Decorating Ideas With Rope Lights
Move over cheesy holiday lights, as rope lights are all the rage. These versatile and attractive lights, which come in rope-like strips, can be easily attached to any surface with circular clips and don't have to be reserved just for the holidays. Several strands can be attached to create longer lengths.
Some strands can even be snipped to shorten. Check package instructions for particulars and have fun.
Outdoor Borders
Rope lights make a grand statement when placed around the perimeters of a number of outdoor structures. These include the gazebo, patio, fencing or around the borders of a garden. Strands can be stretched in straight lines, wound round poles and posts, and even wrapped through trees and shrubbery. As long as they are kept far enough away from the water, rope lights also work well around ponds and fountains. They can also line the walkway, porch or garage. White or single-colored rope lights can stay up all year without looking like you forgot to take down the holiday decor. You can also use different-colored strands, such as green and red (for the winter holidays) or red, white and blue (for patriotic occasions), if you want to use them for holiday accents.
Indoor Borders
Because of their versatility and soft glow, rope lights work equally well indoors. They are ideal around the top of the walls, attached with clips where the wall meets the ceiling, for dim lights infused throughout the entire room. Rope lights are especially practical in the kitchen, where they can be strung above or below a row of cabinets, to add visibility without needing to turn on the blaring overhead lights. Bathrooms are another place where rope lights are beneficial, acting as an artistic nightlight in the middle of the night. Rope lights also work to make bedrooms cozier and bar areas and dens a little more intimate.
Specialty Projects
In addition to being strung around the borders, rope lights can function as their own display. Simply choose a large board with an illustration or create a wire outline of any object and line them with the lights. Some holiday decorations, such as pink flamingos, jack-o-lanterns and Santa and his sleigh, are already sold as light-up frames enhanced with rope lights. You can also create striking visuals with rope lights by using several strands attached together. An extremely striking way to use rope lights is to create a spiral in the center of the ceiling.
