You have the patio furniture, the barbecue grill . . . now all you need is some pretty lighting to make your outdoor living room complete. Whether you have limited access to power or you just like the look of candlelight, one option for lighting is to install hanging candle lanterns around the outdoor space. You'll have a number of options for where to hang them, depending on the setup of your space.
1 Install tall shepherd's hooks into the ground around your patio furniture. If your ground is really hard, use a post hole digger to dig down 1 to 2 feet, place the shepherd's hook into the hole and fill the rest of the hole with gravel and dirt. This is the option that is most likely to get disturbed by running kids, skateboards or other rolling objects, so check the hooks regularly to make sure they're still solidly in the ground.
2 Install hanging brackets on the wood walls or eaves of your garage or house, onto which you can hang your candle lanterns. Use a drill to create a pilot hole that is slightly smaller than the screws that come with your brackets, and then screw the brackets into the wall.
3 Hang chains or rope from a pergola or eaves on your porch, and then hook the candle lantern from the chains or rope. Purchase sturdy eye bolts, and then drill a pilot hole that is slightly smaller than the eye bolt in the area where you want to hang the lantern. Then twist the eye bolt into the hole, attach the chain and then hook the other end to the lantern's hook.
Items you will need
- Shepherd's hooks
- Post hole digger
- Gravel
- Drill with bits
- Screws
- Eye bolts
- Hanging brackets
Tip
- You can also hook your lantern directly to the branches of overhanging trees -- just be sure there are no loose leaves or debris that may come into contact with the hot lantern or open flame.
Warning
- Always take care with open flame. Make sure all candles are fully extinguished when you leave the area, and never put open flame directly under a flammable surface.
References
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images