Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I started decorating in August. But finding good Halloween decorations isn't always easy, and quality items can be pricey if you're trying to spooky-style a large space.
I'm no stranger to DIY projects, especially when I find a good source of inspiration. So when I came across this large-scale project, Colorful Sugar Skull Neon Sign for $1,200 on PinterestI started researching ways to make something similar myself for less money.
There are many strip lights available that replicate the effect of real neon lights, just do a search. Neon strip lights on Amazon To understand what I'm sayingBut I wanted a highly rated product that wouldn't fall apart if stored with other decorations for a few months after Halloween. Govee RGBIC Neon Rope Light ($99) and GE Lighting CYNC Dynamic Effects Smart LED Neon Shape Light ($119)I like both brands about equally, but I choose the latter.
The next thing to do was to figure out how to temporarily mount the lights. I know from experience that smart light strips will chip the paint and ruin the wall if removed. Plus, I didn't want to have skeletons on my wall all year round. I went with the DIY neon light concept and figured a 1/8″ clear acrylic board would work well as a mounting board. After picking and measuring the spot where I wanted to hang my masterpiece, A two-pack of 24″ x 36″ posters are on sale on Amazon for $44That being said, I think any acrylic sheet would be fine.
Once the materials arrived, I got started right away. I'll be honest, I tend to be pretty hasty (and a little overambitious) when it comes to projects like this, and the amount of unfinished DIY projects I have stored under my bed is honestly embarrassing. But I was determined to make a great looking neon skull light that I could enjoy this coming Halloween.
Per the instructions, I prepared a dry, dust-free surface for attaching the adhesive clips. I then began laying out my configuration. The CYNC light comes with a paper grid that was handy for mapping out my design (I would likely have used this if I were mounting the light directly to a wall), but I felt more comfortable figuring it out by eye.
Unlike many other smart light strips, this neon rope light isn't adhesive itself. Instead, it comes with plenty of little adhesive clips to help you align and secure your design. It took a bit of trial and error to get the clips in the perfect position to capture the curves of the skeleton's skull, but overall it was pretty intuitive.
In the end, it only took me 15 minutes to create the design. I considered using the entire 16 foot strip of excess rope, but instead used scissors to cut it to size. After a few test cuts, I found that leaving about 2 inches extra was best to avoid damaging the LEDs at the end of the design.
With the design finalized, I hung the acrylic sheet on the wall using heavy duty command strips. The white adhesive isn't too noticeable, but if I were to hang this permanently I would install standoff screws. If I plan on hanging the lights again next year, I think I'll use clear adhesive like I did when I rescued my old Philips Hue lights from the trash.
Anyway, once the fixtures were set up, I was finally able to get the light show going. By default, the strip was lit with a warm white light, which looked very modern and classy. The strip itself has a physical controller hanging off it that cycles through different light effects, most of which utilize separate segments of the strip to display multiple colors at once.
But the CYNC Dynamic Effects Smart LED Neon Shape Light is also a smart light, so it can be paired with the CYNC app and Amazon Alexa home system for both app and voice control. To make sure the light doesn't stay on all night, I set a timer to automatically turn it off at 11pm.
For about $150 and in under an hour, you've created a great-looking Halloween decoration inspired by the neon lights that cost hundreds of dollars. Plus, by mounting it on acrylic, you can store the skull away after Halloween and reuse it next year. And best of all, you'll have the pride of knowing you've brought your vision to life.
