I always have a hard time following the unwritten rule of taking down the Christmas lights after the new year.

What a silly rule. The days are short and gloomy and the fun of the holidays is over. Seems like that is when we really need a little cheerful lighting to lift our spirits.

Well this year, I found a few simple and classy lighting ideas that can continue to shine all winter – and even beyond.

Charming

With these pretty strands of mini lights on bendable, silver-toned wire, it’s easy to create all sorts of sweet little vignettes. The tiny LED lights have a warm white glow.

They have a battery pack that can easily be hidden. In the photo above, the battery pack is under the angel.

They are fun for lighting up arrangements where a corded light would be unsightly or impossible. In the photo below, the battery pack is hidden under a pine cone.

I’m looking forward to using them in centerpieces and for special occasions year-round.

The creative possibilities for these tiny lights are endless.

The batteries last 48 hours, and there is an on-off switch on the battery pack. So it’s best to place the battery pack where it can be easily reached.

Nostalgic

Now that our greenhouse is almost finished, I am very eager to find the right lighting and have been imagining something involving old-fashioned, Edison-style filament bulbs.

I came across a strand of glass Christmas lights that gave me the look instantly.

I just love the industrial vibe they lend – perfect for a greenhouse.

I will leave these lights in the greenhouse until I find permanent lighting.

Although they are marketed as Christmas lights, their simple design can easily work year-round. I’m looking forward to using them in summer for evening garden parties.

Winter

Right before Thanksgiving, something unfortunate happened to my mother, Erika: She walked into a store and was exposed to an excessive display of gaudy Christmas decorations, causing her to come down with an early case of “holiday overload.”

So she decided to take a year off from having a conventional Christmas tree. Instead, she used some fresh, green branches from a curly willow and some small white lights to create this wintry look.

She placed a metal grid inside a large plastic pot to anchor the branches and then poured in sand to give the base some weight and to help keep the branches in place.

Since this is not a Christmas tree, she can keep this look long after the new year.

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