Lighting can help outdoor entertaining continue long after the sun sets. Moonlighting in trees, spotlights, path lights, chandeliers and sconces can illuminate outdoor spaces and keep them safe, but may be too large of an investment right now.
For a smaller investment, here’s seven products for patios, porches, decks and balconies.
String lights: String lights can add a sparkle to gardens and outdoor rooms. Options abound, whether you're at a home improvement store, garden shop, mass retailer such as Target and Wal-Mart or even the grocery store. You can typically find a set for under $20, like the dainty copper string light set with LEDs by Hampton Bay ($19.97, thehomedepot.com). Other string light sets have various colors and shapes in a particular theme, such as stars, old lanterns, Mason jars, pink flamingos and sports mascots. Sets with a look of the past include Crate & Barrel's Vintage Bulb String Lights, which was inspired by the Edison bulbs ($49.45, createandbarrel.com), and the Stargazer Garden Trellis String Lights with shades in a punched iron design ($88, shopterrain.com). You also can bring texture into a space with the Rattan Balls String Lights from World Market ($16.99-$29.00, worldmarket.com). Measure your outdoor space to make sure you have enough lights to string across the area.
Lanterns: Lanterns are an ultimate party accessory that can stay up well after guests leave. Lanterns range in shape, including round, cylindrical, bulb and square designs. The materials used for lanterns also spans from paper to nylon to tin. Solar-powered options include Allsop Home & Garden's Soji lanterns, which come in an array of colors and prints, including floral, polka dot and striped (starting at $19.99, allsopgarden.com). Another option is a teardrop-shaped lantern, such as the wire-free, solar party lantern in a pearl hue by Acme Party Box Company ($29, acmepartybox.com).If you don't have a way to hang lanterns, you can place products, such as CB2's Beacon Lantern in sour apple and silver, on tables and railings ($19.95, cb2.com).
Umbrellas: Let umbrellas work for you at night, by choosing one lined with lights. The octagon-shaped Starlight Collar Tilt patio umbrella has more than 100 LED lights underneath (starting at $349, pikenursery.com). Or for a soft glow, sets of tea lights can hang from an existing umbrella. The Umbrella Dangler LED Tea Light sets sold by Bed, Bath & Beyond include those designed in the style of an antique birdcage ($19.99 for set of four, bedbathandbeyond.com).
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