How To Use Christmas String Lights

I’ve not succumbed to the whole Christmas tree and full decorations in my home yet this year but I have indulged in something I’ve very fond of – Christmas string lights.

I love how there are many different types and styles available now, allowing us to create the most beautiful of illusions, atmospheres and effects from both outside and in. There’s really something for everyone no matter what kind of decor you prefer and a variety of ways you can use them.

This year I’ve used a few favourites from Homebase to show how you can use string lights and other Christmas lighting in and around your home.

How to Use Christmas String Lights:

There are no real rules on how to use Christmas lighting throughout your home, really it’s just a matter of doing what pleases your eye, but if you’re looking for a few ideas, these are some I like to use.

Be Creative

Let your imagination run away with you a little and think about the different ways in which you can use string lighting to create a festive feel in your home.

Lighting up a main feature in a room is a great way to bring more attention to that are and to add more impact to the space.

I’ve added some beautiful gold and cream lantern lights to the underside of my fireplace mantel to give it more interest. The lights look attractive in the day when they’re not lit but at night they really come to life and give this part of the room a warm glow.

Now in the fireplace itself I’ve put a wire of 200 white LED lights which wind into the space and create a wonderful feature when the fire isn’t on. This is just a gas fire not a real one and we don’t use it that often. The lights are very easy to lift out if we do decide we need some extra heat in this room.

Using candles and greenery which are always part of my fireplace display the setting feels cosy, attractive and inviting.

Use a Variety of Textures

Textures come in both the shape and feel of the lighting products you use as well as the type of light. You might like to stick to one kind – clear white or warm glow for example – or you might like to mix them up.

I’ve opted for the latter in my use of Christmas string lights throughout the house for this season and I like the way they each contrast with the other.

In the dining room den I’ve added another set of string lights under the row of wall cupboards, these with a lightbulb confetti/ look, which are clear and white in their light in the evening. They work well with this decor and colouring too.

On the floor though I’ve add these soft warm cones to create a festive corner and contrast with the white light from the string. It adds a different element to the lighting in this room and helps the scheme feel more interesting.

Layer the Levels

As well as using different textures of light, you’ll notice how I’ve used different levels throughout my home. Layering lights at a variety of heights will help fill the space more, lighting corners, alcoves, under cupboards and in less used spaces.

This layering of lights gives a room a new dimension, it creates illusions of space drawing the eye away from some pieces and more to others. It’s a great way to play with angles and totally recreate the atmosphere in a room.

Outdoor Lighting

Now I could show you lots of ways you can string lights on the outside of your house but if you have a family there’s only one thing you need, and that’s an outdoor Reindeer! We’ve named this guy Bob and he’s a welcome addition to our festive garden.

The main takeaway here is that lighting your home with string lights, or whatever you choose at Christmas, should be fun. Like every other way you decorate your home, it should be an extension of you and your family and it should make you happy.

Do you like to add Christmas string lights to your festive decor?

Images copyright Jen Stanbrook

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