One of my favorite ways to accent a room is with string lights. They are appropriate for every season with the proper decorations. I’m going to walk you through how to make  Autumn-inspired string lights.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Miniature string lights (The ones I used were 20.6 ft, but you can get longer or shorter ones depending on where you want to place the lights.)
• Leaves  (You can use fake or real leaves. I found my leaves in my back yard and picked up 20 of them.)
• Acorns  (Optional)
• Gold spray paint (Optional)
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Push pins

Directions:

 1. Place the lights in the area you want to decorate. (For example, a door frame or window frame. I used the railing on my staircase. Make sure the lights can reach an outlet, or have an extension cord at the ready that is long enough.)

2. Use the push pins to help the lights stay.

3. This step is optional: Gather your leaves and gently spray paint them in a well-ventilated area. The leaves I picked were still green, so I spray painted them gently so you can still see the green. The paint should dry in seconds. After the leaves are dry, you are ready to glue them on the lights.

4. Next, glue the leaves to the lights using hot glue.. When you are placing the hot glue on the string of lights, make sure you do not get glue on the light bulbs. Place the glue on the string and not the leaves for a better grip.

5. Another optional step: When you are done placing the leaves, you can add acorns using the glue a warmer autumn feel.

6. Connect your lights to an outlet and enjoy your beautiful piece!

The string lights are perfect for your dorm room or apartment. They are easy to make and inexpensive. You can always add things to it, too. For example, for Christmas-inspired lights, you can add silver leaves and jingle bells.

For more information on how to make these lights, email me. The inspiration came from WallFlowerGirl’s site.

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