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Like most outdoor lights, string lights for the garden come powered by three main power sources. Regardless of the power source delicate string lights in the garden make a fantastic addition at any time of year. The three main power sources for outdoor string lights (or in fact any type of garden  light should they be driveway lights, patio lights or pond lights) are solar power, mains power or mains powered but low voltage and battery power. Not all of these power sources are suitable for year round use though, so if you want to use your string lights outdoors all year round then you will need to consider your power source carefully.

Solar Powered Outdoor String Lights

The most popular choice of power source for garden lights at the moment is that of solar power. Manufacturing techniques and the introduction of LED light sources means the solar powered garden lights have flooded the market. Although great in the summer (depending on where you live)  winter performance of solar powered garden lights may leave a lot to be desired. If you only want to use string lights in your garden in the summer then solar power is the ideal choice. The wire free solution of solar powered string lights really does give rise to some creative thinking as to where you can position the lights. There are solar powered string lights on the market that have the solar panel remotely located and this gives you even more flexibility in terms of where you can position them. The solar panel can be positioned in the sun and the lights positioned in a shaded area.

Battery Powered Outdoor String Lights

As with solar powered string lights the effect that LED’s have had on the battery operated lighting market has been astronomic. You are spoilt for choice as to the number of battery operated string lights you can get now although the most popular is still the traditional white string lights. The choice of battery you use in your lights is very important and not many manufacturers will explain this to you. Most battery powered string lights will run on AA batteries and these tend to come in two ‘flavours’ alkaline and lithium. If you only want to use your lights in the summer then just use cheap alkaline batteries. If however you want to use your string lights in the winter then you really should use lithium batteries. There is a very simple reason for this: lithium batteries will work in sub zero temperatures, alkaline will not. Battery operated outdoor string lights come in various guises – one of our favourites are patio umbrella lights that wrap around or clip to the arms of the umbrella.

Mains Powered String Lights

Mains powered outdoor string lights are certainly the most reliable, however they do have one very big constraint – they have to be plugged in. Having to be connected to a mains power source does give you year round lighting, regardless of the weather, however you will be severely restricted as to where you can put the lights. There are also some very important safety considerations that need to be taking in to account before buying and installing some mains powered outdoor string lights. You will find that the vast majority of commercial outdoor string lights and designer outdoor lights are mains powered as reliability is of the upmost importance. If you want ultra-reliable and you are going to use your string lights on a patio which is close to your house then these will without doubt give you the best performing outdoor lights. Mains powered outdoor patio string lights come in numerous different colours, lengths and styles so you shouldn’t find it too hard to find some that you like. Unlike solar patio lights you should be able to find that these types of light come in greater lengths.

String lights transform a space. They turn plain, boring and uninteresting into a magical atmosphere. They are easy to install, cheap to run and look fantastic in whatever way you chose to use them. They were once reserved for Christmas and festive use but they have proved so popular that they are now used year round. LiveIn|LiveOut have taken a look at how you can get some string lights in to your home.

Four ideas for string lights in your home

1. Think of any dark corner in any room that needs a bit of a lift and perhaps place them into a large, tall glass vase. This adds instant glamour because you will find that in a glass the light tends to reflect around the material and looks simply stunning. It is best to use battery operated string lights for this purpose, as you will not be able to see the power source quite so easily once the string is bundled into the vase. Not having a cable going to an illuminated vase only enhances its beauty.
2. Why not add them to a bunch of willow? This looks amazing propped up in a corner adding interest to a porch, bathroom or bare corner of a living room. If where you choose to use them does not have a power point near by such as in the bathroom the battery powered option would be better.
3. Another way you could display your string lights is in your houseplants. This will require some of you more hardy plants and nothing too weak. Even though LED string lights are lighter in weight you will have to concentrate the majority of the weight around the ‘trunk’ or ‘stalk’ of the plant just so it doesn’t add too much strain on them.
4. String lights are great idea to add some fun into your child’s room. Children are visual and highly sensory beings when they are young. They learn and respond to lighting, so a simple and relatively cheap way of adding some creativity into their lives is to place some string lights around the room. The lights will create shapes on the walls giving your child hours of enjoyment and a sense of wonder … LED string lights are low heat so they are safer around small people. You can get them in a myriad of colours and they also come in a colour changing option. Great to stimulate those senses and relax the baby at night so you can have a better nights sleep. Do bare in mind though that any type of cord or string is a potential hazard for young children, so do make sure that they a fixed safely and securely out of reach.
   

Four ideas for string lights in your garden

1. For outdoor use you simply cannot beat solar string lights. The fact that they do not need to be plugged in, or have batteries gives you instant flexibility on where you can place them.Like inside the home, string lights look great in a feature plant or tree out of the front of your home and will add a bit of interest not only to the front of your home but also the entire street. Solar lighting does tend to take on more of a white/blue light as opposed to a more ambient warmer white light – but these can be purchased if you specifically require them but you will find that they cost a little more than the wired versions.
2. Another great place to put some string lighting is around your patio area. It is somewhere you like to sit and enjoy your garden so why not create more of an ambiance by some beautiful lighting solutions. Patio string lights like all types of outdoor lighting would be specifically for outdoor purposes and these are a little more expensive as they need to be of a certain IP rating (an IP rating general dictates how waterproof an electrical product is). You could perhaps wrap these around your table umbrella in order to create a perfect setting for those cosy summer nights watching the sun go down – you can even get dedicated patio umbrella lights.
3. The third place that you could put outdoor string lights would be in a pergola or archway. Delicate paper lantern type string lights do not have to cost a fortune and really enhance your garden.
4. Willow and reed screens have become very popular in recent years but at night their beauty is lost. If you can get small enough string lights you can poke them in between the willow sticks from behind so that they create a beautiful starry effect at night. This is possibly may favourite use of outdoor string lights.

Ideas for different types of string lights

Now that you have some ideas of how you might use string lights in and around your home, lets take a look at the different types of string lights there are available. You may or may not be aware that there is a multitude of different shapes, sizes, lengths and looks of string lighting on today’s market that are suitable for both indoor and outdoor usage.

I know that if you were looking at creating a Japanese feel into your garden you may want to get some paper lantern string lights – obviously if they are to be used outdoors look for the plastic/ paper look material! These are great – they look colourful and stylish adding sophistication into your space. I recently went to a home show and saw a fairly new design that looked like a string of lit leaves; they were beautiful and came in a fair few colours to match any interior.

If you are looking for a softer option for your bedroom, feathered string lights are in fashion. They look feminine and pretty and simply look at home draped over your mirror. Tube rope light is another option taking on a spaceier feel. The tubing is less unobtrusive during the day as it is clear rather that having lengths of wire cluttering up your home – at night they come to life casting a rather spectacular glow around the room.