10 Kid-Safe Lighting Options for Outdoor Entertaining

Bloggers, Entertaining, For Moms, Relish Style, Summer
on July 1, 2014
Sisters' Soiree Hula Hoop Light Fixture
Ashley Willis
https://easykitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/sisters-soiree-hula-hoop-light-fixture-150x150.jpg

Trying to entertain your guests while the kids run wild in the backyard amongst hazards tiki torches and lanterns is a hard act to pull off. Take one thing off your mind and check out these kid-safe, but still sophisticated, candle-less lighting options for your next patio party.

Mason Jar Chandelier

A Handcrafted Wedding Mason Jar Chandelier

Katie Nathey

Give an old chandelier a facelift with some spray paint, a few mason jars, and crystal accents. The bright, modern blue helps balance out the fancier crystal, and the color-coordinated mason jars protect the lightbulbs from the elements.

Clothespin Outdoor Deck Lights

I Am That Lady Deck Lights

Lauren Greutmen

These inexpensive deck lights aren’t just kid-safe, they’re also kid-friendly: Lauren Greutman let her kids help with the crafting, and suggests that you do the same. All you need are clothespins, empty tuna cans, and battery-operated tea lights, making this a pretty, simple project that little hands can help with.

Hula Hoop Light Fixture

Sisters' Soiree Hula Hoop Light Fixture

Ashley Willis

Need a little more illumination for your outside dinner table? Grab one of your kid’s hula hoops, loop a strand of string lights around it, and hang the hoop from the table’s umbrella frame using ribbon. Wrap the excess cord down the pole to keep children from entangling with it.

Solar Chandelier

Floral + Teal Solar Chandelier

Kandace Sechler

If you want a chandelier for your backyard but don’t have a power outlet nearby, try this cordless version instead. The old electrical lights should pull right out of the chandelier socket, making this a surprisingly easy—and eco-friendly—swap.

Submerged Color Wall Sconces

Tatertots and Jello Submerged Color Sconces

Jennifer Hadfield

These colorful sconces would make an eye-catching patio statement piece, and this project only requires paint, wood slats, and votive candles holders. Just be sure to use battery-operated tea lights to keep this DIY kid-safe!

Ping Pong Ball Cafe Lights

Liz Stanley

Liz Stanley

While these lights aren’t specifically for the outdoors, the way the ping pong balls diffuse the multicolored lights will create a great ambience for your next patio party. Just be sure to only use LED lights: they don’t get hot, so the plastic won’t melt and kids can’t burn themselves.

Upcycled Leather Lantern

Northstory Leather Lantern

Northstory

Reuse skinny leather belts and empty glass jars for this upcycling project. The tutorial uses regular votive candles, but you could easily switch them out for battery-operated tea lights to make this sophisticated lantern fireless.

Backyard String Lights

Living with a Boy String Lights

Gabby Deitsch

This project shows you how to hang string lights far above kids’ and guests’ heads—even if your deck currently doesn’t have anywhere to hang them. This project is a little more labor-intensive, but if your backyard is sorely lacking in light, it’s a handy fix.

Lampshade Hanging Light

Lovely Etc. Hanging Light

Carrie Spalding

Transform an old lampshade into a new hanging light for your backyard or porch. For the slightly more ambitious crafter, this project does require rewiring the lamp, but Carrie Fisher provides detailed instructions and plenty of pictures to guide you through the process.

Homemade Rope Light Sign

A Beautiful Mess Rope Light Sign

Emma Chapman

Add a personal touch to your backyard with this customizable rope light sign: since the rope light is so flexible, it can be bent into almost any word or symbol you want as long as you have enough nails to hold it. If this is sounds too complicated, you can easily line your garden or deck with rope lights instead.

More on outdoor lighting…