DIY Christmas Light Bulb Garland
Create a DIY Christmas light bulb garland by reusing old, burnt out light bulbs destined for the trash.
I’ve finally caught up on all of my Christmas decorating and I’m so excited to share a favorite Christmas craft, a DIY Christmas garland with light bulbs.
Huh???
Yup.
I used old Christmas tree light bulbs to make a banner for my guest bedroom.
I love how it turned out, plus it was so easy to do. Who doesn’t love that?
I had a few Christmas crafts that I wanted to do this year and a Christmas garland with light bulbs wasn’t one of them.
When I found a few dead bulbs floating around in our Christmas boxes though, I decided to try to make a banner for the guest bedroom.
The idea was to spray them with vinegar water and Rust-Oleum Mirror Glass Spray Paint, to make them look like mercury glass, and then string them up with red and white baker’s twine.
Sounds reasonable right? I certainly thought so. 😉
Supplies
- old Christmas light bulbs
- Mirror Effect spray paint
- vinegar and water solution in a spray bottle
- paper towel
- baker’s twine
- scissors
How to make a light bulb banner
First, I stuck the base of each bulb into a piece of insulation we had leftover, to make them easier to work with, and then I sprayed one coat of the Rust-Oleum Mirror Effect Spray.
I let the paint set up for a minute and then I lightly spritzed the bulbs with a vinegar and water solution (just like I did when I made a mason jar lamp and turned an old window into a mirror).
The spray actually dries very quickly but I waited until the next day to string them with the baker’s twine.
To do that I made a simple knot and put the bulb in the loop.
I tied a loop on each end to hold the banner up, and we were in business. (No, I don’t have hairy man hands, they belong to the hubs…because he refuses to touch my camera. 😉 )
See…super easy and I really love how it looks on the DIY barn wood shelves in the guest bedroom!
I love the aged silver look but you could totally skip the spray paint step and go for a colorful look or paint them to match your decor.
So many possibilities!
More fun and easy Christmas crafts to check out
DIY Christmas Light Bulb Garland
Materials
- old Christmas light bulbs
- something to hold light bulbs (I used a scrap piece of rigid insulation)
- Mirror Effect spray paint
- vinegar and water solution in a spray bottle
- paper towel
- baker's twine
- scissors
Instructions
- Place base of each light bulb in insulation
- Spray one coat of Mirror Effect spray paint
- Let paint set up for a minute
- Lightly spritz bulbs with vinegar and water solution
- Dab very lightly with dry paper towel
- Let bulbs dry
- Cut baker's twine
- Start to make a knot in twine and stick end of bulb in loop
- Tighten twine around bulb
- Repeat with all light bulbs
- Tie loop on each end of twine (for hanging)
- Hang and enjoy!
This is a fantastic idea. And so very clever.
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I love Mercury glass, what a nifty idea, great banner and so festive! Thanks for the idea! Have a great Thanksgiving. Maria
Thanks so much Maria! I’m a huge fan of mercury glass too. 🙂
Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Love this idea! So cute! Grinned and pinned!
Thanks so much Cindy, I appreciate it! 🙂
How fantastic is this??!! I LOVE these so much. I’ve not tried this technique but it sure is perfect for these bulbs – thanks for sharing!!
Thanks so much Lauren! It was one of those projects that I figured I had nothing to lose…they were trash anyway. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked them. 🙂
What a great project! I love the shape of these bulbs and this is the perfect re-use.
May I ask how you got the full, even coating on the brass base of the bulbs? From the tutorial photos, it looks as though a portion of the base would be masked off by the insulation. Was it necessary to hand-paint the bases to finish them, or did you flip and spray them? Thanks!
Thanks Mati! I had fun making it. I actually used Rub ‘n Buff in silver to cover the base of the bulbs. A little swipe with my finger and the brass was gone. Hope this helps. 🙂
Hi there — were your bulbs glass or plastic? I’ve got loads of plastic ones but am not sure if the paint would stick…
Hi Katherine. I used glass bulbs for my project. I haven’t tried it on plastic but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
I was wondering… have you, or do you know of anyone that painted the light set and used it? I love the banner with the Christmas light bulbs but would like them to light up.
Super cute, Kristi. I love to see things repurposed like these bulbs, instead of ending up in a landfill. Good job! Love how you dressed your guest room for Christmas. Very pretty.
The guest room is my favorite space to decorate for the holidays. Thanks my sweet friend, I appreciate the blog love you’ve been spreading today.
This post was so inspirational for many reasons. Not only do I love the Christmas lightbulb garland, but it helped me see I can make use of other red bed coverings/linens I already have on hand to decorate bedrooms for the holidays instead of spending thousands on the Christmas patterned ones I’ve been coveting.
Thank you for the tips/gorgeous decorating ideas!
Awww, thanks for the sweet comment. I’m so glad that my Christmas guest bedroom inspired you. I usually decorate simply, because I get bored easily, and I can mix and match colors without worrying about patterns clashing (besides the fact that I’m terrible at mixing patterns). 😉
Thanks so much for stopping in. Merry Christmas!
I love this idea! We all have burned out bulbs and rather than throw them out you have shared an amazing idea! I love it!
Thanks so much Thea! I love it when I can reuse something and give it another use, just like your awesome birdbath project. 😉 I appreciate you stopping in.
This is a really cute idea and I love the mantle with the pine garland too, but forgive me, my eye went to the bed with the white covers and red pillows. I love it! Better get myself going for Christmas decorating. I haven’t done anything yet. That darn bathroom has been taking all my spare time!
Thanks MJ. I don’t usually decorate bedrooms but I really love doing this one up and I love the red with the white too! I know how hard it is when a project lasts forever. Hang in there…I’m sure it will look fabulous when your done. 🙂 Have a great week my friend!
Kristi, this is awesome! I have to do this one, love it! This blog hop stuff is so fun!
This hop stuff is definitely fun. 😉 Thanks Laurie, it was such a fun project to do. Hope you try it.
Very cute Christmas Light Banner – I love that they look like mercury glass! Pinned to share 🙂
Thanks Marie, I appreciate it! I love how they turned out. 🙂
Visiting as a fellow participant from the #HomeForChristmas blog tour. Your Christmas vignette is gorgeous! Pinned!!! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours. Hugs, Holly
Thanks so much Holly, I appreciate it. Happy Holidays to you! 🙂
Love the bulb idea !!!
Thanks Vel, it was a fun project to do!
Wow, those strung bulbs are super cute! I love that they are all the same…simple and fun!!
Thanks Julie, it really was a fun and simple project. Glad you like them.
Your Guest room turned out great. Great idea for the random bulbs. The first thing I thought was how like a fireplace mantel your shelves are. They give you a place to decorate through the seasons just like a mantel would. Glad you clarified the man hands this time. LOL Debbie
Thanks Debbie! I don’t usually decorate the bedrooms but this room is a favorite, and one we look at all the time because it’s next to the kitchen, so I like to do a little something. So glad you stopped in today Debbie! Hope you have a great week! 🙂
Oh, and the man hands clarification…just for you my friend! LOL 😉
This was a fabulous idea! I love it and it is so simple and repurposeful!! 🙂
Thanks so much, I love them too! 😉
I love this idea, Kristi! Your shelves looks so pretty with the addition of this garland. (And I love the shelves, btw!)
Thanks Paula! To be honest, the shelves are my favorite part of the guest bedroom, and the reason I decorate them for the holiday. 😉
Kristi, I love it! What a beautiful idea, I love the silver spray you used and how it looks above your guest bed, it’s so so nice!!!
Thanks so much Katrin, I’m really happy with the way it turned out!
What a super idea and repurpose. I am glad I didn’t throw out the non-working lights I had. Thanks for the inspiration! ;o)
Thanks Lucy, I’m so glad that you were inspired! It was so fun to make and I love the results!
Oh this is so cute! Also, getting to play with spray paint! 😀 I love bunting of all shapes and sizes and variety, and this one is certainly unique (in the most best way possible!).
Thanks Jessica! Playing with spray paint is so much fun! I’ve never made a bunting before but I hope I can do it again…soon! Have a great week!
Super charming. I love banners and this one is so pretty!! 🙂
Thanks Kim! This is actually my first banner and it won’t be my last. 😉
I need to try that spray! Every time I see an amazing project with it, I want to try it! I love that you used it on the bulbs. They look so great!
Thanks so much! I think I my have an obsession with this spray but it’s so fun to use. 🙂