Saturday, November 23, 2013

Christmas Light Upgrade!

Hi friends! If you have a string of Christmas lights and ping pong balls lying around, you're in luck; those are the two supplies needed for today's project! Put together, they make a pretty string of soft glowing bulbs!

Okay, so I didn't have ping pong balls just lying around; I ordered them in bulk from Amazon specifically for this. But they're very inexpensive if you look in the right places! I've found that if you search for "beer pong" balls, you can get the cheap ones for, well, cheap! The thinner the material, the easier it is to poke an "x" into the ball with an exacto knife.

I don't think this project needs much explaining, so I'll stop talking and give you the pictures. Here we go!



I love the soft glow these produce, so I leave them up year round. I've even put them out on the patio for special events!



Note: Some commenters have mentioned that ping pong balls are flammable, so you should use LED lights which don't get hot! I, however, have had mine on normal Christmas lights for several years now, and no heat issues yet!
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31 comments:

  1. UnknownDecember 3, 2013 at 12:09 PM

    Amazing! So doing this =]

    Thanks!

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  2. taken by tiffanyDecember 5, 2013 at 12:19 PM

    Do you have to buy a specific type of light that doesn't get too hot? seems like some might melt the ping pong ball if left on too long...

    Awesome idea for my teenager's room btw! Can't wait to try it out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. taken by tiffanyDecember 5, 2013 at 1:38 PM

      Thanks, Erin! Now to order some ping pong balls! :)

      Delete
    2. ErinDecember 8, 2013 at 2:58 PM

      Good thought! It turns out ping pong balls are pretty flammable. To be safe, I would use LEDs which don't get hot. In my case, the bulbs really don't come in contact with the balls, so I think it should be fine. =]

      Enjoy the project! I'm sure it will awesome in their room.

      Delete
  3. Paula JonesDecember 5, 2013 at 1:33 PM

    Any recommendations on how to get the slits in the ping pong balls?

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    Replies
    1. ErinDecember 5, 2013 at 1:49 PM

      Sure! I actually used my little swiss army knife and stabbed little x's in. It was sharp enough that it didn't bend or dent the balls. An exacto/craft knife would probably do the same. If they do dent, you can blow in them and they pop back out again. =] Hope this helps!

      Delete
  4. Donna H.December 5, 2013 at 3:32 PM

    Did you know if you dent the balls all you have to do it have a small pot with hot water and put in for a few seconds and the dent will pop back out. Just an FYI

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownDecember 7, 2013 at 7:00 AM

    Love this!

    ReplyDelete
  6. SonnetDecember 7, 2013 at 1:03 PM

    Such a great idea!! I will be doing this for sure, thanks
    SohoSonnet

    ReplyDelete
  7. EmDecember 7, 2013 at 10:46 PM

    Are these the cheapie beer pong balls with a seam around them? If so, does it still look ok with the seam? (Can you provide an amazon link to which ones you used?)

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    Replies
    1. ErinDecember 8, 2013 at 2:54 PM

      I used the cheap ones that would probably be terrible if you actually used them for ping pong. Here's the link to the ones I got with free shipping thanks to an amazon prime trial:

      http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ILDDSM/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

      Delete
  8. southernbellecleanDecember 8, 2013 at 2:13 PM

    Cute! I would use LED lights b/c ping pong ball ate highly flammable.

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    Replies
    1. ErinDecember 8, 2013 at 2:56 PM

      Thanks southernbelleclean! I will add your recommendation to the post!

      Delete
  9. Dash of BlueDecember 9, 2013 at 5:23 AM

    Oh, what a great idea! And it looks pretty too!

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownDecember 10, 2013 at 10:54 PM

    This idea is so cute. im doing a special feature night on christmas ornaments and i would love to feature yours, if this would be ok please let me know,
    lauren

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    Replies
    1. ErinDecember 11, 2013 at 5:29 AM

      Thanks Lauren; I'd be honored! Also, I'm glad you've stopped by, I've been looking for DIY furniture inspiration around the internet, and I can't wait to check out your blog!

      Delete
  11. UnknownDecember 14, 2013 at 5:03 PM

    Great idea! I hope you don't mind if I share this on my blog in the next "Links I Hart" ... (linking you back of course). Let me know what you think :)
    Jessica
    the way to my Hart

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousDecember 20, 2013 at 10:21 AM

    Ha, this is so amazing! Never thought of this in a million years!

    xo Mel
    Selfhelp | Inspiration | Positivity

    ReplyDelete
  13. SunPuddleDecember 30, 2013 at 11:30 AM

    AWESOME! Where do you get the ping-pong balls??

    ReplyDelete
  14. CherieJanuary 8, 2014 at 7:33 PM

    I was looking at commercial string lights with the larger bulbs for a wedding reception and they run around $400 for a strand of 100. I think this would work just as well and cost hundreds of dollars less! Thanks for the idea!!

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    Replies
    1. ErinJanuary 10, 2014 at 2:28 PM

      Great idea, Cherie! I bet it will look beautiful. =]

      Delete
  15. SansegFebruary 23, 2014 at 5:01 PM

    I think this would look cute with colored lights too, or paint the balls different colors. Love this idea. May do it for my RV awning!

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  16. UnknownJuly 15, 2014 at 9:12 AM

    Where did you get the LED lights and how much were they? Everywhere I look for them, they seem to be pretty expensive. I am a college student doing them for my dorm room

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousAugust 13, 2014 at 7:22 PM

      I am doing this for my dorm room too & there's lots of options for the lights & ping pong balls on amazon & ebay too!

      Delete
  17. ziziNovember 19, 2014 at 2:34 PM

    Love it!

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  18. UnknownJanuary 2, 2015 at 4:52 PM

    Great idea Erin, where did u find the LED Christmas lights?

    ReplyDelete
  19. lucyNovember 26, 2019 at 8:02 PM

    Best Christmas Led Wire Light

    ReplyDelete
  20. chinastreetlightNovember 23, 2021 at 10:50 PM

    Solar Streetlight
    LED Streetlight
    High Mast Light

    ReplyDelete

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