In modern times, an easy and affordable way to decorate your home for the holidays is to bedeck it in strands and strands of string lights, those pretty strands of single- or multi-colored lights that seem to be on the awnings of every home and in the branches of every tree come December. String lights are expanding beyond just the holidays, however. They are now used year-round, as interior or exterior home decoration, or in any place that a festive atmosphere is desired. So how did these little strands of lights get to be so popular?
History of String Lights
The custom of using candles to decorate the Christmas tree originated in Germany in the mid-1600s. Two more centuries would pass, however, before this tradition left Germany and began to spread throughout Europe. It was well established in America by the late 19th century, when Edward Johnson, a junior inventor under Thomas Edison, lit the first Christmas tree using electric lights. He then created a mass-produced version on a strand, which hit markets eight years later, in 1890. It can be imagined that these first rudimentary lights were not safe to put in the hands of the public. Electrical fires leading to deaths sometimes occurred. Around 1917, a young man named Albert Sadacca, whose family sold, among other things, novelty lights, got the idea to make strings of safe electric lights for Christmas trees. This he did, but for some reason his traditional strands of white lights did not catch on as well as he had hoped. Then, inspiration struck, and he used multicolored glass in the bulbs for his second try. This time, the lights sold millions, and Sadacca and his two brothers had a success on their hands. Their company, the NOMA Electric Company, was at one point the largest manufacturer of holiday lighting in the world.
Verities of String Lights
String lights have come a long way since Albert Sadacca first made multicolored lights. A quick online search reveals that not only do multi-colored lights come in 100-light strands, but also they can be solar-powered sting lights as well as electric. They can change colors and light up in sequence in sometimes-dizzying patterns. They are also available in the original white. What is most interesting, however, is the wide array of novelty lights that is available. Now you can get flip-flops on a strand (ideal for a nighttime beach party or a Floridian holiday), and light-up chili peppers. There are lights shaped like the infamous “leg” lamp from the movie “A Christmas Story,” and the favorite of sci-fi fans everywhere: now you can also decorate your Christmas tree or your room with string lights in the shape of R2-D2, the little cylindrical android from the “Star Wars” films. These are just a very small sampling of the variety of string lights that is available.
String lights remain one of the most popular ways to decorate, holidays or no, because of their eye-catching glow, their beautiful colors, and their customizability. Whether in a dorm room, in a poolroom, or on a Christmas tree, string lights are a fantastic way to light up a room, and create a warm atmosphere that is enjoyable for everyone.
If you are on the look-out for lamps for your home, or even small curios that you want to use to decorate your living room, you should give twig lights a look. Twig lamps, or lights, are lamps that are either made to look like twigs or are designed like twigs or branches. It is just a different style for lamps.
There are different ways that you can use these lights. If you are interested in the wall fittings there is no difference between any other lamp and a twig light except in the design of the lamp. The cost of course will be a little on the higher side than other comparable lights because they will always be just that little bit more elaborate than the normal lights. Wall fitting lights will cost you around $100 for a good piece, with many being much more expensive depending on how elaborate their design is.
There are other lights that have a twig pattern as a lamp shade, although there is not much shade provided by them. This is more a decorative item than a proper bulb and shade because of the intricate pattern of the “shade” that is usually made out of hard wire, these lamps are quite on the expensive side.
There are other lamps that look exactly like a bunch of twigs that are tied into a “bouquet” and in fact even come with a sort of vase into which these lights can be put into. They are very simple pieces of wire that have LED bulbs glowing at regular intervals and are somewhat similar to the fibre optic lamps. In fact if you want to have one of these fibre optic lamps, but do not want the hassle of cleaning it, getting this kind of twig lights might be a good idea.
Because these lights are more decorative pieces than lighting systems, they are usually very intricately designed and therefore carry a higher price tag than most lights. If however you want to add some style to your room and yet keep it very subdued and tasteful, there is nothing like a few twig lights to do the trick.
Due to the fact that it’s summertime in the United States, a lot of people are spending the extra time in the backyard having barbecues and family get togethers. A lot of people go to extreme troubles to make their backyards and patios beautiful. They spend an awful lot of money on things like patio furniture and expensive landscaping to make these areas one of the most relaxing places to spend time in around their home.
Most people haven’t even heard about a very cool light fixture is attached patio umbrellas call the patio umbrella light. These clever patio light fixtures will create a very cozy and relaxing atmosphere underneath your patio umbrella at night. Another purpose for patio umbrella lights is to light the area under the patio umbrella. It’s not uncommon for patio umbrellas to be quite dark underneath them at night because they block so much of the lighting from your patio lights. It can be a real bother to have to fold the patio umbrella down at night or take it in every night. The atmosphere that the patio umbrella light can provide is sometimes tough to beat.
It’s most common for patio umbrella lights to be battery powered and have LED light bulbs in them. Because patio umbrella lights are equipped with LED light bulbs, these light fixtures are very efficient and your battery should last quite a long time. It’s not uncommon for patio LED umbrella light fixtures to look like a little flying saucer with a hole in the middle of them. They’re designed this way so that the patio umbrella pole can go through the middle of it and it can rest on your patio table. Most of these patio umbrella lights will open with a hinge so that you can position them around the shaft of the patio umbrella. Why not spruce your patio umbrella up a bit with a new patio umbrella light?