How to Decorate with Christmas Lights All Year Long

Jan 9th 2023

faceted terrariums with plants and micro lights

The holidays are over, the Christmas lights are put away and now your house looks dark and sad. If only you could leave the lights up all year long.

Well, cheer up - we have good news! You can use Christmas tree lights well after the holidays and no one will think it looks the least bit Christmas-y.

Here are 10 bright ideas for using Christmas LED string lights and fairy lights to decorate your home throughout the year.

mother and child in cozy lighted reading nook

1. Create a magical reading nook for kids with mini LED lights. Hang a wreath ring from the ceiling in a cozy corner. Drape a few lengths of sheer white fabric and some warm white LED lights or fairy lights from the hoop, allowing them to trail to the floor. Toss in a few large, soft pillows to make the nook even more inviting.

2. Similarly, white LED Christmas lights and sheer curtains can add romance to a bedroom. If you don’t have a canopy bed, attach thin strips of wood to the ceiling around the perimeter of your mattress to create a frame. Attach sheer fabric and lights and - voila! A sweet little bower for you and your honey.

3. Create a simple lighting fixture for an indoor or outdoor dining space using white Christmas lights and an undecorated grapevine wreath. Purchase a wreath about the same diameter or a bit smaller than the width of your dining table. Wrap mini lights around the wreath. Hang indoors from the ceiling or outdoors from a tree branch or pergola. Use white icicle lights if you want some lights to hang down from the frame.

micro lights inside faceted terrarium planter

4. You’ve seen this look everywhere and have been dying to copy it. Now’s the time! Fill a mason jar with battery-operated fairy lights. Like a jar full of fireflies, the effect is magical any time of year. Don’t have canning jars? Substitute any kind of glass vessel you like. Tuck micro LED lights into a bell jar, vase, lantern, wine bottle or even a terrarium, as shown here. It’s a great way to light up a tabletop, bookcase, mantel or stairway.

5. Wind warm white string lights around a mirror frame for a beautiful ambience. The warm white light flatters the complexion and the mirror will reflect and amplify the light throughout the room.

6. There are still a lot of long, dark nights left until spring. If your fireplace is just for show, fake a fire instead. Twine white Christmas lights around a small stack of decorative logs or flameless candles and lanterns arranged inside a non-operative fireplace. Don’t forget to dress up the mantel. A scattering of fairy lights also does wonders for your mantel decor.

7. Drape mini lights around an interesting branch or length of driftwood and set it in a dark corner. White birch twig trees are another option - gather more lights below to hide the base. Or how about a cherry blossom tree that offers a lovely warm glow after dark? This decorating solution is a win-win, adding an eye-catching decorative element and eliminating dead space in your decor.

8. If you have an open bookshelf, back it up with light. String mini LED lights behind the shelf or attach them to the frame to provide a soft backlight for your decor.

9. Attach string lights to the ceiling down the length of a hallway for a canopy of soft lighting at night.

10. You may already use patio lights in your outdoor space – but have you explored all the possibilities outdoor string lights offer? In addition to hanging Edison lights around your patio, porch or deck, consider twining mini lights through a trellis or pergola. Wind them around your patio railing or hang them from a fence. Supplement with rope lights lining a walkway or garden path.

A few simple strands of white Christmas lights can do wonders to perk up a dark space. What a brilliant way to keep a little bit of Christmas in your decor all year long!

You may also like:

How to Transition Your Home from Christmas to Winter Decor

Lighting Resource Center