Light Up the Night With These Design Ideas for String Lights
String lights could be considered an ugly duckling of outdoor decorating: they have a reputation for being a cheap decorating technique - when in fact, they are incredibly versatile design elements that can create a different ambience for every activity area of your outdoor living space. So let’s get started and light up the night with these design ideas for string lights.
Until recently, string lights came in only two sizes (tiny and large); today, you can find them in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, as well as many wire lengths. Most string lights can be combined with several more to create longer strands. The best part about modern string light technology is that you can also find battery-powered solar-powered lights that allow you to place them wherever you like, whether or not there is an electrical outlet available.
Tips:
Be sure to use outdoor-rated string lights.
Less is more! Place lights in a few strategic spots, but resist the temptation to light up the entire backyard so you keep the magical night time feel.
For the best results, opt for light emitting diode (LED) bulbs which last significantly longer than incandescent or halogen bulbs.
Don’t worry if there aren’t enough freestanding structures or trees to hang lights from! Invest in a couple of large, heavy ceramic pots or wine barrels, some 4x4 posts that are about 8’-10’ long. Place the posts into the pot and fill to two thirds with sand to keep the posts steady. Fill the remainder with potting soil and your favorite seasonal flowers. These “potted posts” are NOT load-bearing but they are plenty sturdy enough to hang string lights.
Now, where to put them for the best effect?
1. An old bicycle wheel wrapped in petite white Christmas lights and hung from the rafters of a pergola makes for an incredibly festive outdoor chandelier. Choose battery- or solar-powered lights if you don’t have an electrical outlet nearby.
2. Fill empty mason jars or wine bottles with battery-powered fairy lights and place them around the perimeter of your outdoor living space. The effect is magical! Putting a lid on the jars (or a cork in the wine bottles) will keep your lights dry, and keep bugs from collecting inside the container.
3. Any gnarled old branch can become an exceptionally beautiful outdoor light fixture with the addition of some crystal pendants and battery-powered fairy lights. The more random the placement, the better.
4. Create a café-like atmosphere by hanging string lights in a cris-cross pattern over your patio.
For this, you’ll get the best effect if you use string lights with larger bulbs (such as Edison bulbs) or string lights that come with paper lanterns (or plastic versions of paper lanterns, for a more durable and semi-permanent look). Start with just one strategically hung strand, such as one that drapes softly over an outdoor dining table. String lights are brighter after dark than you might think while you’re installing them. Too much light ruins the romance of the night.
5. There’s no prettier way to hide an AC unit or trash cans than with a decorative screen, but lights take it a step further. Repurpose an old panel screen by removing the centers so that only the frames remain. Fill the space with horizontally- or vertically-oriented twigs such as dogwood, each wrapped with mini string lights. This also gives typically dark and underused areas of the backyard a fresh new charm.
6. Softly drape string lights along the top of a privacy wall. This will help keep the boxed-in feeling at bay while illuminating the outer reaches of your backyard. Solar-powered string lights are the best bet for this technique.
7. Light up the trees. Trees often get lost in the dark of night, so why not make them into gorgeous focal points by wrapping them with mini string lights? The effect is romantic and filled with charm. To wrap more than one tree, use solar-powered lights.
8. Garden gates and arbors are ideal spots for string lights that extend a warm welcome to family and friends.