How to Create Cozy Bedroom Lighting (Unusually Low Budget)

I love being cozy in my bedroom. I’m sure you do too, which is why you’re reading this. But it can be hard to find and create the perfect cozy bedroom lighting, especially on a budget.

It was hard for me too…until I made home decor my entire life. But anyways, I don’t blame you one bit for struggling to create cozy bedroom lighting. By now, you must be really annoyed and on the verge of giving up altogether.

But I’m here to tell you don’t. Because over the years, I’ve discovered the best strategy of how to create cozy bedroom lighting on a budget.

And now, I’m sharing that with you.

it’s time for you to wave goodbye to any discomfort and welcome bedroom coziness!

Assessing Your Current Bedroom: What Relaxation Lighting Do You Already Have?

Before you go out and purchase a million new light fixtures for your bedroom, take moment to reflect on your current bedroom.

What relaxation lighting, decor, or any other accessories do you already have?

I know you might be prompted to say, “Absolutely NOTHING. That’s why I’m reading this guide.” But I guarantee you that that’s not true.

Think about what makes you cozy in your bedroom. Maybe its your blankets, or your wall colors, or your wall decorations, or even your workspace.

Whatever it is, keep it in the back of your mind as you read the rest of this guide. Why?

Because you don’t want to add anything new to your bedroom that you already have or that you don’t need as badly. You’re just going to be spending more of your hard-earned money on something of little value.

Remember, we’re on a budget, and we’ll do anything we can to make sure we stay within our budget.

How to Create Cozy Bedroom Lighting with DIY Lighting Solutions

Coziness typically comes from comfort. And one of the best sources of comfort is from things that are personal to you or things that you make yourself.

In this case, we need cozy lighting, which is why we’re going to make DIY lighting solutions.

By filling your room with light fixtures that are handmade, I promise you will feel A LOT cozier.

Good news: another reason why I love DIY lighting solutions is because they’re much cheaper than store-bought light fixtures.

DIY Candles: The Lighting Most Interior Designers Ignore

Most interior designers won’t talk about candles because they don’t profit from it, which is why you see very few bedrooms with candles. But I will because they’re one of my favorite types of DIY lighting for a rare bedroom look.

Candles themselves are known to be peaceful and produce a warm glow that brings you to great comfort.

Now imagine if that candle were made by you. Your hard work sits on your desk, on your dresser, on your bedside table, on your window sill, or even on the floor.

That is comfort. That is cozy lighting.

Additionally, it’s fairly easy and quick to create candles. Here’s the guide I use to create my own DIY candles in 10 simple steps.

Pro tip: To create a cozier atmosphere at night, I recommend that you turn off all other lights and light up a few candles. This feeling is truly unbeatable.

DIY Paper Lanterns: Old But Gold Cozy Bedroom Lighting

Many neglect paper lanterns because they think they’re too outdated. Yes, I agree, they’re old. Yes, they’re traditional.

But they’re also elegant and warm. And, unless you’re going for a completely modern bedroom lighting design, they’re perfect to create a haven of comfort.

I also love DIY paper lanterns because they’re a great replacement for pendant lights and overhead lighting.

Most interior designers recommend pendant lights for cozy lighting (and I do too as you’ll read in the following sections) but I think that a warmer alternative are lanterns.

So how do you actually create them?

If you want a more modern bedroom lighting, I recommend creating these modern lanterns. Otherwise, I recommend creating these traditional, spherical lanterns.

Pro tip: I suggest that you hang your new creation from your ceiling near your bed, window, or any corner in your room, as shown in the following lantern decor ideas.

DIY Light-Up Origami Lampshades: A More Modern Approach

DIY light-up origami lampshades are similar to lanterns but have a few key differences that puts them in their own category.

These are the main differences between origami lampshades and paper lanterns:

1. Origami lampshades have a more complex design for a more sophisticated appearance
2. Origami lampshades create interesting and unique shadow patterns around your bedroom
3. Origami lampshades can be used as alternatives to pendant lights or table lamps (in this case, we are using them as table lamps)
4. Paper lanterns are easier to make

Of these differences, my favorite is number 2. Personally, I absolutely adore the cool pattern that DIY light-up origami lampshades cast around my bedroom. Why?

Because it gives my bedroom more coziness and a personal vibe that brings me to ease. I want you to feel this way too, which is why I highly recommend these DIY lampshades.

My Favorite Tutorial (Step-By-Step Video)

I’ll be straight up with you. Light-up origami lampshades are difficult to make, especially for the first time.

But don’t worry, I’ll share the tutorial that I always use to create DIY light-up origami lamps for my bedroom. As long as you follow this tutorial, you’ll get the hang of it without spending a lot of time.

Other Cozy Lighting Ideas for Your Bedroom (Not DIY)

Maybe you just don’t have the time or the energy to make your own DIY lighting. And that is completely OK. I, myself, am terrible at arts and crafts (that’s why I always need a tutorial to guide me), so I completely understand if you don’t want to deal with DIY accessories.

Don’t worry though; I have alternatives for you.

Although it is a bit more expensive, you can create cozy bedroom lighting with a few store-bought light fixtures.

Decorate Your Bedroom with String Lights

String lights are my personal favorite type of cozy bedroom lighting. I especially love them for nighttime purposes, when their dim brightness brings a warm glow to my bedroom.

There are many types of bedroom string lights and everyone has their personal preferences about which type is the coziest for them.

My personal favorite are fairy lights because they produce the coziest vibe, they’re typically the cheapest, and they’re very versatile. In other words, you can use them for your living room, dining room, or even your home office!

Pro tip: Correctly style your string lights for the coziest bedroom makeover by lining them along your bedding, walls, desk, dresser, and/or window/curtains.

Consider LED Strip Lighting

LED strips are really similar to string lights, but the key difference is that LED strips are not that decorative by themselves. In other words, they don’t pop out as they blend in with whatever surface they’re placed on.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t create cozy bedroom lighting. If you style them correctly, they, too, will be a great addition to your cozy ambiance.

My biggest suggestion to style LED strips for cozy bedroom lighting is to place them on surfaces that can’t be seen, allowing them to emit light from areas that no other light fixture can.

Here are my top 3 favorite ways that I like to style LED strips for coziness:

1. Place them underneath your desk rather than on the sides or legs of your desk, giving your desk an aesthetic and comforting vibe.
2. Add ambient lighting to your bedroom by place them underneath your bed frame.
3. Place them underneath your window sill, making your bedroom glow from an unexpected area.

Candles, Pendant Lights, and Lamps (Not DYI)

Sound familiar? As I said earlier, there’s an alternative to all types of lighting. That’s the beauty about bedroom lighting.

If you can’t create the DIY candles, DIY lanterns, or DIY origami lampshades described previously, these are your alternatives. It’s important to remember, though, that opting for these store-bought alternatives will be more expensive.

Above, I’ve already discussed the benefits of candles, pendant lights, and lamps, so I won’t waste your time by talking about them again.

But considering I’m including these lighting styles in both the DIY section and the non-DIY sections, I’m sure you understand the pivotal role of candles, pendant lights, and lamps to successfully creating cozy bedroom lighting.

These lights also make a huge difference to your overall bedroom as they serve many other purposes, such as task lighting, accent lighting, and overhead lighting.

Pro tip #1: Make the most of your light fixtures by including them in areas where no other light source exists. Doing so will ensure that you have a cozy oasis everywhere, not just a few areas.

Pro tip #2: To stay within your budget, I recommend choosing either pendant lights or lamps, whether they’re floor lamps or table lamps. I’ve written this guide, if you need help deciding which to choose.

Other Tips to Give Your Bedroom a Cozy Vibe

Simply making or buying light fixtures isn’t enough for cozy bedroom lighting. If you want to truly create a cozy atmosphere, you need to keep some other tips in mind that will enhance your lighting.

Here are my top 3 tips to further give your bedroom a cozy touch:

Maximize Natural Light

Maximizing natural light is one of the most underrated techniques for giving your bedroom—and honestly any space in your home—a comfortable feel.

And the reason most interior designers neglect natural light is because they don’t benefit from it. They don’t get the chance to sell you some form of artificial light that boosts their commissions.

But I’m not writing this blog post to sell you something, which is why I will emphasize the importance of maximizing natural light in your bedroom.

With sunlight shining into your room, your bedroom glows a warm hue that no artificial light can produce.

Additionally, this unique, warm light color leads to many health benefits that give you a more cozy and comfortable bedroom feel.

And of course, your wallet benefits too. By taking advantage of natural light, you no longer need artificial light that eats up your energy bill.

Ah, don’t we love saving money?

How to Maximize Natural Light In Your Bedroom

There are a few easy and affordable ways to maximize natural light in your bedroom, including:

1. Make sure no furniture is placed in front of your window
2. Consider using mirrors to reflect light into darker corners
3. Position your desk in an area where you get the most sunlight during the day

Pro tip: Consider installing sheer curtains to diffuse the sunlight and cast dim lighting in your bedroom for a more natural room feel.

Complement Your Artwork

Any canvas or artwork on your walls instantly adds a personal touch that contributes to the overall coziness of your bedroom. But what if you could enhance that artwork with the right lighting?

With the right lighting, you can emphasize the artwork in your room. And if you’ve made it yourself, you’ll even be showing it off, making you feel more comfortable in your room!

So what is the right lighting? The answer is accent lighting. Accent lights are lights focused on a specific area or object.

To create meaningful accent lighting for your artwork, you can use picture lights or spotlights.

I personally prefer picture lights because they don’t take up any space on the floor.

Style Minimalistic Textiles and Wall Colors

While this final tip doesn’t discuss lighting directly, it does discuss how you can enhance your cozy bedroom lighting using other factors.

The key to bedroom coziness is using light colors. Consider beige and creamy white colors for your bed sheets, curtains, rugs, or walls.

By using minimalistic textiles, you can shift the focus from your bed sheets to your lighting. Additionally, you also create a calmer and more peaceful atmosphere that actually accepts your new lighting style.

Otherwise, by using vibrant textiles and vibrant wall colors, you reject any sense of serenity and natural elements. And that is something that would flush all your hard work on your bedroom makeover down the drain.

Conclusion

With the steps and tips outlined above, I hope you’ve learned how to create cozy bedroom lighting using as little of your budget as possible.

Even if you don’t take my DYI advice, don’t worry. As long as you continue to be your own interior designer, you can make all your home decor dreams come true.

For other budget home decor ideas and tips, whether it be for your living room, dining room, family room, or kitchen, follow my Pinterest page. I post publish budget home decor ideas every single day for people just like you!

Meet The Author

Hi! I’m Anish, your budget buying guide! I’ve been reviewing home gadgets and accessories for the past 3 years, so it’s safe to say I know a thing or two about home products.

So why did I start writing these guides? Because I saw that people were spending WAY too much money on home products when there were SO MANY cheaper alternatives out there.

I want to help you save money on your home gadgets without compromising the appearance and functionality of your home. So what better way is there than simply writing about how I do it myself?

I want to show you how you can change the landscape of your home without spending a dime more than what is required. You can save more money than you might think!

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