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So the drinks are chilling and the catering is all sorted. The tables are set, there are plenty of places for guests to perch – but have you considered a lighting plan to take the atmosphere of your party to the next level? Here are eight ideas that will add a layer of sparkle and shine to your backyard.
All aglow
If it’s an outdoor dinner party that you’re hosting at your place, here’s an idea you’ll love! Suspend a string of exterior lights above a long table in your garden, using white paper lanterns to mix up the look.
String section
Pump up the party factor around your garden by decorating trees and shrubs with exterior-grade strings of twinkling fairy lights or festoon lights. While warm-white globes are a classic choice, you can opt for multi-coloured models for a festival feel.
Light the way
Ensure the journey from the street to your outdoor party zone is a safe one by lighting up pathways around your home with press-in stake lights. Choose solar-powered options that charge up during the day and release a soft glow at night.
Carnival of colour
Be inspired by night markets from around the world and suspend outdoor lights covered in colourful paper lanterns above your entertaining area. As the sun sets on your party, the effect overhead is mesmerising!
Go cris@scross!
Rather than flooding your entertaining zone with bright light, consider creating a canopy of crisscrossed lights overhead using multiple strings of warm-white party lights. You can add another layer of lighting to the zone with flickering candles on tables and decorative lanterns around the perimeter.
Lantern love
Create a charming party vibe and banish mosquitoes all in one go by pressing bamboo torches into the lawn around your party area. Just fill the torches with citronella oil – to help avoid itchy ankles – and then light the cotton wicks just before the sun goes down. Add another barrier by lighting mosquito coils and citronella candles, too.
Twinkle, twinkle
The effect you can create by suspending lots of sparkling lights from tree branches in your garden is amazing – and so charming. Opt for battery-powered lights (also called flameless lights) for added safety, each contained inside a decorative lantern.
Candlelit nights
For a DIY table decorating idea that you can create with minimal fuss, simply recycle clean glass jars of all sizes and place a white pillar candle inside each jar. Arrange groupings of three jars along the centre of your table and decorate with fresh-cut foliage nearby.
Pretty pathway
Create a stunning effect along your garden pathways by placing flameless candles inside a series of white paper bags. You can choose plain bags or opt for decorative versions with punched designs, as here. Just position them in even positions along the pathway and switch them on as night falls.
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