Cool Battery Christmas Lights

I was at Kroger today, hoping to find a small string of lights on a white cord to use on a wreath on our front porch.  No 30- or 50-light packages...only 100, and no white cord.

An employee working in that area asks me what I'm looking for, and nope, they don't have what I'm looking for.

I start to walk away and she says, "Have you seen these?"  No, I hadn't looked at that tiny little box hanging from one of those Mylar (?) strips.

Battery-operated, tiny LED lights--but here's the BEST part...
they have a timer built in!
(And another plus that will definitely come in handy--they can be
immersed in water!  How cool is that?!)

Yes!  I'll take them!  $5.24!  I could hardly wait till I got home from dinner at our son's and DIL's to check them out.

This picture shows how to open the battery compartment, because there are no instructions for that,
and it was NOT easy!  My husband carefully inserted a small screwdriver where we could
tell it would open, and pushed gently.

Look at that little, tiny strand and the teeny, tiny lights!
Would they be bright enough?
Would they work for the wreath?

Yes!  They ARE bright enough! (but short.  The box says it's 3 feet long,
but that must include the bare wire leading to the battery compartment and the compartment itself,
so if you buy these, plan accordingly to have enough length.)
I'll be at Kroger first thing in the morning to get more before they're sold out!

But aren't they oh, so pretty?!

 

Last week I posted a tutorial for pomanders HERE, where I inserted
battery-operated "candles" in the arrangement.  Those have to be turned on and off...
How, I wondered, would my new, nifty, tiny string of lights work
in the pomander arrangement?



PERFECTLY!!
And because they have a timer (do you think that feature is as cool as I do??)  they'll come on
in the evening and back off in six hours!
Love the timer feature!

What ideas do you have for how to use these fab lights? 
           Think they'll work in ICE?!  I'm thinking about how cool it would be to put them in a vase
              with water outside and let it freeze (the battery compartment can't be immersed). 
           Or how about just in a vase with flowers?
           Or in the china cabinet or bookcases?  The cord is virtually invisible, so versatile, they are!              
           Certainly they will be great on the wreaths on the porch, because with the timer there's no need to
                run a cord to a different timer.

I can't wait to hear your ideas on ways to use these nifty things!  Happy decorating!

(Or are you wondering if I've been living under a rock because I didn't go right out to look for these specifically?  I've seen immersible lights, but not this tiny, and certainly I wasn't thinking about how to
use them at Christmas when I saw them this past summer.)

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them!  They encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Oh, and I hope you'll follow me.  I promise to work hard to make your visits worthwhile.  Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

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 Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

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 Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

 Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

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 Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

 Five Minutes Just for Me at http://5minutesjustforme.blogspot.com/

 Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

 Homemaker on a Dime, Sunday at http://www.homemakeronadime.com/p/link-parties.html

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 Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

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Pomander Tutorial

In Medieval times pomanders were small vessels filled with musk and other scents that were carried or worn, in the belief that they would ward off infection and to mask odors.  Later, Colonial housewives used fruit to make them to scent their homes.

Today, in a world of artificial scents from sprays, candles, and oils, the Colonial version of pomanders is a wonderful, natural alternative.  Their citrus/spicy scent is parrticulalry nice during the Christmas holidays, and they make lovely gifts for teachers, neighbors, and your favorite barista at Starbucks, but don't wait until the last minute to make them, because they require one or two weeks of drying time.  Once dried/cured, they will last for several years.

ITEMS NEEDED TO MAKE POMANDERS:
    *  Oranges, apples, and/or lemons
    *  Cloves (Amount depends on how many  you are making.  They can be purchased in bulk,
         but I had plenty left in the small can I used to make 9 pomanders.)
    *  Ice pick, toothpick, or other pointed tool
    *  Zester/scorer tool (mine is from Pampered Chef and it works beautifully)

You might want to mark your design where the cloves will go.
Depending on the size of your cloves, you will make the holes large enough to make them
easy to insert, but not so large that they won't stay in.

You can also use a zester/scorer to make interesting designs before adding the cloves.

I like to save the zest "tendrils," because they will add interest to the final display.

Set the finished pomanders in a cool, dry place for one to two weeks.
In colder climates the screend porch is a good place unless
it gets too cold, as they shouldn't freeze. 
The garage is also a good option.

The items I used for the arrangement were things I already had around the house:
Fitz and Floyd bowl (pattern unknown);
A small pinecone-and-greenery arrangement in a red votive cup I made a year or two ago;
Miscellaenous pieces of greenery and pinecones;
Battery-operated candles.

These pomanders aren't dry yet, but I couldn't resist the urge to see the finished product, so I put it
together then dismantled it to allow them to dry before I put the arrangement together again.
If you look carefully you will see battery-operated votives tucked in the arrangement,
which adds a lovely glow.

Have you ever made pomanders?  How long did they last?  I'd love to hear how they were received if
you gave them as gifts.

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I read every single one of them, and they encourage me and inspire me.  And if you like what you see a lot J, maybe you’d like to +1 this post too!  Thank you!

I will be joining these fun parties; please stop by to see all the great things there!

The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday at http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

 Homemaker on a Dime, Sunday at http://www.homemakeronadime.com/p/link-parties.html

Carrie’s Amaze Me Monday at http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/

Home Savvy A to Z Monday party at http://www.homesavvyatoz.com/savvy-homemade-monday-13/

 Susan’s Metamorphosis Monday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Motivated Monday at http://becolorful.typepad.com/  

 Debbie’s Newbie Party on Monday at http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/

 Marty's Table Top Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ 

 Kim's Wow Us Wednesdays at http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/ 

 Susan's Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

 Open House Party Thursday http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

 Courtney’s, Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

 Honey's Potpourri Friday at http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

 Inspiration Friday at http://www.atthepicketfence.com