Summer/Outdoor Living
Summer Decorating Using Candles and String Lights
Whether you are entertaining inside or out, casually or formally this summer, lighting your party in special ways can help to make it a memorable occasion.
As always, dollar stores have a variety of items that can be used effectively to that end. We’ve brought a few of them together to get you started on summer decorating using candles and string lights.
I am an Amazon affiliate. If you click on one of the following links and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Some products on Amazon, similar to the ones used in this post.
We filled the bottom of this 12-inch tall cylinder vase with two bags of clear decorative stones and a pillar candle that’s approximately 6 ½-inches tall. All of these supplies were found at Dollarama, which has large white pillar candles.
Decorate the vase with a seasonal window cling like this butterfly. If you can’t find these tall vases where you shop, you can scale this idea down by using a smaller cylinder vase and a short pillar candle.
Quick Tip: You can make a tall pillar candle out of two short ones quite easily by sitting one flat-topped candle on top of another to use inside a tall vase.
I’ve had these hurricane style vases for a long time. They were among the first purchases I ever made at a dollar store and I love them for their versatility. Here, we’ve paired the vases with recently acquired metal-look candle sticks, summery coloured candles and butterfly window clings, to make an elegant statement for an indoor gathering.
These particular window clings have a stained glass appearance that will become more evident as the candles burn lower.
As a kid, have you ever spent some of your summer hours catching bugs in a jar? These battery-operated string lights can be set on a table outside to provide mood lighting and act as a conversation piece for your guests.
Dollar store string lights come in sets of ten and glow in different colours; clear, green and blue. They use two AA batteries which are not included. I saw flowers, leaves and butterfly sets as well as these dragonflies.
Pull out a few of your votive candle holders, fill part way with birdseed and nestle bird-shaped tea lights into them. This is a quick, easy and very affordable idea you can use when entertaining inside. You can buy a small bag of birdseed for cheap at most dollar stores.
Evoke the feel of mini fire pits with these small metal containers, river rocks and tea light candles. Display them on the tray they come with or place them at intervals down the length of the table.
You could use this idea outside, as long as there isn’t much wind.
Here, we’ve combined floral candles, string lights and pretty tea light holders to help bring a summertime vibe to the party. When lit, the string lights add sparkle to the glass. Dollar Tree is still selling these candle holders that come in two different heights.
You can help to disguise the string light battery pack by wrapping three sides in a paper that will blend into the background.
Some similar products on Amazon, similar to the ones used in this post.
***
If you enjoyed this post sign up for the Dollar Store Style newsletter. Every month you’ll get a new article, a Quick Tip, a Product Review and much more.
