diy christmas lights from scratch with maria

I love when only a few supplies create a dramatic Christmas decoration! These giant Christmas lights are made with paint, wood, and glue! How cute!?

WOODEN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS MATERIALS:

  • ¼” Thick wooden ovals
  • Balsa wood
  • Narrow popsicle sticks or wooden stir sticks
  • Spray paint in gold and Christmas bulb colors like green, red, orange, yellow and blue
  • White craft foam
  • X-acto knife
  • Cutting mat
  • Clothespins
  • Existing plain garland
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Optional to use as lawn décor:
    • Wooden lawn stakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. If you can’t find the right size of rectangular balsa, cut the balsa wood into a rectangle that is a good size to look like the cap of the “Christmas bulb” wooden oval with an x-acto knife. Cut as many caps as needed.
  2. Create the grooves of the bulb cap. Glue three narrow popsicle sticks horizontally and evenly spaced across the balsa wood cap.
  3. Spray paint the caps gold and the wooden ovals in alternating Christmas bulb colors. Allow to dry.
  4. Glue the cap to a narrow end of a painted oval to create each bulb.
  5. Add a highlight to the bulbs to give them dimension. Cut rounded, obtuse triangles or crescent shapes out of white craft foam and glue to each bulb wherever you want it to look like the light is hitting it.
  6. Glue a clothespin vertically to the back of the bulb with the side that opens and clamps facing the bottom point of the bulb, so that when you attach it, the cap is on top. Repeat on each lightbulb. PRO TIP: you can also glue yard stakes to the back of the bulbs and just stick them in the lawn!
  7. Attach the bulbs to the garland using the clothespins and enjoy!