This is the season, but as soon as the winter and holidays wrap up, people start taking down their holiday lights. These lights add such an ambiance and charm to any street, and it’s a shame that they’re bundled up as soon as the cold weather goes away. Luckily, we found a few hacks for you to decorate with your string lights the whole year.
1. Put them in mason jars
If you have copper wired fairy lights, you can place them inside mason jars and make them look like lanterns. They add a touch of magic wherever they sit. Plus they’re portable, flame-fee and lightweight, so you can put them anywhere you’d like some dim lighting and added decor, from your kitchen island to your entry pathway.
2. Frame your headboard
Make your bedroom more romantic by framing your headboard (or the wall that your headboard is on) and get a statement-making result. It has a feminine effect that can be made more gender-neutral with certain colors, and opting for smaller bulbs. Consider using a unique color of lights to match other aspects of your bedroom.
3. Light your patio
If you have a backyard or patio, consider setting the mood with some Christmas string lights. Even if you don’t have a backyard, you can string these lights along a balcony or fire escape to enhance your outdoor decor. Plus, it acts as a means of practical illumination.
4. Show off the mantel
If you have a mantel, you can line it with Christmas lights, or place it in a unique pattern. It adds an extra source of light that draws eyes to the mantel and lets it act as a centerpiece. If you add decor like a wall mural or candles, it’ll enhance the effect even more. If your fireplace is flameless, you can wrap small logs in lights, weaving the string around to create a one-of-a-kind faux fireplace.
5. Make a ladder chandelier with bigger bulbs
If your bulbs are a bit larger, you can take a ladder and make a horizontal chandelier, hanging lights off the side framing and the shelves. You can also add just branches and wrap the lights around them too. This can be done with smaller bulbs as well — just wrap a larger quantity of them around the ladder for an equally striking effect. You can also do this to brighten up a dark corner.
6. Put them behind a curtain
Doing so will create a diffused and elegant effect that’s a lot nicer than staring into bulbs directly. It’s simple but stunning and can be seen from most parts of the room. This versatile style can be done in a bedroom or living area as well as a home office. If you have blinds rather than curtains, you can weave lights into your bed canopy. If you don’t have a canopy, drape long pieces of tulle
7. Hang them above your dining table
This is a more low maintenance take on the chandelier idea — just hang a few strands of lights above the dining room table to give off a candlelight vibe. Serve food family style beneath for a Bohemian look that’s oh-so-cozy.
8. Border a mirror with them
Turn your mirror into a lighting source by decorating your bedroom mirror with a string of fairy lights — simply drape them around the perimeter of the mirror. It’ll add a sense of glamour and has a Hollywood dressing room vibe, so that you’ll feel like Marilyn Monroe when you’re getting ready to go out. Plus, it’ll brighten up your reflection, adding a glow to your face and your bedroom.
9. Make wall art
The beauty of string lights is that you can shape them into anything your heart desires. You can do an abstract shape or make a picture. This picture can be something specific you have in mind, or something that fits the overall theme of your room. This wall art also doubles as a night light. Draw the shape and strategically place nails to wrap the wire around and form whatever shape you’d like.
10. Jazz up a photo display
Hang your photos along a string light to surround yourself in amazing memories that are lit up and visible at all times. Lots of people struggle decorating their homes with artwork, but the photos hidden away on our phones and computers are begging to be printed out and strewn on walls, mantles, and more.
