Indoor Lighting Options

Now that strings of indoor lights burn cool instead of hot and many of them work through battery power, there are all sorts of places they can be draped and placed without thinking twice about them:

• Imagine the impact of several sets of trunk lights spread over the dining table. Cover them with sheer fabric that's draped, bunched and flowing to add depth. A centerpiece of tall candlesticks, beaded ribbon and ornaments finishes off this table with a twist.

• Another great place to add sparkle that will also translate to the outside of your home is window coverings made out of light. A combination of frosty round snowball lights, opalescent and beaded garlands, large snowflake ornaments and crystals turn a chilly winter view into a window to a fantasy world. The addition of sheer fabrics and ribbon can help hide the electrical cords and soften the overall effect.

• Brighten an empty console with strings of lights attached to foam balls with moss hot glued over the top to diffuse the bulbs. These look great grouped in urns.

• Make a shimmering room divider with glowing strings of lights for drama in a doorway. Cut a slot into a PVC pipe using a table saw and place a shower tension rod inside it. Slip the light strands into the slot and plug them into each other. Once it's up, pull the light strands back like a formal drape and hold them in place with ribbon (see image above).

• When building a home, have candle outlets installed right in the window sills so that sill lights can be used all year round for a welcoming touch.

lights (Bronner's Christmas Wonderland)