Outdoor string light ideas – 12 easy ways to make your garden sparkle

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Should you’re in search of simple methods to provide your backyard a glow-up this summer time, then out of doors string mild concepts are the reply. With so many kinds and choices out there, it’s by no means been simpler to light up your backyard, and better of all, out of doors string lights will add prompt affect with out costing a fortune.

Specializing in out of doors eating areas and seating areas is the best method to begin on the subject of backyard lighting concepts. Festoon and string lights suspended overhead will illuminate the world and create a magical temper that’s pretty on summer time evenings or when entertaining household and pals open air.

Along with key gathering areas, including illumination in different areas of the backyard is a superb means of making additional temper and atmosphere. Whether or not stringing lights from timber and fences or lighting up summer time homes and pergolas with sparkly festoon strings.

Out of doors string mild concepts

Whereas hanging festoons and string lights is a super-simple means of including ambiance open air and giving the backyard a pageant vibe, simple set up is one other plus level. All that’s required is a few fixing factors, which could be the aspect of a home or a tree, put up or backyard construction. Whereas energy could be provided by an out of doors socket or by way of solar-powered string lights.

Take inspiration from our round-up of the perfect out of doors string mild concepts, from vibrant festoons and fairy lights, to sparkly strings and clusters that can praise out of doors wall lighting concepts and bathe your out of doors house in mild.

1. Droop string lights above a patio

Fairly by day however magical at night time, use string lights in your patio lighting concepts strung throughout a terrace to mild up the house after darkish. Festoon lights will give a delicate ambient glow that can present simply sufficient illumination for night-time eating or relaxed gatherings, with out being too harsh or overly vivid.

‘Festoon lights present a simple and cheap means of including magic to any out of doors house,’ says Dani Taylor, Inventive and Product Director at Cox & Cox.

‘You probably have a big out of doors space to light up, adorn with connectable string lights and daisy-chain a number of units collectively from a singular energy supply,’ says Claire Bassett, Senior Product Supervisor at Lights4fun. ‘This easy however efficient design will allow you to mild up any space of your backyard as you possibly can join as much as 200 metres of lights.’

‘Begin by wrapping the string lights round your backyard timber, transferring from base of the tree trunk up in direction of the branches. There are lots of equipment reminiscent of 3-way connectors which allow you to create a fair glow all through your show with ease. Zig-zag the strings of lights overhead in your decking or pergola to create a twinkly cover to go with the night time sky.’

Purchase now: Fabulous extendable globe festoon lights, £60, Cox & Cox

2. Create additional sparkle for backyard events

Put the main target in your backyard desk concepts to create ambiance and atmosphere for dinner events and out of doors gatherings. Zig-zag strings of lights above the desk, utilizing a beneficiant quantity and ranging the size and peak of every string to create a casual show. As with indoor eating desk lighting, guarantee that string lights are excessive sufficient in order that they don’t block the view throughout the desk and in order that diners gained’t hit their heads on them.

‘For the proper of entirety, adorn your out of doors house with heat white connectable festoon lights overhead,’ provides Claire. ‘Swag every string above your alfresco space and connect to surrounding timber and bushes. Add out of doors micro fairy lights, wrapping round close by timber and surrounding foliage for an idyllic backyard characteristic.’

3. Embellish a backyard pergola

In addition to offering additional illumination open air, overhead lighting is an effective means of drawing consideration to completely different areas of the backyard and making gathering factors or seating spots extra apparent to visitors.

Embellish a backyard pergola with strings of lights to supply delicate background lighting for any backyard seating concepts. Twinkling lights will assist pretty-up a plain backyard construction, reminiscent of a pergola, arch or arbor, and if greenery is already established, lights could be nestled in amongst the foliage for added atmosphere.

4. Set the temper with low-key lighting

Properly-lit paths, steps and bounds are important on the subject of security open air. However for seating areas and gathering areas the place the temper is extra convivial and relaxed, look to low-level lighting concepts to assist create a extra laidback temper.

Built-in lights into your backyard fence concepts by suspending string lights alongside fence panels, hedges and nestled in amongst greenery. This can assist to create a delicate, softly-lit backdrop for a seating space. Complement with desk high candles, lanterns and night time lights if additional illumination is required after darkish.

5. Double-up with extra-sparkly strings

Go just a little overboard if it’s a special day and also you’re entertaining open air. Cluster-style string lights, doubled-up and suspended low above a eating desk will twinkle additional brightly and create a fascinating ambiance after darkish.

Add an additional string of lights on the eating desk, weaved in amongst candles, serving platters and glassware to make the tabletop sparkle and add an additional sense of event.

6. Body a doorway with lights

Use mild strings to border an outside construction, reminiscent of a porch, verandah or summer time home. Droop lights from overhead beams or rafters, loosely draping the strings in arc shapes throughout the width of the world, moderately than pulling them taut.

When suspending lights from a wood construction, it’s simple to safe strings by wrapping them round beams or uprights. Alternatively, screw-in hooks can be utilized as fixing factors, strategically positioned all alongside the show space.

Purchase now: Core Join festoon mild, £26.99, Lights4fun

7. Get the backyard social gathering began

Create a vacation vibe open air by choosing enjoyable multi-coloured festoon lights to jazz up your patio concepts or exterior deck. Good for events and summer time get-togethers, colored lights will emit a heat, cosy glow and these rainbow-coloured social gathering lights have mini hooks on the tip of every bulb becoming making them super-easy to hold.

8. Embellish timber and greenery

Whereas areas near the home are the primary consideration, the perfect out of doors lighting schemes take a layered method across the backyard so that you simply aren’t left staring out into darkness.

Positioning lighting in timber and foliage is a good way of highlighting favorite options and creating results and shadows. Attempt winding string lights across the trunks of timber to attract consideration to their type or alongside a choose few branches to create a focus. Keep away from too many competing lights – much less lighting in well-chosen positions appears far more discreet and efficient.

9. Make a glasshouse sparkle

Deck out a glasshouse, conservatory or summer time home with twinkling strings of festoon lights adorning the rafters and glowing via the panes. When lit up after darkish it is going to make a superb focus, both on the finish of a backyard or adjoining the home and can create a welcoming glow that may be loved from inside or out.

Drop festoon lights like these are a variation of ordinary strings, with separate drop-down bulbs suspended from a single cable giving the looks of heaps particular person hanging bulbs dotted throughout the house, for a extra luxe impact.

10. Create a courtyard cover

Use strings of fairy lights to create a starry overhead cover in a courtyard or walled backyard space. Good for events, the impact is simple to create utilizing connectable strings of lights. Merely zig-zag the strings diagonally throughout the courtyard, evenly spaced aside, to fill the world and provides the impact of a shimmering cover of lights.

Becoming a member of up particular person strings of lights is simple, with easy connectors on the ends of every string that screw collectively, till you attain the size desired. To safe the lights, use screw-in wall hooks lined-up on both aspect of the courtyard holding the strings in place.

11. Fairly-up a parasol

As an alternative of taking a backyard parasol down after sundown, preserve it because the backdrop of your seating space by including a glittery set of lights. A big shade will present shelter from the weather in order that the spot feels cosier, with lights including a welcoming glow.

Obtain the impact utilizing an ordinary set of fairy lights coiled across the struts, or strive specially-designed parasol lights (as right here) which have separate strings to run alongside every strut, plus an additional hanging bulb at every finish.

Purchase now: Battery-operated parasol lights, £16.99, Lights4fun

12. Attempt an easy-up possibility

Suspending festoons and string lights requires a number of fixing factors, which could be on the aspect of a home or exterior construction, from timber or posts, backyard fences and even tall hedges. If none of those are sensible otherwise you wish to put lights up additional away from the home, take into account standalone festoon holders. Easy, sturdy metallic poles which are staked into the bottom for stability in strategic spots. Not like fastened posts, they’re simply moveable if you wish to take lights down, transfer them to a special location or use them to light up backyard path concepts.

‘Alternatively, place festoon poles or shepherd’s hooks alongside your pathway and use connectable festoon lights, swagging every string from one pole to the following for a trendy traditional show that can paved the way in,’ says Claire Bassett, Senior Product Supervisor at Lights4fun. ‘It’s also possible to adorn string lights to the aspect of your home, drooping every string alongside to create a heat ambiance and illuminate your out of doors house after darkish.’

Purchase now: Festoon holder, £35, Cox & Cox

Can you permit out of doors string lights out within the rain?

Festoon lights needs to be waterproof when it comes to rain showers and will have an IP ranking over IP44. At all times verify the IP (Ingress Safety) ranking earlier than shopping for any out of doors lights. The IP ranking ranks the sunshine supply by how successfully it is protected against exterior components reminiscent of liquids or stable objects and can dictate the place your lights could be put in and the way a lot moisture or exterior pressure they’ll safely come into contact with.

This might embrace being unintentionally touched or stepped on, tampered with, unintended pressure from instruments and spades, wildlife exercise, mud, dust and wiring, along with rain, wind and water submersion. All of which might trigger harm and malfunctioning to exterior lights in the event that they don’t have the proper stage of safety.

With commonplace backyard lights reminiscent of path lights, uplights and string lights, you need to purpose for a minimal ranking of IP44 or larger. The ‘4’ scores will guarantee your lights are protected in opposition to splashing and forceful water contact, whereas additionally defending them from all ranges of bodily contact from objects. You additionally want to make sure that any extension cords you utilize for out of doors lights are rated for exterior use.

What do you utilize to hold string lights on a patio?

It’s potential to droop string lights from the aspect of a home or different out of doors construction or there could also be timber or different tall helps exterior that would make appropriate fixing factors. Metallic hooks, eyes or C-clips could be hooked up to behave as fixing factors, simply guarantee that any hooks or clips are sturdy sufficient to carry the burden of lights and any assist wires. Fixing factors needs to be lower than 8m aside in case you’re not utilizing assist wires.

In case your patio space doesn’t have any appropriate fixing spots, it is perhaps essential to create your individual. Freestanding metallic assist poles can be utilized, staked into the bottom, or for a extra everlasting fixing, wood posts could be cemented into the bottom with hooks on the high added as anchor factors. For smaller patio areas, it’s simple to make your individual assist posts. Simply use a few massive backyard pots and cement your wood posts in, although this isn’t appropriate for bigger areas the place one thing sturdier needs to be used.

What particular results do string lights have?

‘For a particular ornament select connectable string lights with an assortment of lighting capabilities,’ says Claire Bassett, Senior Product Supervisor at Lights4fun. ‘Choices embrace static, twinkle to maybe praise a twinkly night time sky, chase and flashing so you possibly can match your lights to any celebration! Elevate your backyard lighting much more through the use of Twinkly lights (out there at Lights4fun).

‘You’ll be capable to create a unbelievable distinctive show as you possibly can management the string lights via using the Twinkly sensible app. Select from an enormous vary of designs, colors, results and even join the lights to a music supply and make them dance together with the beat for the final word backyard characteristic.’