If you have ever had to try to find your campsite again after a middle of the night campground bathroom run, you know the importance of unique string lights. I decorated a string of regular globe lights to make a new set of outdoor lighting for my parents’ camper, but you could just as easily hang these lights above your patio or in your dorm room as well. Check out how easy it is to make your own watercolor outdoor globe lights.
This set of camper lights was one of my earliest DIY projects. Thirteen years ago, I sat with a package of translucent blue party cups, a screwdriver, and white Christmas lights to make a set of lights for my parents’ new-to-them pop-up camper. Miraculously, the lights were the perfect length for the camper’s canopy, even though we did no measuring at all.
Perhaps more miraculous is the fact that these lights have stayed fully functional for the past thirteen years. Every fall, my parents pack them away in a milk crate inside the camper until next camping season. Then they pull them out, plug them back in, and every light in the strand blinks back to life.
This year my folks are in the market for a new camper, so I thought it was finally time to make them a new set of camper lights. I used the same technique to color these globe lights that I used to make my stained glass Easter eggs. The process involves alcohol ink and canned air, but it is incredibly simple and satisfying to do. It took me maybe half an hour to decorate this strand of 25 lights, and that was including the time it took me to stop and take photos.
Some outdoor lights look kind of ugly in the daylight hours. The lights look beautiful unlit too, especially if they are hanging outside on a sunny day. The sun shines through the translucent ink, making them look like stained glass even though they are plastic.
The real payoff is when you turn the lights on at night. The lights themselves are gorgeous, but they cast multi-colored light around them too. So pretty!
To see how I made these colorful lights, watch the video below. Click HERE to subscribe to my YouTube channel for video tutorials like this one, and other exclusive content that I only share on YouTube!
I have put together a list of affiliate links for all the products I used in this tutorial. If you choose to purchase after clicking through, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!
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These look gorgeous!
Your lights were just featured on Craftgawker. My question is: If the lights get wet, do the alcohol inks run? Thanks!
Since the inks are alcohol-based, they are waterproof. Perfectly fine for use outdoors!