Novelty String Lights – Lights of Fun

This post is for all that like to have fun, some might go so far as to say too much fun. You and I both know there is no such thing as too much fun. Using novelty string lights is not a new way to fly your fun flag to most of us out there but there are a few new friends of fun that have yet to experience the power of a set of string lights with some mini led bulbs hanging on your wall. It just makes me smile to think about it, let the party begin.

Now that I shared my theory on life let's get down to the business of finding and buying the perfect lighting products that meet your personal style and the event for which you are decorating. One thing you'll find out pretty quick is that there are novelty string lights out there to meet every conceivable celebration need you may have. The great thing about using party string lights is the you can find him in price ranging from $12-$19 for a set of 10 lights. I'm not going to go into every event or even all kinds of string lights are out there but I do plan on giving you some great ideas of particular events that most of us participate in and match them with some great novelty string lights.

Let's first get everything that string lights typically have in common. The string is the most obvious thing that comes to mind and by the string I'm talking about the wire that provides the power or electricity for the light bulbs. It will a plastic coated wire that you will not want to put staples through or nails through because you will get shocked if not electrocuted. This is a major buzz kill for fun. This will also destroy those perfect set of lights you finally found! The other thing that is common is that they all have some form of bulb to illuminate your party. This is something that has changed from the good old days where your only option for lighting with strands of lights with those thick screw in Christmas bulbs that when they blew it sounded like a cherry bomb had went off in the living room. If you must know, a cherry bomb is a firecracker that is no longer legal in the United States. We now have LED bulbs, well to be honest they aren't actually bulbs, they are diodes. They have two great advantages over the older lighting systems in that they take about 80% less power and can be set up to use with a low-voltage power source. The combination of these two can say you a great amount of money by keeping that utility bill of yours low. Lights can be fun but so can saving money. Don't you agree?

So let's get started looking at some special events or holiday were some great novelty string lights can just elevate your party to new heights. It's my plan to give you some lighting design ideas and then show you how I go about finding the right accessories to my parties.

College Dorm Room

This is the place where most of us make our first step into independence by decorating our dorm room anyway we want to. One of the first things we do is get a lamp for the desk so we can at least project the idea that we might be studying some time. Then we look to the walls and windows and decide how we're going to make them our own. String lights are perfect for this because they can be taped to the walls were draped across the curtain rods and allowed to hang down behind the curtains. The novelty part would be for the lights that you will hang on the walls. The ones hanging behind the curtains look best when they are solid color most people use white. I would go a step farther and say use clear white LED lights. There are cost savings in these but I suggest them in this setting more for the safety purposes because they put off very little to no heat that could potentially catch curtains on fire or at least cause them to fade tremendously from the heat.

Backyard Barbecue

There's something about cooking outdoors that just screams let's have a party. Any party worth its salt is going to go into the night. When when the sun goes down the lights come on and since you come to my site lets take a look at some novelty string lights that work well with a deliciously grilled hamburger or steak. A quick search online gives me plenty of options for turning your deck or patio into a Cinco de Mayo fiesta with strands of multi-colored chili pepper lights or if you want to go old-school just get the plain red ones. You could go the sports route and have your pre-game meal on the patio with covers on the bulbs that have your favorite teams mascot and colors whether it be college or professional. Then there is the old standby items that always goes with a good backyard barbecue, beer. There are some great outdoor string lights I have seen online of a strand of Budweiser bottles or if you're not a bottle person get the Budweiser cans. Definitely for those that like to fly their fun flag.

Small Intimate Party

You can go in many directions when looking to dress up your patio in a low-key way. You don't want any blinking lights or direct white lights but lights that give off more of a glow than direct lighting. One form of lighting I prefer for these type of gatherings is hanging paper lantern's. You can find them in many colors and sizes that will fit well with the size of your patio or deck and they just have that exotic Asian vibe. Do keep in mind though if you're going to use them out on the patio be aware of the arch enemy of any outdoor patio party, the weather, rain does not play well with a great set of red rice paper lanterns. First of all it will ruin your lanterns and more importantly run the risk of electrocution if lights are not rated for outdoor use or you are not using a low-voltage system. This should not keep you from using them but just keep it in mind if it starts to rain unplug them from the socket and taken down, and make a mad dash for the house.

NASCAR Party

You don't have to be at the track to be a NASCAR fan but you have to at least have gone once so you can impress on your psyche that sound when they all start their engines and that feeling as they come racing around the track close to where you're sitting. You guessed it, I've been at a few Talladega races so I have a little knowledge of what I'm talking about when it comes to NASCAR racing. So you're asking what kind of novelty string lights can I find for my NASCAR party. There are plenty of options out there my friend. First and foremost you can find your favorite car and driver combination light covers and in there is the quintessential black-and-white checked covers representing the winners flag. Not to worry if you're at the track because you can also stream these around the awning of your RV, just make sure you buy the right set that has a 12 volt adapter you can plug into your lighter. Then you're good to go off to the races.

I've only given you four themes in this post but I want you to know that there are many more things you can take from that will match any party or event you are having. My best advice to you would be to go to some online stores such as Amazon or Wal-Mart and just type in novelty string lights. If you're looking for a lighting system made with particular fabric or material just add that onto the end of year search. Don't feel overwhelmed because I can promise you that you will find there are more options out there than you thought existed and who knows you may see some lights that will spark a great idea for a party!