DIY Neon Light

If there is one thing that will always be true about me, I love a good DIY project. It has been almost a full year since I purchased my first home (crazy!), but I am still finding myself in constant home renovations. While I was looking for home inspo on Pinterest, I found this killer neon light/wallpaper combo. I thought it would be perfect for my home office and set out to find an affordable way to make it myself. 

The best part of this DIY is it is SO CHEAP. And coming from the queen of cheapskates this was very necessary. If you’ve never heard of EL wire, it is this brilliant battery powered wire that is easy to form and can be secured simply by glueing it in place. There are a lot of different ways to go about making this. I married two DIY’s I watched into one. I’m not going to lie this is not super easy, but it is also not incredibly difficult; it just takes a great deal of patience (which I can sometimes lack). 

First, cut your drywall sheet (or wood sheet) down to the size you want (mine is roughly 15″x25″). You will then need to cute your fabric down to the right size; leave about two inches on each side. You can secure it by stapling in the back. 

Next, you’ll trace the word or phrase you want onto the fabric. I free-handed this part; but, you are welcome to use a specific font if you wish. 

The next part is the hardest part to put into words, and to be quite honest, it depends a great deal on the word or phrase you will be creating. You will need to create an entry point using a drill (mine started at the base of the first “r” in ramblings. Weave the EL wire all the way through that hole and secure the battery pack in the back. Then form each letter using the EL wire securing as you go. I used hot glue; however, I recommend the super glue route to avoid the “strings” hot glue creates. Along the way, you will have to create more entry points but you’ll know when to do that. The 9ft was just enough for my phrase so you may need to purchase more. 

And that’s it! I will definitely saw it is better to start with a simply word before jumping in to the full phrase. That way, you can get the hang of it. If you end up making this on your own, tag my on Instagram @rinlongo, so I can see the creations you make.