Fairy lights can elicit a variety of moods in the home and garden, depending on their brightness, colour and arrangement.
And not only are they easy to set up, but they’re also an effective way of saving energy, as they generally have low demands and even come in solar light models that are self-sustaining.
So, with fairy lights being the perfect home and garden decoration, where are the best places to hang them and how can you get the most out of your lighting arrangement?
Design Ideas with Fairy Lights
A Faux Fairy Light Fire
One of the best ways to create an inviting and warm atmosphere is with a fairy light fireplace. This decoration is perfect for non-working fireplaces, with the twinkling lights mimicking the feel of a crackling fire.
Take three raised wooden stumps or platforms, and place larger individual lights on them. Then surround these with smaller strings of lights, like our affordable Advanced USB Solar Festoon Lights This creates a flickering firelight effect perfect for simulating an actual fire.
What do I need? Advanced USB Solar Festoon Lights are USB rechargable.
Bedroom Corner Lighting
Fairy lights can also be used to make plain corners of a bedroom pop.
Simply wrap a spool of our Lumify USB Solar Filament Bulbs around an empty clothes pole in the corner of the room to create a cosy atmosphere that can also act as a statement feature.
Alternatively, drape the lights across the room between multiple poles, creating a ring of light that surrounds the room for a warm and inviting finish.
What do I need? Our Lumify Solar Filament Bulbs are USB rechargeable.
Child-Friendly Night Lights
A night light arrangement can make for the perfect cosy atmosphere in a child’s bedroom to help them sleep.
Simply place a ShapeLights Outdoor USB Solar Powered Mood Light in the corner of the room to create a mesmerising and calming atmosphere.
Be sure to only drape these lights across the string and to keep them well away from any other fabric, though.
Stringed Festoon Room Bridges
The traditional design of Festoon bulbs brings a vintage feel to even the most modern home interiors. And running strings of these lights between rooms allows you to expand the retro vibe throughout the home.
Our Lumify USB Solar Vintage Bulb Lights provide ample bridge lighting between rooms, illuminating the hallway and keeping multiple rooms within the same light scheme.
What do I need? Our Lumify solar vintage bulb lights are designed to work with a USB charger for indoor use.
Neon Kitchen Worktop
For futuristic, neon lighting on a kitchen work counter, simply take a spool of our Advance USB Smart Solar Festoon Lights and wrap them beneath a kitchen shelf or cabinet using cable ties or adhesive stickers to keep the lights bound neatly.
As a bonus, this creative kitchen decoration also acts as helpful task lighting in food preparation areas.
What do I need? USB charger included for indoor use.
Create a Unique Motif
Every room needs an eye-catching motif – so why not create it with lighting?
Our ShapeLights USB Solar Power Mood Lights is the ideal alternative to fairy lights – with a compact design that makes them perfect for lining throughout the room to create a unique pattern.
Plus, they make the perfect centrepiece for any room in the home, with a range of RGB colour settings to set the mood at any time of day. From cold blues that add energy on slow mornings, to warm reds and even calming purples during relaxing evenings, bring your room to life with colour-changing fairy lights.
What do I need? 1.5m USB charging cable included for indoor use.
Highlight Décor
Fairy lights can also be used to draw attention to a particular piece of stylistic décor, such as a wardrobe, set of drawers, or even a piece of art or a mirror.
Simply use a spool of our Lumify Warm & White USB Solar Fairy Lights, wrapped around the corners of the piece you want to highlight.
This will add a soft backlight to the centrepiece and draw the eye. And, as with any solar lights, they save on electricity bills compared with traditional mains-powered lights.
What do I need? Lumify lights require just a USB port for simple indoor charging.
Cascade Lights
While often associated with Christmas decorations, cascade lights shouldn’t just be reserved for the festive season – creating a cost and inviting atmosphere in bedrooms, living rooms and even dining rooms.
To create the cascade effect, simply use a spool of fairy lights and hang them from ceiling strings in evenly spaced patterns.
The result will be a stunning light design that reflects the look of a star-lit sky and brings the nostalgic vibe of open-air camping into the home.
Staircase Lighting
Staircase bannisters make the perfect platform for wrapping fairy lights to not only add a beautiful home decoration but also create a safe and visible path of light on the stairs.
Take a spool of our Snowdrop Solar USB Lights and weave them evenly around the staircase bannister – without the need for hooks or ties – for a subtle yet stunning lighting feature.
What do I need? Our snowdrop solar USB lights are 100% USB rechargable.
The Solar Centre stocks a range of fairy lights in various shapes, colours and designs – all at affordable prices.
And all our fairy lights are solar-powered, energy-efficient and sustainable. Find your perfect cost-effective and eco-friendly home or garden lighting today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How Do You Display Outdoor Fairy Lights?
A: Outdoor fairy lights can be displayed in a variety of ways, all of which add an extra sparkle to the garden and create a calm and relaxing mood. They can be woven into trellises or draped over garden arbours already covered with climbing plants such as wisteria. Fairy lights can also be placed in jars and around the garden grass, or wrapped around fence posts, illuminating the garden’s perimeter.
Q: How Do You Wrap Fairy Lights?
A: It’s important to wrap fairy lights evenly. Do not let the wires cross too often to avoid tangling, as tangled fairy light wires are more prone to damage and can look untidy. To avoid the fairy lights coming loose in mild winds, strap them down with recyclable cable ties, wire or paracord. Avoid using nails or other sharp implements that could pierce and damage the wires.
Q: Can I Use Fairy Lights as a Night Light?
A: Fairy lights can create an ambient glow that is perfect for use as a night light without being too bright. These can be draped across ceilings or over a string, ideally not directly over bed frames.
Q: Where Should Lights Be Placed in a Bedroom?
A: Fairy lights should be wrapped around existing strings or draped over surfaces such as shelves or curtain rails. They can also be wrapped around empty clothing poles but should never be placed near the bed or any flammable objects.
Q: How Do You Unwind Fairy Lights?
A: Firstly, carefully unwrap and remove the lights from the object they’re wrapped around, being careful not to tangle them up during this process. Gently feed the lights into an open space, laying them spread out on the floor so no wires cross. Don’t pull on the lights too hard to avoid damage, and use a pencil to gently loosen any knots. Next begin to slowly wind the lights back up onto the spool, making sure the wires are evenly spaced and don’t clump together.
Q: Where Do You Put String Lights?
A: String lights could be used in a variety of situations. They can be draped over strings hanging from bedroom ceilings, wrapped around hallway bannisters, or draped over the edges of a roof or porch to provide effective entry lighting to a garden. There are countless uses for string lights, from creating an inviting atmosphere in the home, to task lighting on stairs and accent lighting above artwork.
More from The Solar Centre
Looking for more tips from our solar lighting experts? Check out our other useful guides, including…
- How to Hang Fairy Lights without Nails
- The Ultimate Guide to Camper Van Camping
- The Perks of Eating Outside in Your Garden
- Summer Solstice 2023
