Rope lights are accent lights which are manufactured in long tubes consisting of ½ watt mini bulbs. The bulbs are spaced an inch or so apart and exist inside of a clear or colored PVC resin tube. These tubular lights are disposable after about 25,000 hours of use. They can be purchased piece by piece, or in a kit which usually includes 50 feet of light coils, power cord, connector and clips for fastening the lights in place. Although the tubes are slightly warm when in operation, they will not burn or scorch. Because of this, they’re perfect for decorating landscapes at home. Generally used outside around decks and to light pathways, they’re also beautiful when you used to enhance the look of bushes and shrubbery. Since they are extremely flexible, it’s easy to form them into almost any shape desired. You can shape rope lights into animal shapes and arrange them amongst the bushes. Or, outline a birdbath, or rock formations.
Rope lights come in a variety of different colors, like red, yellow blue and purple. You can choose whether the lights burn constantly or blink in various sequences. For homes and landscapes, most people choose the option of having the lights shine constantly, until unplugged, since this is less distracting than blinking lights. For nightly usage, you can illuminate landscaping timbers around the house or around gardens and shrubs. Outline landscaping timbers by lining the top of the timbers with the lights and even the bottom of the timbers, but when using this double pattern make sure that you get the lights clipped on perfectly straight or you’ll have a wavy look to your pattern. You can buy small clips which are nailed, taped or glued into place, then the rope lights snap into the clips. You can also purchase plastic tubes which hold the entire length of rope lights and prevents the rope from sagging. You might want to use each type in different areas. The channels are great for landscaping timbers, whereas the clips are good for lighting bushes, trees and small outbuildings.
For most bushes and shrubs, a random pattern of just placing the lights here and there looks best. Sink some of the lights deep into the bush, then place some of them on the edges of the bush. Wrap them around the trunk of a small tree, working upward. The lights look best on a tree that isn’t bare but also doesn’t have really thick foliage which will conceal the lights. During Christmas season you can switch to blinking lights to accentuate the seasonal decorations. The rope lighting can be formed into giant stockings, reindeer or shaped into a giant “Merry Christmas”.
Try rope lighting for edging walkways. Any number of patterns can be used, from laying them straight to bending them into connected “M” shapes, running the length of the walkway sides. Outline tree houses, flag poles or birdhouses easily with rope lighting. If you have fencing, use the rope lighting along the top edges, or if it’s a picket fence, you can go around each picket or use in a straight line just underneath the pickets. You can lay the lights amongst tall, decorative grasses to give them a warm glow. If you have a trellis, outline it with the rope lighting for a very unique look. Gazebos also are very attractive when highlighted with strands of the rope lighting. If you live beside water, outline docks or ramps with this useful glow. For special occasions, outline canopies across the bottom edges of the canopy itself, and around the accompanying poles. With rope lighting being so easy to use, just have a good look around, use your imagination, and add some glow to your yard.
