I speak from experience when I say that if one of your jobs as a child was to follow your mother around the backyard, slowly unfurling garlands of glowing bulbs for her to wrap around the trunk of the crabapple tree and to drape across the yews, it is a fair bet you have inherited a tendency toward twinkly, golden light.
We're now solidly immersed in the festive months, fellow outdoor string-light addicts. If you haven't gotten to it already, let's commence now with the draping and festooning, so we can move on to the important things: warm nights, clinking wineglasses, and fireflies at dusk. Here are 10 garlands of outdoor string lights at a variety of prices that can give those fireflies competition:
Above: With unglazed, ultra-thin ceramic shades that have a translucent glow, a 12-foot-long strand of Pleated String Lights is suitable for outdoor or indoor use; $224 from Pigeon Toe.
Above: A 20-light strand of rattan Hanging String of Light Balls is made of wrapped cotton and recommended for both outdoor and indoor use; $12.57 from Cottonlight via Etsy.
Above: A garland of 20 White Festoon Lights, each comprised of five low voltage LEDs, is suitable for indoor or outdoor use; £50 from Cox & Cox.
Above: A 54-foot-long string of Terrazzo Outdoor Lights has 24 bulbs. It is $199 from Napa Style.
Above: A Party Globe Light String, with choice of two sizes of bulb, is currently on sale for $23 and $35 (marked down from $39) at Restoration Hardware.
Above: The Table in a Bag Outdoor Commercial 15 Light String Light Set Up is $68.95 for a 48-foot-long strand from Amazon.
Above: A 12-light chain of solar powered Solviden Lights is $12.99 from Ikea. For more, see Solar Landscape Lighting From Ikea.
Above: A strand of Mercury Glass Globe String Lights comes in two lengths, with either 10 or 20 lights; prices range from $39.50 to $79 at Pottery Barn.
Above: With 10 filament bulbs per strand, a 10-foot length of Smith & Hawken String Lights is $24.99 from Target.
Above: A 50-foot-long Vintage Light String with all-weather wiring is on sale, marked down from $179 to $161, at Restoration Hardware.
For a week's worth of ideas for outdoor parties, see Entertaining: Summer Edition.
This is a rerun of a post that originally published on May 16, 2013.