Holiday Makeover: How to Make a Christmas Light Tunnel for Your Driveway
This holiday season is to make a Christmas light tunnel for your driveway.
09/06/2022
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Christmas is around the corner and that can only mean one thing: it is time to start decorating the house with beautiful lighting and gorgeous ornaments. There are so many more things you can do this year, especially with new Christmas gadgets and high-tech decorations becoming more affordable.
One interesting thing to try this holiday season is to make a Christmas light tunnel for your driveway. Prepare a weekend for this project, get everyone involved, and have fun turning your simple driveway into a light show.
The Arches
To create a light tunnel for your driveway, you need to first create some arches. There are many ways you can do this and materials to use in the project. You can choose to use bamboo for a more natural look, but the best material to use is PVC pipes. The pipes are not only easy to find, but they are also durable enough to last the entire holiday season.
First, you need to determine the height of the light tunnel that you want. That height will determine just how many PCV pipes you will need for the project. Use a string or a rope to create a similar arch on a flat surface based on the height you want to achieve, and then measure how much rope you actually use. That’s the length of the PVC pipe you need.
You then need to determine how many arches you want to have. This depends on the length of the light tunnel. As for the base, you can use 1-by-2-inch wood or other materials that are heavy and strong enough to support the arches. You don’t have to use one base for the entire tunnel. Dividing the arches into segments is also a good idea to try.
The Lights
Next, you want to assemble the arches and start decorating the driveway. Make sure you bend the pipes first before attaching them to the base. Use a power drill to drill holes on the base, and then use screws to attach the pipes to the base. This is where dividing the light tunnel into segments actually helps, since you can assemble the pipes segment by segment.
Don’t erect the pipes just yet. Adding lights to the pipes when they are still on the ground is a lot easier. You don’t have to reach the height of the light tunnel to install lights. Christmas lights are perfect for the job, although there are now lights designed specifically for light tunnels.
The one thing you have to keep in mind when adding lights is to use outdoor lights with good sealing. Many LED light strips are designed for outdoor use, so they are worth considering as well. With LED lights, you are also saving money on your Christmas energy bill. Complete the setup and organize the arches to create a tunnel across your driveway.
More Accessories
The light tunnel will certainly make your driveway more beautiful, but it is not the only thing you can add this Christmas. There are other accessories that will make the setup more beautiful and functional at the same time.
My personal favorite is the wireless driveway alarm. The driveway alarm will detect an incoming car – or a person entering your driveway – using infrared motion sensors. You will always know when guests are arriving with this alarm installed.
If you are up for another DIY project, you can also use the driveway alarm to trigger some Christmas songs, creating an even more festive ambience around the house. I’m sure guests will love the festive mood too.
Follow these steps and you will have your own driveway light tunnel this Christmas. It is a DIY Christmas decoration project you definitely need to try this year.