Diwali Decoration Ideas with Rice Lights: 10 Easy Looks for Home

Diwali is the one night when every home in the lane is glowing, and rice lights are still the easiest way to join in. They are light, they fold away into a small box after the festival, and one long string can change the look of a whole balcony.

Here are ten simple looks you can set up in an evening, with the lights that suit each one.

1. Outline the balcony railing

Run one long string along the top of the railing and tie it every half metre so it sits straight. A 12 m string covers a normal flat balcony with enough left over to reach the socket. Warm yellow gives the classic diya-like glow that most families like for Diwali.

2. Frame the main door

Light the door frame and hang your toran just inside the lights, so the marigolds catch the glow. Use clear tape or small adhesive hooks on the frame instead of nails. If your door is painted white, cool white lights look crisp; on wooden frames warm yellow looks richer.

3. Give the mandir a soft backdrop

Blossom flower lights work well behind the mandir because every LED sits inside a small flower cap, so the light is softer and looks like a garland. Drape the string in loose loops behind the idols rather than pulling it tight.

4. Make a glowing rangoli border

Lay a short string of lights around the outer edge of your rangoli on the evening of Lakshmi Puja. Keep the string a hand's width away from the colours and from diyas, and run the cable away from where people walk.

5. Light up the windows

Hang strings in straight vertical lines from the top of the window frame, about 20 to 30 cm apart. From the street it looks like a curtain of light, and it uses the same rice lights you already have.

6. Wrap the staircase railing

Spiral one string around the stair railing from top to bottom. Spirals use more length than a straight run, so a 12 m string is the safer choice here.

7. Fill glass jars with fairy lights

Short 3 m strings with crystal balls or maple leaves look lovely bunched inside a glass jar or bottle. Place a few on the dining table, the shoe rack or the steps for a soft glow at different heights.

8. Wrap your plants

Wind a string loosely around a money plant, a tulsi stand or the pots on the balcony. Green and warm yellow lights blend in with the leaves during the day and glow at night.

9. Add colour to the kids' room

Children love colour. Multicolour serial lights or a single bright colour such as blue or pink along the bed headboard or the study shelf make their room feel festive too.

10. Set up a Diwali photo corner

Pick one wall, hang three or four strings in straight drops, and add a neon sign in the middle. Everyone will want a photo there in their new clothes.

A few safety tips

• Unroll and test every string before you put it up.
• Keep plugs, connectors and adapters dry and off the floor.
• Keep lights away from diyas, candles and crackers.
• Switch the lights off when you leave home or go to sleep.

Buying for a shop, office or event?

If you need many strings for a shop front, an office, a society gate or a wedding, send us a bulk enquiry and we will reply on WhatsApp with a quote.