Balls of Light
Shining Path
Tiny Points of Light
Lightning Strikes
Good Fences Make Good Lighting
Tinkerbell Effect
Work with What You’ve Got
Light up Your Centerpiece
Create a False Ceiling
Cool Flame
Get Creative with Direction
Candlelit Glow
- Get the glow: Campania birdbath available from Potted ($89; 323/665-3801)
Float tea candles in a water-filled birdbath to create a mini firepit. On windy days, set tea lights in clear glass votive holders in a dry birdbath so they won’t wobble.
Electric Wreath
Illuminate your garden with a globe-light Christmas wreath. To give some of the bulbs a frosty look, as pictured, apply frosted-glass spray before you begin. Then tightly group a strand of lights to cover a section of a wire wreath frame, attaching the strands with zip ties on the back side. Add as many strands as you need to cover the wreath form; we used three strands of 25-count lights to cover a 12-inch frame. Plug your wreath into an extension cord. Lights: $12 strand; target.com. Ashland wire wreath frame: $3; michaels.com. Frosted-glass spray: $5; onlinefabricstore.net.
Outdoor Chandelier Made of Branches
If your gardening to-do list includes pruning deciduous shrubs and trees, recycling some of the clippings to make a twinkling natural chandelier.
Light Box
String light strands along the roof perimeter of an outdoor room to accent party space. Here, lights glow against the redwood slats of an outdoor bar in a backyard retreat.
Soothing Pendant
Under the arbor, round string lights and a vintage pendant on a dimmer illuminate the soothing dining space.
Hacienda Tile Sconce
Turn old hacienda tile into a gorgeous sconce for your entry or backyard with this easy project.
Basket Pendant Lamps
The pendant lamps are hung on tension wires, one high and one low, to achieve a random pattern above the redwood table. The lamps are outfitted with halogen bulbs outdoors that will last for years, even outside.
Starlit Globes
Create outdoor chandeliers by wrapping lights around old wine-barrel hoops, then suspending them from the branches of
a large tree. Even easier: Rest one globe each atop two large planters flanking the front door. Hoops: From $49/3-hoop orb; etsy.com/shop/PurpleThumbNotions. Battery-powered LED copper-wire lights: $10 each (use 2/globe); amazon.com.
Cloth-Wrapped Lantern
The Polynesian-style bark-cloth-wrapped lantern that hangs from the ceiling inside the pavilion is a custom piece from Oceanic Arts Tropical Decor (oceanicarts.net).
Glow Drops
Each tiny teardrop terrarium decking this tree contains a cluster of battery-powered LED copper wire lights. Gently stuff a light string into the terrarium through the hole in the back, then use twine and small s-hooks to secure the mini lanterns to the branches. Conserve battery life by turning them off in the day, and turning them on as dusk falls. Terrarium, $9; amazon.com. LED copper wire lights, $10; amazon.com.
A Little Bit of Everything
Low-voltage fixtures set the wall and fence aglow, helped by votives hung from the fence and Indian lanterns in the schefflera tree.
Modern Street Number
Neon numbers light the porch aglow and make it easy to find the house at night.
Readymade Chandelier
For this small dining area, a simple candle chandelier from Ikea is more functional than pillar candles.
Cluster Luminarias
Tin luminarias look as good during the day as they do when lit at night. They’re available by mail from Tin-Art New Mexico FolkArt by Celeste (505/345-7231).
More: South-of-the-border style inspires a California garden
Eclectic Chandelier
For a festive ambience, hang little white string lights from arbors or suspend an outdoor chandelier over a patio table. This one was made by hanging vintage canning jars, beads, and toys from a wagon wheel.
More: South-of-the-border style inspires a California garden
Tap-Light Luminarias
Put your own spin on the classic luminaria using battery-run tap lights. These simple fixtures ― flat, battery-operated lights that turn on when tapped on top ― are sold in packages of six for about $20 at hardware stores and general merchandise stores.
Add your own embellishment by wrapping a piece of translucent rice paper around the base and taping the ends of the paper together with double-sided tape to form a cylinder.
Mood Lighting
Hanging lanterns that hold candles illuminate without the expense of wiring. Tall candlesticks, set on the ground, add romance in the evening.
Tropical Lighting
In keeping with his rear deck's tropical feel, Joe Rivers Altieri strung Christmas lights in bamboo covers from Target under the bamboo awning.
Read: Full story
Hang Fire
Create romantic lighting for an outdoor dinner party by suspending votives (we used mini recycled-glass tea light lanterns) at varying heights from low-hanging branches. Use clear fishing line and be sure to keep candles a safe distance from the leaves.
Stained Glass
Cover chandelier lanterns with tissue paper to create a soft glow.
Supplies
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Tissue paper
• Small foam brush
• Yasutomo Nori or similar paste
• Glass lanterns or jars
Step-by-step guide
1. Measure and cut tissue paper into desired shapes and sizes (we used long strips for easy application).
2. Dip foam brush into paste. Holding a piece of tissue paper against the outsideof the lantern, paint an even coat of paste onto tissue paper and adhere to glass.
3. Repeat until lantern is covered. Let dry overnight, then hang. Tip: Keep lanterns away from moisture.
White Lights
For a soft glow at night, wrap tree trunks and branches with strands of white lights. Define borders by placing small candles in glass holders along mow strips, walls, and walkways.
More: Quick winter spruce-ups
