Patio lights come in all shapes and sizes, not to mention price ranges. One of the cheapest non-permanent outdoor lighting option are patio string lights.

String lights come in thousands of different styles. There is of course the standard Christmas tree string lighting that many people are familiar with. These can be used year round, however, not only during holiday seasons. One of the classiest ways to dress up your backyard or even the exterior of your home is with a strand of string lights with white bulbs.

This cheap patio string light option is very easy to use and string around plants, fences, and outdoor sheds. You can instantly create a classy and well-lit environment for your evening barbecue or birthday party. It’s amazing the change a simple strand of lights can create in a party. You will spend ten minutes hanging the lights and hours hearing positive comments from your invited guests about the beautiful way you decorated your garden.

Check out the online guide to Patio Lights.

There are many other things you can do with your outdoor lighting arrangements.  You can easily highlight the parts of your backyard and garden that you want to stick out, while downplaying the things you don’t want people to pay attention to, like your storage shed or side yard. 

With a string of white or colored lights, you simply have to drape it on the elements you want to show and everything else will fade into the background.  Obviously, everyone’s yard is very different, so it will take a little bit of trial and error to figure out how you want to best utilize lighting in your yard.  But don’t worry too much about it--just the fact that you have interesting lighting at all is enough to make things more interesting.

Patio string lights also come in fun styles like pumpkins, birthday candles, and large bulb lights.  One very popular and exotic option is Chinese Lantern string lights.  You’ve probably seen this kind of light before. 

You can find cheap patio lights in quite a few places online. Amazon is a good place to start and eBay is another. Buy.com may have some string lights you are interested in. There are also a bunch of other lighting specialist sites out there where you can get some tips on how to use lights in and around your home.

Birthday parties are a good excuse for string lights. You may have spent a lot of time planning what you are going to cook, who to invite, and you may have spent considerable time on getting your garden to look just right. Everything looks good and you’re ready to have people come over and have a good time at your home. You may realize that you need something more, just to really put the cherry on top and create the perfect party environment.

A quick trip to your local store may be all it takes to find the right patio string light for your party. There are all kinds of options for you to choose from. You can go with cheesy or campy lights shaped like practically anything at all, or you can go with a more serious look. There are many things you can do to customize the feel of your party.

Chinese lantern string lights are a very popular choice among homeowners trying to give their outdoor party a special look. They can also be used indoors to great effect.

The 4 inch Maru Chinese Red Paper Lantern Lights are a great choice because they create a delicate red glow that creates intimate lighting that is not too intense. For this reason, they can be used for outdoor occasions as well as indoors, perhaps draped across a mantle.

Japanese paper lantern light string sets are a good option for summertime barbecues with their tropical colors and low-key vibe. Just remember folks, these lights are made out of paper, so keep away from the barbeue or candles.

You can find some very good discounts on string lights at eBay, as you can see to the right.