This post is a video tutorial that will show you how to wrap Christmas light bulbs around something in Photoshop. This video tutorial goes along with with my previous text-based Photoshop tutorial: How to create Christmas text wrapped in a string of light bulbs in Photoshop

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Below is a video that will show you how to create a X-Mas Light Bulb in Photoshop. This video tutorial goes along with with my previous text-based Photoshop tutorial: Christmas Lights Photoshop Tutorial.

Filed under: Photoshop, Tutorial by Keith
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This tutorial is going to stem off of my last Christmas Photoshop tutorial which showed you how to create a light bulb in photoshop. My main focus for making this tutorial was to show you how to wrap an object with Christmas bulbs, but while I was thinking of a object to wrap the lights in, I just decided to create some Christmas text and combine it in this tutorial. Feel free to replace the text with your own object, it could be an image, your logo, or just text that you came up with.

There is also a video tutorial that goes along with this article so that you can follow along visually.

Here is our final product which we will be making in this tutorial

Step I: Create the 3d Text

Create a new document in Photoshop (Ctrl + N) with a width of 800px and a height of 400px, and a resolution of 300 pixels/inch.

Using the gradient tool, fill the background with white.

Using the text tool, write the word “Christmas” in all capital letters. I used the typeface Helvetica. If you don’t have Helvetica on your computer, you can use Arial or any other typeface that you would like. Make the type bold, 24pt, and change the color to green (#33cc45). Note: you can adjust the spacing between the letters by holding alt+left/right arrow keys.

Now create the letters “merr” in a different text layer using the text tool. (The “Y” will be created separately).  Give the “merr” a red color (#cc3333), font size of 36pt, typeface: Helvetica, font-weight: bold. Position the “merr” just like the image below.

Finish up the text by adding the “y”. Use Helvetica bold, the same red color (#cc3333), and a font size of 52pt. Position the “y” like in the image below.

Now we are going to make the text 3D. Duplicate the green “CHRISTMAS” text layer by right clicking the layer in the layers panel and selecting duplicate layer. Change the color of the duplicate layer to a darker green (#009908). Using the move tool, move the new duplicate layer down and to the left. Then bring the darker green image layer below the lighter one on the layers panel.

Repeat the same process for the “merr” and “y” layers. Make the color a darker red (#990003).

 

Create a new layer in between the two green “CHIRSTMAS” layers. Grab the polygonal lasso tool and select the add to selection button on the top of the screen (see image below). This will make it so that each selection with the lasso tool will be on the same layer.

Zoom in with the zoom tool and connect the corners of the two C’s in the “CHRISTMAS” layers like the image below. (Click on the image to enlarge it).

Once the selection is made, use the paint bucket tool and fill the dotted lines with the darker green color (#009908).

Now the “C” looks like it is 3D. Continue this process for the rest of the letters in “CHRISTMAS”

Repeat the same process for “merr” and “y”. Fill the selections with the same dark red color (#990003)

Now our text is all set and we can move on to wrapping it in Christmas Lights.

Step II: Wraping the text in Christmas Lights

Select the pen tool and in the top options bar, select the Paths option. (See image below).

Using the pen tool, make a path like below

Now we are going to fill in the pen path we just created. In the color swatch box pick a dark green (#006b00). Select the brush tool and set the brush to a 4px hard brush. Then create a new layer above the rest of the text layers. Select the pen tool again, right click on the path that you previously created, and select stroke path.

Click OK in the Brush Stroke box that pops up.

Now we have the string for our lights.

With the string layer selected, click the Add layer mask button on the bottom of the layers panel.

Grab the brush tool and press “x” on your keyboard so that you have a black brush color.

With your layer mask selected, use the black brush to go over the line and mask parts of it to look like the line is wrapping around the text

Next we are going to add some Christmas bulbs. To make the bulb see my last tutorial: How to make a Christmas Light Bulb in Photoshop. If you want to skip ahead, you can grab the PSD at the bottom of the tutorial.

Pull the light bulb into the “Merry Christmas” document.

Resize the bulb and rotate it (by hitting Ctrl+T on the keyboard) and place it on the green string line. Hit enter to accept the changes.

Select the bulb layers, and with the move tool selected, hold down alt/option on your keyboard and move the duplicated bulb to another spot on the string.

Use Ctrl+T to rotate the bulb.

We are now going to change the color of the second bulb. If you are using or have created a bulb using my previous post, select the folder named glow and the bulb layer beneath it from the layers panel and merge them by right clicking and then selecting Merge Layers . This will allow us to add an adjustment layer.

To add an adjustment layer, select the new, freshly merged layer, then go to Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Hue / Saturation. When the dialog box pops up, select the Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask checkbox.

Slide the Hue slider until it turns to a color that you like, then hit OK.

Select the second bulb and repeat the duplication/color changing process until the whole string is filled up. Be sure to put some lights behind the text by dragging the bulb layer underneath the text layers.

Step III: Adding shadows

The final step will be to add some shadows under the lights to give them some depth. Create a new layer directly under the green string layer. Grab a soft, 9px black brush and paint shadows under the lights that are on top of the text. Set the opacity for the shadow layer to 30%.

Then, on the same layer and grab a 4px soft, black brush, and paint a shadow for the green string.

Finished Product

There you have it, the finished product

Conclusion

There you have it – how to wrap something in Christmas Lights! Be sure to check out the video tutorial!

 

Download the finished PSD here:

download: Final Christmas Light Wrap Photoshop File (879.43KB) description: This the the final .psd file for the tutorial on wrapping text in Christmas Bulbs

Filed under: Photoshop, Tutorial by Keith
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I am going to show you how to create some Christmas lights in Photoshop in this free tutorial. You can use this design to make a Christmas card, holiday wallpaper, or use it to make something unique of your own. Check out the video tutorial if you get stuck or would like to follow along.

Final Image Preview

Step 1: Creating the Bulb

Start working by creating a new document (Ctrl+N) in Adobe Photoshop with a size of 300px wide by 500px high (in RGB color mode).

Fill the document with a black background using the Fill Tool

Create a circle in the middle of the document by using the Ellipse Tool. Don’t worry about the color for now since we will be changing it shortly. Make sure to hold down shift to make a perfect circle.

Grab the Direct Selection Tool (located under the “Path Selection Tool”) and then click at the very top of the circle to show the very top anchor point.

After clicking on the top of the circle with the Direct Selection Tool, hold shift and pull the top up to make the bulb shape.

Now we want to give the bulb some color and glow. In this tutorial we are going to start off making a blue bulb, and once the bulb is finished, I will show you how to change the color. In order to give the bulb some color we are going to change some blending options for the layer.

Click on Add a layer style icon for the bulb layer from the bottom part of the Layers panel and click Gradient Overlay:

Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.

Then add an Outer Glow with the following settings:

Finally add an Inner Glow with the following settings:

We are going to add a little more glow to the center of the bulb. Create a new layer (Ctrl + Shift + N) and name it “Center Glow”. Choose a 150px soft brush. Make sure to have the color white selected. Set the opacity of the brush to 20%. Then click in the center of the bulb 2 or 3 times with the brush. Don’t go over board with this, too little is better than too much.

We are going to add some shine to the bulb using the pen tool. Create the shapes that I did below and then set their layers to 30% opacity. (Note: the pen tool can be tricky for some beginners, if you are having trouble, check out the video tutorial).

The bulb is finished for right now, let’s move on to the base.

Step 2: Making the base

Start off by making a green rectangle like below using the Rectangle Tool. Don’t get too hung up on the color since we will be changing it in a minute.

Now take the Add Anchor Point Tool (located under the Pen Tool) and add two new anchor points to the rectangle. One in the middle of the top line, and one in the middle of the bottom line.

When you have added the two new anchor points, grab the Direct Selection Tool, and click the top new anchor point, hold shift, and then click the bottom anchor point. This will select both of the anchor points together. Keep holding shift and drag the point up just slightly to give the rectangle a curve.

Next we want to add an ellipse to fill out the bottom. Select the Ellipse Tool and a slightly darker green (I used #009b0f) and draw an ellipse beneath the previous rectangle. Once the ellipse is drawn make sure to move the ellipse layer under the rectangle layer.

Next is the second half of our base. The process is the same as the top rectangle, just start out by making a taller and slightly thinner rectangle.

Next, lets add a little depth to the base with a gradient overlay. Select the first, smaller rectangle and click on the Add a layer style icon from bottom part of the Layers panel and select Gradient Overlay. Use the following settings:

Click in the color bar to open the Gradient Editor and set the color stops as shown. Click OK to close the Gradient Editor dialog box.

Add the same layer styles to the second, longer rectangle. Your base should now look like this:

Step 3: Adding Streaks of Light

The last thing to do is to add one more light layer on top of all of the other layers.

Select the Polygon Tool and give it 15 sides. (To add sides see the toolbar at the top of the screen) Draw a small, white polygon in the center of the bulb. (It will look like a circle since the size is so small.)

Using the Direct Selection Tool again, click on the new white circle and pull out four points in different directions.

When the four points are pulled out, your result should look similar to this:

Apply a Gaussian Blur (Filter > Blur >Gaussian Blur) with a radius of 1.5 px.

Then set the opacity of the layer to 30%.

There you have it a finished light bulb and base!

Step 4: Changing the color of the bulb

Changing the color of the bulb is simple using Adjustment Layers. Merge the bulb layer with the 2 pen shine layers. Add a Hue/Saturation layer (Layer -> New Adjustment Layer -> Hue/Saturation) make sure the “Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask” checkbox is checked.

Now slide the Hue bar to change the color of the bulb.

Finished Product

There you have it, finished multicolored Christmas lights from scratch in Photoshop. Be sure to check out the video tutorial if you get stuck or confused. Also check out part two of this tutorial where I show you how to use a light bulb to make a string of lights.

 

Download the finished PSD here:

download: Christmas Light Final PSD (161.19KB) description: Final PSD for Christmas Bulb Photoshop Tutorial

Filed under: Miscellaneous, Photoshop, Tutorial by Keith
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