LED Lights for Pumpkins and Beyond

My lil carver at the Central Market Dallas Mompower event

Earlier this week, I was fortunate enough to go to a MOMPOWER event hosted by TXU Energy where fellow bloggers and I learned new ways to carve pumpkins by professional carver Matthew McIntosh, and we discussed ways to light our pumpkins (and our other Halloween decor) using energy-efficient LED lights. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, LEDs are one of the most efficient lighting options available, lasting nearly 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs and using 75 percent less energy. The lights are durable, stay cool to the touch, and they offer a better quality of lighting than many other energy-efficient bulbs. Since Halloween is just around the corner, here are a few tips for using LEDs in your holiday decor.

• Use LED tap lights instead of candles to light your jack-o-lanterns. A tip for keeping the lights clean inside your carved pumpkin: place the light inside a clear zipper baggie.
• Use strings of LED lights around or inside your pumpkins, and connect them either to your wall outlet or a battery pack available at any home improvement store. You can then reuse the string lights for your Christmas or other holiday decor.
• If you need to light up your costumes, battery-powered LEDs give you a lot of bang for your buck. Kiddos dressed as cars, trains or super heroes could all use a little extra sparkle, and the lights make kids easier to see by cars while they're out trick-or-treating.
• Slip a LED flashlight into your kids' trick-or-treat bags to make their nighttime rounds a little safer. Make sure the batteries are fresh!