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Forget putting them on the mantle or fridge; this year, Christmas cards are taking centre stage with a card holder light wall. This space-saving decoration is a great way to store your ever-growing Christmas card and photo collection, while also creating a point of interest.
Best of all, it’s a versatile decoration for all year round – when the festive season ends, you can replace the cards and photos with postcards, birthday cards or anything else you’d like to hang in your home.
All you’ll need for this brilliant D.I.Y. project is some Christmas lights, adhesive hooks, double-sided mounting tape and mini pegs to hang your cards and photos with.
The first thing you’ll need to do a is choose where you’d like to hang your card holder light wall. We suggest choosing somewhere that is yearning for that extra ‘wow’ factor, or can be easily admired – after all, you don’t want to hide all your hard work away!
At this point, we’d suggest figuring out how long each string of lights is. This will act as your guide for how much space you have to play with and how far across your wall you can go.
Once you have an understanding of your width, start lightly marking out with a pencil where you’d like your hooks to go. Depending on the length of your wall, you may need a hook in the middle so that the lights are well-supported. Work your way down the wall, with two (or three) columns of hooks. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
If you have curious little hands at home, it may be worth starting a little higher so that they can’t touch the lowest-hanging lights. They won’t burn themselves, but a strong tug could see your cardholder light wall unravel.
Once you have your hanging points, it’s time to stick the hooks to the walls. Depending on the instructions, you may have to leave the adhesive for an hour or so to give it time to dry.
When you’re ready to start draping your lights, grab one end (preferably the one without the battery pack) and hook this to your first hook. Begin draping the fairy lights from side to side, wrapping them on each hook as you work your way down the wall. You may need to use multiple sets of lights as you move down the wall. They can be as tight or loose as you like.
When you’ve finished hanging, hide the battery pack behind a piece of furniture or a decoration on the floor. Use double-sided tape to keep it secure.
Once you’re happy with the arrangement, it’s time to make it your own! Use the mini pegs to hang your cards onto the lights. You can also hang other (light) decorations or tinsel to make the arrangement more festive.
Fairy lights have come a long way from the early days, so the bulbs don’t heat up and are safe to touch. This means they won’t burn the cards or photos. You could even hang an advent calendar or other decorations on the edges of the arrangement, off the widest hooks.
Once you’re happy with your card placement, it’s time to turn everything on! Insert the batteries into each set of fairy lights and switch the lights to on.
When the festive season comes to an end, you can either replace your Christmas cards with photos or other memorabilia, or store the fairy lights for the next year. Future you will thank you if you take the time to store them untangled – wrap them around an empty toilet roll to prevent just that!
Asbestos, lead-based paints and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber are health hazards you need to look out for when renovating older homes. These substances can easily be disturbed when renovating and exposure to them can cause a range of life-threatening diseases and conditions including cancer. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer or visit our Health & Safety page.
When following our advice in our D.I.Y. videos, make sure you use all equipment, including PPE, safely by following the manufacturer’s instructions. Check that the equipment is suitable for the task and that PPE fits properly. If you are unsure, hire an expert to do the job or talk to a Bunnings Team Member.
