3D-Printed LED House Numbers with WLED and Home Assistant

Sometimes the best DIY projects start with a simple idea, a 3D printer, and an LED strip that refuses to cooperate.

House numbers are supposed to be easy to read. They don’t necessarily have to be boring, either.

For this project, I wanted illuminated house numbers that would look good on the outside of the house while integrating nicely with my existing smart home. I started with a model from MakerWorld, made a small modification to the design, and added addressable LEDs controlled by WLED and Home Assistant.

The result? Backlit house numbers with warm white illumination, automatic operation, and the option to experiment with colours and effects later.

And, perhaps most importantly, no need to convince an inflexible LED strip to bend around every corner.

Starting with a MakerWorld Model

The project is based on LED House Numbers 0–9 V2 by RonJak Design on MakerWorld.

The model comes in several sizes. I chose the 19 cm version and printed the numbers 5 and 7.

The design uses a dark front and a white rear diffuser. Light from behind the numbers passes through the white section, creating an illuminated outline around each digit.

It’s a straightforward concept, but the details of the lighting make a big difference to the finished result.

The original design is intended for LED strips that follow the contours of the numbers. Depending on the strip, this can mean cutting it into smaller sections and reconnecting them with wires.

I wanted to try a different approach.

The LED Strip Problem

For the lighting, I used a 5 V SK6812 RGBWW addressable LED strip with 144 LEDs per metre.

This is a dense strip, which is useful when you want reasonably fine control over the light. Each LED is individually addressable, so WLED can control the lighting rather than simply switching the entire strip on or off.

There was just one small complication.

The strip wasn’t particularly interested in bending around the curves of the numbers.

Anyone who has worked with LED strips knows that not every strip is happy making tight turns. Trying to force one into a shape it doesn’t like can quickly turn a simple project into an exercise in frustration.

Instead of cutting the strip into lots of small sections, I decided to change the printed design.

A Small Modification with a Big Difference

The modification itself was simple.

I scaled the white rear diffuser to 200% along the Y-axis, leaving the other parts at their original dimensions.

This provided the additional space I needed to install the LED strip on its edge, facing outwards towards the white diffuser.

Rather than laying the strip flat, I placed it vertically inside the channel and ran it around the outline of each number, almost like a belt.

The LEDs now point sideways, directly towards the diffuser. The light spreads through the white material and creates the illuminated outline visible around the black numbers.

This approach allowed me to keep the strip running around the outline without having to cut it into numerous small pieces to follow every curve.

Sometimes, modifying a 3D model is easier than modifying your expectations.

The important detail is that the diffuser needs to accommodate the physical dimensions of the strip in its new orientation. Scaling it along one axis was enough for my particular setup.

WLED and the GLEDOPTO ESP32 Controller

For the controller, I took the easy route.

I already had a GLEDOPTO WLED LED Controller ESP32 available, so there was no need to build a controller from scratch.

The controller runs WLED and drives the 5 V SK6812 strip. WLED provides the LED control, while its Home Assistant integration makes the lighting available alongside the rest of the smart home.

This is one of the reasons I like using WLED for projects like this. You get addressable LED control, colour settings, brightness adjustment and lighting effects without having to develop your own firmware.

The RGBWW strip also offers more flexibility than a basic single-colour LED strip. For this project, I currently use warm white light, but I can explore different colours and effects when the occasion calls for it.

One important practical detail: because this is a 5 V LED strip, the power supply and controller must be suitable for 5 V operation. Addressable LED strips can draw substantial current, particularly when many LEDs are illuminated at high brightness. The power supply, wiring and controller must be sized for the actual installation.

Integrating the House Numbers with Home Assistant

The numbers are integrated into Home Assistant through WLED.

At the moment, the automation is deliberately simple. The lights turn on when it gets dark outside and turn off again when daylight returns.

That gives me illuminated house numbers when they’re useful, without leaving them on throughout the day.

There is no need for complicated logic or a collection of extra sensors. Home Assistant handles the timing, while WLED takes care of the lighting.

The setup also leaves plenty of room for future improvements.

For example, I could experiment with different colours during holidays or special occasions. A subtle colour change for Christmas or another seasonal event could be fun, while keeping the normal warm white lighting for the rest of the year.

The advantage of using WLED is that these changes can be made in software. The printed numbers and the LED installation don’t need to change.

What I Like About This Solution

The biggest advantage is the combination of a simple physical modification and flexible software control.

The 200% Y-axis scaling gave me the space I needed for the LED strip, while the edge-mounted arrangement avoided the need to bend the strip around every curve.

The finished installation also looks clean. The black numbers stand out against the illuminated background, and the warm light works well against the dark exterior wall.

I also like that the project fits naturally into my existing Home Assistant setup. The lights don’t need a separate schedule or a completely independent smart lighting system.

Of course, the exact result will depend on the LED strip, the printed dimensions, the diffuser material and how the strip is positioned. My modification worked for this particular combination, so it’s worth checking the dimensions before printing if you want to reproduce it.

For an outdoor installation, weather protection is another important consideration. The printed parts, electrical connections, cable entry and power supply all need to be suitable for the conditions where the numbers will be mounted.

Final Thoughts

This was a relatively small project, but it’s a good example of how 3D printing and smart home technology can work together.

A ready-made model provided the starting point. A small adjustment to the diffuser made it work with the LED strip I wanted to use. WLED took care of the lighting, and Home Assistant made it part of the house rather than just another standalone gadget.

The current setup does exactly what I need: it lights up the house numbers when it gets dark and switches them off when daylight returns.

And if I decide that the house needs festive colours later in the year, that’s just a software change away.

Not bad for a couple of printed numbers and an LED strip that didn’t want to bend.