$1 DIY Garland With GIANT Faux Light Bulbs
by
Andrea Runk
8 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Easy
How to take $1 Dollar Tree Metal Tray and transform them into GIANT whimsical Faux Light Bulbs for your Christmas Decor. Add them to some garland for the ultimate front porch decor!
What you’ll Need:
- Oval tray or plate (metal or plastic)- I found these at the Dollar Tree
- Primer (optional)- I used primer because of the shiny metal texture of my trays.
- Spray Paint- CHose the colors of your linking.
- Glue- Hot Glue or E6000
- Wood- A scrap piece of thin 1/8″ board or similar.
- Command Strips and Zip Ties
Prep:
I found these perfectly oval trays at the Dollar Tree for only, you guessed it, a DOLLAR each!!! They were the perfect shape for my light bulbs and they were made of a solid and sturdy material.Due to the material of the tray’s and the metallic finish I decided to use a primer as my first step. I am also displaying these outdoor and I thought that the primer would be an extra protectant against the outside elements. The step is optional.
I choose four brightly colored spray paints to bring my bulbs to life. I really love the combination of red, green, and blue! I love using the Rust-oleum 2x Ultra Cover Paint+Primer! It gives a nice coverage with only one coat and it bonds to plastic and metal.
While I was spray painting my bulbs I also sprayed a scrap piece of 1/8″ wood to act as the “twisty” top of the bulb. For this step any study, thin, and lightweight rectangular piece of wood or plastic could work. I chose spray them gold to match my overall aesthetic.
Assemble:
Once everything has dried, you are ready to assemble your bulbs!!!I used E6000 to glue my rectangular piece of wood to the metal tray. NOTE: You must weight it down for a bit to make sure the glue adheres.
I eyeballed the location of the top to see what looked most “bulb-like”. At this step I also took a bit of white paint and drew on a “light swoosh” to make it pop!
Ready to Hang:
Not gonna lie…I was scratching my head at this step, the bulbs were so cool , but now how do I hang them???Enter my favorite Command Brand Light Clips and some zip ties. Flip the bulb over, stick the command strips on, and loop the zip ties thru the clip!
I used $5 Wonderland Garland from Target, I doubled it up, and added some lights to achieve this 18′ Garland. Scatter your bulbs, switching up the direction and colors.There you have it!A colorful, fun, whimsical, easy, and INEXPENSIVE Christmas Garland for your front porch decor!!!
Resources for this project:
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Comments
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2 of 158 comments
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Yes!!
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I would draw lines on the paper/board to look like a lightbulb post threads.
Frequently asked questions
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What do you hang garland on the bricks with?
Love your idea, wonder if lights would shine behind them?
what are the plates with sandpaper for?