It’s that time of year when many homeowners may be trying to hang more than just stockings at their chimney with care- they may be trying their hand at hanging decorative lighting as well.
Whatever the time of year, LED lights have become a popular option for holiday decorations and more.
Why LED over traditional light fixtures? Is this just another short-lived fad?
Well, probably not this time.
LED, or light-emitting diodes, have been around a lot longer than most of us have realized. It was in 1962 that visible light LED was invented, but it wasn’t until recently that LED became affordable to the general public.
The benefit of LED is profound. It can emit light while using only a fraction of the energy of a traditional incandescent light bulb. As a matter of fact, LED light bulbs use at least 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs, and can last up to 25% longer. LED lights do cost more to purchase than other types of lighting, but the energy efficiency of LED means that in the long run you’re not only saving money, but you’re also doing your part in preserving our Earth’s limited energy resources.
You can have a lot of fun with all of this energy saving! Here are 10 of the best holiday home decorating ideas with LED lights that can really light up your home and life:
1. Christmas Tree Decorations With LED Christmas Lights
For many of us who celebrate Christmas, a Christmas without a decorated, lit-up tree isn’t really much of a Christmas at all. Nowadays, using LED Christmas lights to decorate your tree makes it much more cost-effective and actually safer than incandescent lighting. Because LED lights emit much less heat than traditional incandescent lights, they are cool to the touch. This also means that they are less likely to start a fire if you leave the lights on for a long time. Keep in mind though that anything that uses electricity creates a fire risk. Take pride in the beauty of your tree and the fact that turning on the Christmas tree lights everyday won’t give you a sky-high electricity bill during the month of December!
2. Luminarias
If you visit the state of New Mexico in December, it’s more than likely that you’ll see at least one home or business that has luminarias lined up on its front pathway. Traditionally, luminarias are brown paper sacks that contain small candles inside.
Why not try putting luminarias in front of your house this Christmas? Instead of candles, an LED light placed inside each sack would be an attractive- and safer- alternative to candles.
3. DIY Decorations With LED Christmas Lights
If you have the time, making your own holiday decorations using LED lights and materials from around your house can be a fun project for your whole family and a beautiful way to spruce up your home during the holidays. Decorate the outside of a mason jar and pop in an LED light to make it glow. Wrap LED fairy lights around Christmas wreaths or around the mantle of your fireplace for a festive look.
4. Backyard Decorations With LED Christmas Lights
String some LED lights along the posts of your patio to create your own winter wonderland. Consider leaving it up long after Christmas is over! It’s an inviting setup, perfect for outdoor entertaining.
5. Line Your House With LED Christmas Lights
Many of us have fond childhood memories of driving past houses lit up with decorative lights during the holiday season. Luckily, with LED lights, the magic of the holidays can be recreated every year without putting a hole in your wallet. Try lining the outside of your home with LED strips, or bulbs. If you are using LED lights outside, make sure that the lights are marked as outdoor, not indoor lights.
6. Stairway or Hallway Lighting
Many people wisely utilize the staircase as a place to display holiday decorations. The stairway is usually at the center of the home and is constantly visible, which make it an ideal place to decorate during the holidays. If you have a traditional staircase with posts, why not try to intertwine fairy lights in the posts or around the beam? If you have a more modern staircase that can fit an LED rope inside of it, additional decorations on it may not even be necessary.
Read more: What are the best hallway lighting fixtures?
7. Yard Decoration With LED Christmas Lights
My daughter and I love to drive around the neighborhood in December to see how people have decorated their houses and yards with Christmas lights. Even the simplest effort is appreciated by youngsters when it comes to holiday lights. A lot of people are using LED lights to decorate their yards this holiday season, and with good reason. LED lights work efficiently in cold weather, they are durable, and they produce vivid colors that outshine their traditional incandescent light competitors. Another neat feature that can be used with LED outdoor and indoor lights is a remote control that you can use to operate the lights from a distance.
8. Decorative Uplighting
LED adhesive strips are an easy way to spruce up the home for the holidays. Place the strips under cabinetry or behind furniture to give your home a festive glow. These lights come in a variety of colors, and LED strip lights have never been more affordable.
9. Doorway/Window Accent Lights
Who wouldn’t like to walk through a door festively decorated with holiday lights? Hang a wreath with LED lights intertwined at the door, line the door with string lights, or use hanging LED lights to create a cascade of lights. The possibilities are endless.
10. Outdoor Sidewalk Lights
LED lights lining the sidewalk or front pathway is a very inviting touch during the holidays. LEDs can line the sidewalk in a number of ways. They can be string lights that attach to spikes in the ground. There are the pricey ledge LED pathway lights. You can also use LED rope lights to line the sidewalk, which is a more cost-effective alternative.
Conclusion
Hopefully, after seeing what you can do with LED during the holidays, you too will become a fan of LED as I have. In any case, because of its many benefits, I’m willing to bet that LED lights are one “fad” that is here to stay.
