Simply take your string lights to create a fake headboard, arranging them according to your desired shape—it can be a square, rectangle, or even unique shapes like houses or hearts.
If you have a canopy or four-poster bed, take your string lights and hang them on the corners of your bed to create sparkling drapes. They’ll look magical and add a soft glow to your bedroom. Even if you don’t have a four-poster or canopy bed, you can still hang long pieces of white fabric from the ceiling and wrap string lights around them.
String lights will help create a whimsical and dreamy look in the bedroom, looking romantic when you shut off the rest of your lights.
5. Picture Wall
If you want a cool way of displaying photos, ditch the frames and use clips to hang your photos on a wall lined with string lights. It’s quick, easy, and comes without the cost of having to buy photo frames.
These creative ideas are so simple and easy, you really have no excuse not to try them in your [city] home. Take advantage of the projects in this list to get the most out of your string lights after the holidays.