LED strip lights have been gaining popularity because it’s a great way to add some style and ambiance to a bedroom. However, not everyone knows how to hang led lights in the bedroom. Once you learn the process most are incredibly satisfying. Let’s get into the process so you would know if hanging them in the bedroom can be one of your DIY projects.
What are LED Lights?
Technically speaking it’s called Light Emitting Diode and they are known for producing light up to 90% more efficient than incandescent light bulbs. Instead of simply going out, they slowly fade or burn out over time. They can function as ambient lights and accent lights because they in different color temperatures from cool to warm white and neutral light. If your prefer to have a bright light in a small area like a closet, pantry or area where there is little to no natural light just choose lights that are rated at 4000 to 4500 Kelvin. Compared with traditional bulbs like incandescent bulbs, they are very energy efficient and therefore you can use them for long hours of use.
Why Do People Use Them?
They bring just the right kind of light to a certain area in a bedroom. LED happens to also be lights that are the closest thing to emulating natural light. This is incredibly beneficial in the winter. This is why it’s becoming so much more popular. Whether it be a functional purpose so you can see certain areas or just simply a good feeling LED’s are beneficial. Here are some general areas where these types of fixtures are useful in a bedroom setting.
Under Any Cabinets or Desks
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Cabinet lighting is one of the most common uses for LED strips. When you hang them around furniture including kitchen cabinets and desks you can give it a soft glow. This is useful to not only see it when the main lights aren’t on, but it’s very useful as task lighting because it provides the right amount of light that you need in your work area.
Consider hanging these fixtures on the ridges or right under the base of the desk or cabinets to provide the best underneath lighting.
Under the Base of the Bed
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The easiest way to create incredible accent lighting is by placing these strips of lights under the base of the bed with the use of adhesive tape. Sometimes when you get up at night to go to the bathroom, the last thing you want is to wake yourself up with too much light. You also don’t want to end up bumping into walls and furniture. With a remote control, you can easily change the brightness level of these fixture and bring a nice glow to the floor.
Along the Walls
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Along the walls is always a great place to bring light into a bedroom. This can be particularly fun for kids that want to use lighting with colors. Some lighting strips can change to different colors when you use a remote control. Also, consider hanging them under or around TVS that is hung directly on the wall for a nice ambiance. You can also use twinkle star string lights or fairy lights for kids’ rooms.
Closets
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While closets are definitely similar to cabinets, closet space and drawers deserve their own category. When they are lined correctly they can turn your closet up a whole new level. It’s efficient and stylish that emulates a professional high-end store. It’s also perfect for dark closets that don’t get a lot of natural light.
Different Kinds of LED Strip Lighting
There are a lot of different LED strips to choose from and as mentioned a kid’s bedroom may look a whole lot different than an adult master closet. Understanding the different options is crucial to finding the best fit for you. Some lights will offer more brightness than white lights while others will offer changing colors. Here are some of the most common types. Also, keep in mind that there is a crossover between these types as RGB can also be smart or dimmable.
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RGB strips stand for red, green, and blue LED lights. Now it’s misleading because these are not the only colors that they produce. They actually produce over 15,000 different hues However, this doesn’t mean all colors are achievable. But these types are a perfect option for movie theater rooms or kid’s rooms where you want to change color based on the mood you are feeling.
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Some LED lights will be able to be dimmable from a remote control or a light switch with a dimmer set onto it. These sometimes need to be wired in the right way and are slightly more complicated than the ones we put on the wall. Having said that they may have a wire connected directly to a remote that allows this to happen without professional wiring.
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Did you know that you can connect these strips of lights to the WIFI in your home? Using Google home software to adjust the brightness levels to affect the mood lighting is just one benefit of having smartlights to work with. You can control them right from your phone. It’s also compatible with other major brands like Amazon Alexa and Apple Homekit.
How To Hang LED Lights In The Bedroom: Step by Step Guide
So now that we know why we should hang these types of fixtures. Let’s learn how to hang LED lights in the bedroom. You’ll need to prep the area as well as take measurements. Luckily, there aren’t too many tools involved but you may need to take a trip down to the hardware store. This is one of the most common ways to them but we will also address alternative methods.
Tools Needed
- Measuring tape. Without the right measurements, you can end up with a sloppy job. This is not something you want to wing.
- Wire strippers help remove the wire from the insulation sheet.
- Black electric tape is safe to use with LED lights as others may melt.
- Sharp scissors.
- Screwdrivers
In the case that it has an adhesive backing, you do not need screws, screwdrivers, or black electric tape. These are for more DIY routes.
Step By Step Guide
Step 1
Ensure that the area you plan to work with is a smooth surface that is both clean and dry. If you are working in an area that is dusty be sure to wipe it down before installing them. Not only is it going to be hard to clean afterward but dirty or wet areas can ruin the lights. In general, it’s also best if the area is a flat surface because it may not appear that way before installation but LED lights will magnify and quite literally brighten bumpy areas.
Step 2
Once your area is good to go you want to make sure to test your supplies. The last thing you want to do is hang them then to figure out that your light strips don’t turn on with a controller. Or if one of the lights is out that means that the strip is likely unusable. It’s a lot of work to get the lights connected to the right power supply or even just hung. Ensuring that they work is the next step.
Step 3
The next step is to get all of all your measurements. Grab your tape measure to know the total length of strip lighting that you will need to use as well as the different segments. The best way to do this without losing track of your numbers is to lay out the strip lighting on the floor and keep it as close to where it’s going to end up as possible. It’s never a bad idea to measure the entire length out first before even buying the product so you know how many supplies to order.
Step 4 (Ignore If You Have Adhesive Type)
They will come in a spool fashion. It will also have specific cutting lines so you don’t ruin the product or pose any danger to yourself. This is where you will need sharp scissors. Typically speaking you can cut the strip lights around every three or six lights. Make sure to look for the cutting line. When cutting you also need to make sure that there are enough copper pads on either end of the LEDs. This becomes your connection point for when you want them to meet back at the corners of your segments.
Other Factors That You Need To Consider
When Using Adhesive LED Lights without Cutting
Note that if you have a roll of LED lights and it is cut to the right size or has the correct lengths, sometimes all you need to do is peel back the adhesive on the other side of the lights. This adhesive will easily stick onto the wall and all you have to do is push down on it while it sticks. Making sure that the wall is not wet for this is important or else you will ruin the adhesive. If the process is as simple as this all you have to do is connect them and plug them into a power adapter.
If you are working with a glossy, oily, or dusty surface just know that the adhesive won’t work well and you will find it sliding or unsticking after some time. This is common for cabinets and desks that have a wood gloss finish. In this case, you can work with a different mounting option to still get your LED light look.
Hang Them Using LED Strip Mounting Clips
When you don’t have a desirable surface to use adhesive tape or black electrical tape then we can use strip mounting clips to get them to stay on our walls or surfaces. Simply put we can use mountain brackets to stabilize the strips. This will require us to use screwdrivers and screws to first mount the clips into the wall first and later place strips along them. The measurements will still need to take place as this is a little more permanent than sticking adhesive to the wall.
The actual pieces themselves have a place where they can be screwed into the wall and also offer places where they can be clipped in. This is different from the already attached or string LED lights. Mounting brackets are commonly used for situations like cabinets not only because of the surfaces but also because it’s needed for downward lighting. This is often under the cabinets and for the purpose of having additional lights. In general, these clips will sell for just under $2 for a pack of 15.
Sometimes Doubles Sided Tape Will Do
Not everyone wants to make permanent holes into their walls. That’s why they opt for a strong double-sided tape to do that trick. Instead of the adhesive coming on the back of the strips, you can first layout the double-sided tape along your walls and surfaces. Double measurements will take place as you need to ensure the tape and the lights are the same length. You also want to make sure you tape in a straight line or else your lights will look crooked and unprofessional.
Taking Your Time
If you want to hang LED lights in the bedroom the most important tip is to take your time. The actual process to them is not complicated when you are using a basic adhesive flex strip. With minimal tools, you can cut the flex strip to the desired length to match your segment measurements. The tricky part is making sure your measurements line up. But in order to do this, you need to ensure you are working with a clean, flat surface, that won’t change your measurements in the first place.
Not all surfaces however with adhesive taping. Even extra-strong double-sided tape is not always the solution. You may need to work with mounting brackets that provide clips so you can just latch on them in a single form. This is most common for underhead lighting where the metal strip may be hidden. Think of using this for desks, closet lighting, cabinets, or other glossy surfaces that don’t work well with adhesive or sticky tape. It’s also not a bad option for rough surfaces or outdoor use.
But consider the type of use you are looking to hang LED lights in the first place. Cabinet lighting is going to require high temperatures that provide a lot of light. This is not the same as decorating a little girl’s bedroom that wants to change the colors and have fairy lights from Amazon. The actual process of learning to hang LED lights in the bedroom is not difficult. The planning is the most time-consuming part.
