Top 10: Party Lighting Ideas

The Workhorses

Use white tea lights in great quantities along window sills, tables and hallways:
• Roly-Poly votives
• White sake cups
• Chunky glass candleholders
• Rotera lanterns for outside
• Galej votives

Use pillar candles in small groupings down the middle of the dining and coffee table (avoid colored or scented candles):

• Pure white or ivory pillar candles
• Beeswax pillar candles burn even more beautifully

Dramatic Twists

• Attach white X-Mas lights to ceiling and allow to hang straight down
• Place uplights along walls or in corners with halogen floods
• If you have one, light your fireplace!
• Put table and floorlamps on dimmers and keep them low

Party Tricks and Pure Fun

• Clementine candles: Cut skin 1/2 way around. Gently remove fruit. Fill 1/2 hollow skin that has center nub of skin with olive oil. Let soak 3 minutes. Light "wick." Make round hole in other 1/2 skin. Gently place on top to make lantern. Slideshow here.
• Cool Neon Techno Strobes

RESOURCES:
- Genwax.com
- Beeswax pillars from the Union Square farmer's market
- Ikea
- HamptonsStore.com
- Save-on-crafts.com
- LampsPlus.com

(ReEdited from 2005-12-06 - MGR)

Comments (3)

Thank you, thank you, thank you Naomi!!!!!!!!! What a lifesaver you are posting that link (www.jamaligarden.com). JUST what I'm looking for at incredible prices. Amanda, check it out - they have the lanterns there and very inexpensive too! -Jude

jamaligarden is great! they also have a store on 7th street (and B? 2nd ave?)...the guys at 7th street said that location was more 'hardware-store' like, whereas their location in the 20s was geared more to 'garden-store'.

Another idea: stringing solar path lights within trees or from a post with a hook. You want to leave the lights in a sunny place to "energize" first during the day.