Halloween is my favorite holiday, so much so that I started decorating in August. But finding tasteful Halloween decor isn't always easy, and quality items can get pricey when you're trying to spooky-look decor in a large space.
I'm no stranger to DIY projects, especially if I find a good source of inspiration. So when he spotted this $1,200 large neon colorful sugar skull sign on Pinterest, he started researching ways to make something similar himself for less.
There is no shortage of strip lights made to recreate the effect of real neon lights. Search for “neon strip lights” on Amazon and you'll see what I mean. But I was smart and wanted a highly rated product that I could keep with my other decorations for a few months after Halloween. I chose between the Govee RGBIC Neon Rope Light ($99) and the GE Lighting CYNC Dynamic Effects Smart LED Neon Shape Light ($119), and while I like both brands equally, I chose the latter.
The next task was to figure out how to temporarily mount the lights. I know from experience that removing the smart light strips can chip paint and damage the wall. I also didn't want to have the skeletons on the wall all year round. I went with the DIY neon light concept and thought that 1/8 inch clear acrylic sheet would work well as a mounting board. After choosing where I wanted to display my masterpiece and taking some measurements, I ordered a set of two 24 x 36 inch pieces from Amazon for $44. That said, any acrylic sheet would work.
Once the materials arrive, we can begin production. To be honest, I can be pretty hasty (and a bit ambitious) when working on projects like this. Honestly, it's embarrassing to have so many unfinished DIYs stored under my bed. But I decided to make some great looking neon skull lights to enjoy this upcoming Halloween.
Following the instructions, I prepared the surface to be dry and dust-free for applying the adhesive clips. Next, I started laying out the configuration. CYNC's lights come with a paper grid that's useful for planning out your design (which you probably would have used if you were mounting the lights directly on the wall), but they're not comfortable to look at. felt.
Unlike many other smart light strips, these neon rope lights themselves are not sticky. Instead, use a pack full of small adhesive clips to help you align and place your designs. It took a bit of experimentation to figure out how to best position the clips to capture the curves of the skeleton's skull, but overall it was pretty intuitive.
All in all, the design only took 15 minutes to create. I had some extra rope left over so I could have figured out how to use the entire 16 foot strip, but I grabbed my scissors and cut it to size. Some test cuts suggested that if you don't want to compromise the LEDs at the endpoints of your design, you should leave about 2 inches.
(Image credit: Future)
Once I was finished with the design, I hung the acrylic sheet on the wall using heavy-duty command strips. The white adhesive isn't too distracting, but if I were to hang this permanently I would probably install a set of standoff screws. Assuming I want to re-hang the lights next year, I think I'll use clear adhesive, like I did when I saved my old Philips Hue lights from the trash.
Anyway, now that I have the fixtures installed, I can finally start the light show. By default, the strip is illuminated with warm white light, which I thought looked very modern and classy. Hanging from the strip itself is a physical controller that cycles through various light entities, most of which utilize separate segments of the strip to display multiple colors at once.
However, the CYNC Dynamic Effects Smart LED Neon Shape Light is also a smart light, so you can pair it with the CYNC app and your Amazon Alexa home system for both app and voice control. To avoid having the lights on all night, I set a timer to automatically turn them off at 11pm.
For about $150 and in less than an hour, I had a great-looking neon-inspired Halloween decoration that costs hundreds of dollars more. Plus, if you set it up on an acrylic board, you can put the skull away after Halloween and take it out again next year. And the best part? I'm proud to have brought that vision to life.