At Gemstone Lights, we think that lighting can make a huge difference when it comes to setting the tone for events, and New Year’s is the perfect excuse to use permanent outdoor lights to get that party vibe going. The late-night revelry, starry-eyed optimism, glittery outfits, and champagne toasts are all amplified by the warm twinkle of New Year’s lighting.
Whether you’re looking at commercial track lights to ring in the new year at your business or you’re throwing a party in your home with our permanent track lighting or smart flood lights, we’ll set you up for a bright new year with our permanent outdoor lights.
New Year’s Lighting Ideas
If you’re stuck for New Year’s lighting ideas, here’s some inspiration!
Sparkly Lights to Welcome Guests
There’s no better way to ring in the New Year than by welcoming your guests with sparkly lights. It sets just the right tone for the occasion: a warm, glowing, exciting, twinkly beginning to an exciting night.
This is an example from our Instagram account. You can set your lights to gently twinkle with our Sway animation or keep them motionless and set every few lights slightly brighter than the rest for a subtle dazzling effect.
The warm white is welcoming and homely, and it’s a nice change from bold Christmas lights between Christmas and New Year. Sometimes, you want to move away from classic red and green after Christmas day, but you still want to enjoy a bit of festive sparkle.
To do this, you can head to the Gemstone Lights app. Go into the folders and sort by alphabetical order. You should be able to see the Christmas folders near the top.
There are a lot of options for soft, glowing, twinkly lights in these folders, so you can play around and find the best one—the one that works for your home and feels the most welcoming for your incoming guests.
The good thing about having permanent lights controlled by an app is that you can switch them up at any time, so if you’ve got different events happening in the days between Christmas and New Year’s, you can play around with the lighting to create the vibe you’re looking for.
You can access the app even if you’re not home, too. Our Hub2 app has cloud syncing, which means changes will update across all your devices. That means if things get a little chaotic or you have to work over the holiday period, you can still plan for your party wherever you are.
Create an Outdoor Party Space
Check out this example in our Instagram gallery (click the image to see the movement in action):
This is the Gradient animation, which blends and shifts colors slowly along the track. We love this animation because it creates a subtle party atmosphere without being too in-your-face.
This means you can hang out in your outdoor areas, like your yard or patio, and feel like you’re part of the party without your lights becoming too distracting.
Think about how lights can highlight your outdoor spaces—you may be able to create a hangout zone with soft, comfy chairs, blankets, and plenty of drinks and snacks. The Gradient pattern will add an extra colorful element to the night, turning it from a regular hangout into an exciting build-up to midnight.
You can learn how to set up the Gradient animation in this video, but to give you the basics:
- Go to ‘Patterns’
- Click ‘Create Pattern’
- Click the ‘plus’ sign
- Choose the pattern ‘Gradient’
- Select the colors you want
- Click ‘save’
You can then access your own Gradient pattern in your chosen colors at any time. The colors are your choice—if your party has a specific theme, you can even match it with your outdoor lights.
Create Your Own Fireworks
Alright, they might not be actual fireworks, but we love setting the fireworks animation to go off at midnight. This will give your whole neighborhood something to look at, and if anyone is setting off fireworks near you, it’ll definitely match the vibe!
The fireworks animation is the most apt animation for New Year’s! With it, the lights will start flying around your home in colors of your choice in a spectacular, celebratory display.
To use it, you can follow these steps:
- Go to ‘Patterns’
- Click ‘Create Pattern’
- Click the ‘plus’ sign
- Choose the pattern ‘Fireworks’
- Select the colors you want to appear
- Click ‘save’
If you want your animation to come on at the exact right moment to celebrate the new year, you can go into Timers and create a new one:
- Go to the ‘Timer’ tab at the bottom of the screen
- Tap ‘Create a Timer’
- Tap ‘Mode’ to create a mode, and head to Pattern Folders
- Choose the Fireworks pattern you have created
- Assign a name to your timer
- Select ‘Yearly’ repeat
- Click the 1st of January and set the time to 00:00
- Click ‘Save’
Your pattern should now kick into life at the stroke of midnight. This means you won’t have to do anything to set off your “fireworks”—you can just sit back and enjoy the moment. Just remember to head outside to see it in action!
Send Everyone Home Safely
New Year’s Eve is a joyful, optimistic occasion to celebrate, and it’s a good excuse to let your hair down a little. But as a party host, you are responsible for the safety of your guests, too.
You can set a timer so your lights kick on at the right time, allowing your guests to see where they’re going as they leave your property. It’s a thoughtful way to take care of your guests without having to leave your own party.
To do this, you can set a timer:
- Go to the ‘Timer’ tab at the bottom of the screen
- Tap ‘Create a Timer’
- Tap ‘Mode’ to create a mode, and head to Pattern Folders
- Choose the pattern you’d like—we like a well-lit architectural pattern that lights up any exits and pathways
- Assign a name to your timer
- Select the day and time you’d like the lights to come on
- Select ‘Save’
You can choose to light up specific areas using your track lighting, like your front porch, or to have your LED flood lights kick in at the right moment so designated drivers can get to their cars safely.
You can set these lights to switch on whenever you feel guests might start leaving (sometime after midnight!), so you won’t have to think about it during the party itself. You can always set this as a yearly timer, too, ready for your next party!
The good thing about having brightly lit outdoor areas during a party is that you can keep an eye on things and make everyone feel safer. This, in conjunction with something like a smart doorbell, is a good way to make you feel reassured that you know who has joined the party and at what time everyone came and went.
New Year’s Lighting FAQs
Question: What colors should I use for a New Year’s party?
Answer: Of course, this is completely up to you! Metallic colors are usually associated with New Year’s—think gold and silver. However, some colors have strong meanings attached to them, so you could go for something symbolic like:
- Green – Prosperity
- Yellow – Hope
- Purple – Luxury
- White – New beginnings
Whether you believe in this kind of thing or not, it’s fun to plan and put effort into these small details. You can choose a color theme and tie it into your party by using the same colors for balloons, table decorations, etc.
Question: How can I make the most of my outdoor spaces?
Answer: Even if it’s cold out, you can make the most of your outdoor spaces and create a chilled-out area for people to congregate during your New Year’s event. A patio or porch is perfect for hanging out. Just make sure you have a lot of comfortable seating areas—benches, soft chairs, and big cushions work well.
If it’s cold out, you can add blankets, and if you have a fire pit or patio heater, that’s even better.
Switch on your lights to add a little festivity, bring a smart speaker along to play music, and you’ve got an extra functional space for people to go. (This could also be the perfect viewing spot if fireworks are being set off in your neighborhood!)
Question: Can I save my premade patterns and access them quickly next year?
Answer: Yes. You can create your own folders:
- Tap the ‘plus’ button
- Select an icon for your new folder
- Tap the ‘save’ button
- Enter a name for your folder
- Tap ‘Confirm,’ and your new folder should appear
You can then add your New Year’s party patterns to this folder so they’ll be ready for next year when you need them.
Our Final Thoughts
Our permanent outdoor lights are super flexible. You can use them year-round for all occasions. We believe that our Gemstone Lights can make a big difference when it comes to special occasions. You’d be surprised how much lighting can switch up the atmosphere for a party!
If you’re looking for permanent outdoor lights, get in touch with one of our Authorized Dealers for a quote today!