I recently went over to a friend’s house for dinner on her deck. She has a small deck off the back of her house that is the perfect spot for an outdoor dining room. To help make it more inviting, and provide more light, she had bunches of candles (all of different shapes and sizes) along the railing of the deck. It was lovely. That got me thinking, and looking up, different outdoor lighting ideas for outdoor entertaining.
Whether it’s a formal dinner, barbecue or simple get-together, outdoor lighting can help set the mood for any outdoor event. Here are some that we thought were awesome (many courtesy of Martha Stewart)
- Grouping candles – my friend did this just by bunching candles in different places on her deck, but this could be easily be done on a table or in a dish of some sort. My aunt places 4 or 5 candles of different sizes in giant hurricane vases to add height and visual interest.
- Lighting boxes – Place a candle or a string of lights inside a glass box or lantern. If the glass is colored it will make it stand out.
- Origami lanterns – Here are instructions on how to create origami lanterns that could hold battery powered lights. The lanterns could be created using any vellum paper allowing them to fit into any color scheme.
- Sand with Candles – We’ve all seen the colored sand at carnivals. By using the same idea in a vase with a votive candle stuck in at the top, you have a unique, fun idea that could make a great centerpiece.
- String lights with shades – String lights are easy and cheap and easy to dress up. By cutting slits in the bottom of a cup and sticking in the light, you can make a beautiful addition to any outdoor space.
- Hanging candles – If you are entertaining in a covered area, like a porch or pergola, you can hang votive candles or jars with candles at varying lengths to make the space look magical.
What other outdoor lighting ideas do you have that could dress up an outdoor event? We would love to hear them!