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We have a neighbor that not only leaves their Christmas lights up year-round, but uses them every night. Michelle wants to take a BB gun to each and every light. Wrestling the gun out of her hands, I explain to her that there’s isn’t a cure for redneck, and that they probably have bigger guns, so we should probably just let it happen and drive another road home as not to insight instant rage. Sure, they may or may not have big, dead trucks parked in their lawn as well, but you know, it’s their prerogative, and since they are not living in our direct neighborhood, our house will not feel the economic impact of the neighborhood house values declining. But that got me thinking about how people may be able to use their lights WITHOUT looking like a hillbilly.
How To Use Christmas Lights Year-Round
Those sparkly lights that brighten every kid’s eyes as they pass through neighborhoods during the holidays don’t always have to be packed away on December 26th every year. There are MANY other ways to re-purpose those lights during the spring and summer months. Here are some ways we have used them or are going to use them:
Lighting an evening outdoor wedding. We flew out to Florida for a family wedding and then a cruise. The wedding was in a Pinterest-worthy setting; on a few acres of farmland, with trees along the driveway into the barn. We hooked together a TON of white lights throughout the trees, guiding guests through the pathway to the wedding area. Once the sun went down, it felt like something out of the movie Avatar, with bright lights floating closely overhead, crickets chirping in the warm summer night, and a BEAUTIFUL wedding.
Romantic bedroom lighting. Again, white lights are the best for this. We’ve wrapped a few strings of white lights over our four-poster bed, as well as around the window in our room. It’s the perfect dimmed lighting, and MUCH safer than a candle.
Pergola lighting over outdoor patio. We built a pergola and patio last summer, and this summer, we are going to run power out to it and light it up! We’ll most likely order everything to size online (click here for some sweet lighting options) so that we get EXACTLY what we need and not have to cut any of the strings. I’m thinking white lights (again) using BIG “Patio” light bulbs draped along the rafters of the pergola. Going to be pretty epic (srsly!)
Other Ideas
Mostly, just go to Pinterest.com and search “Christmas Lights Year Round” and check out all the amazing ideas which are WAY better than mine. Most of them are white lights (probably because they’re less obnoxious), but I’m sure there are some cool party ideas that include multi-colored lights as well.
As for our neighbors, maybe I should stop all the hating and just be proud of them for their frugal ways. They want to get the most out of their purchase, and I can definitely understand that. Sure, it’s looks hideous, but you know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder or some junk, so good on them.
Comments: Any of you out there use Christmas lights year round? How have you put them to use? Also, to any rednecks out there with big guns and stuff, I hope you do not find any offense at my jesting. I love big trucks, country music and BBQ, so you see, we’re on the same side. But you should probably get that dead 1977 Camaro off your lawn. It’s growing mold….
The only lights we leave up is our rope lights around the deck bannister. We figure if we have a picnic or get together in the summer that goes into the evening we can still use those.
I love the ambiance of Christmas lights. Especially white ones on a clear night. Out patio is going to look killer awesome!
We are looking to buy lights for our back porch and might just string Christmas lights back there 🙂
Totally should! We’re going for the bigger bulbs, because we always drive by a neighbor that has them and are totes jelly (totally jealous)!
Oops, looks like I need to color my neck red! 🙂 Winter’s over, but I kind of liked it when a few of our neighbors kept their lights on for the drive home when it gets dark early. Why is the festive season so short, anyway?
Haha! It’s not your house, so you are allowed to enjoy it, lol. The festive season does get longer every year, though. Christmas is creeping into October!
True for shopping (the bad part) but alas! The lights don’t get put up earlier… 🙂
I leave mine on year round love them to much to take them down
I love the pergola with the lights, such a good idea! It makes me wish I had a pergola. 😉 As a bonus, pergola is fun to say.
For some reason, I keep saying “parabola”, but then realize I’m not in 9th grade geometry class…
You really made me giggle describing your wife’s reaction! Although I am sure many of us lazier home owners would appreciate putting off the Christmas light cleanup, our HOA doesn’t allow lights up past New Year’s. You can get away with them on your back patio though.
The one time HOA’s are a good thing 🙂 Hey, I gotta be honest, our light were there until like March, BUT I DID NOT EVER TURN THEM ON!!!
Haha..I’m right there with Michelle–my next door neighbors keep their (very ugly and random) strings of colored lights on year-round on their front porch. My friends and I joke that it’s an easy way for ppl to find my house, but they’re hideous!!!
Maybe just accidently destroy them? 😉
YES, we use some of our Christmas lights year round – small white ones only! We are NOT avoiding taking them down, we just love white twinkle lights. We leave some wound in the bushes & garden in front of the house and some in the huge potted ficus plants. We also use them inside on the mantle, with appropriate seasonal decorations. Oh, and on the back patio~ 😉
White seems like the least offensive, and if they help highlight some nice bushes and such, probably look good. Just no blow-up Santas in the yard, ok? 🙂
Interesting topic and tips lol. I keep my lights out all year but I have them set under so you can’t really see them at all. They are not all different colors either, just white. We don’t use them.I just didn’t want to run them and have to get up on all the different levels each year. Call me whatever you want, they’re staying. I have better things to do with my time!! Cheers
LoL! White isn’t bad, and as long as they are not on every. single. night. Then you’re good 🙂
I like the romantic lighting idea! One of my neighbors keeps theirs on all year round, but they only turn them on during the holidays. I always wonder if they think that no one notices them!
Yea, mine were up due to hectic schedule and my irrational fear of heights, but I NEVER turned them on.
This is hilarious. I’m now serious considering stringing some Christmas lights along the trees next to my above ground pool. OHHHH, yeah!
HAHA! NOOOOOOOOOO! Well, unless they highlight the landscaping and pool area without making people start humming Christmas tunes…
White Christmas light are always a welcome addition to a room! I wonder what the energy tradeoff is between using just these lights for a soft ambience versus a singular overhead.
It’d be interesting, especially with the LED’s out now. But I HATE the LED Christmas light look, so probably wouldn’t save money if I used them daily
This post cracked me up (the redneck part). We’ve used white Christmas lights on our patio (when we had one in the past). My sister used white lights at her wedding, it was really pretty.
The wedding we went to was perfect, and the lights added just the right ambiance.
Hi Jacob,
Christmas lights for use all-year round look unique. These will look good in the hallways. These are very good lighting tips.
Maybe under the stairs so you can see where you’re going at night? Hmmm…
I’ve never used Christmas lights after January, but I do like the wedding idea. Perhaps it could even become a side gig. Heck lights are cheap after Christmas.
True! People make money hanging lights during the holiday season, why not keep going?! 🙂
I’m planning on using Christmas lights for my wedding this summer, it’s going to be a great, inexpensive way to decorate!
You’ll love it! The ones we did looked magical, like a Disney theme park (they were actually ‘borrowed’ from Disneyworld, would you believe it?!)
That is a nice concept and use of Christmas lights.