Photo by Sebastian Bobrowski

By Elaine Matsushita

Do you think there’s still time to gather with a few pals for a night out on the patio? I do. Just grab a sweatshirt if the temps dip. Trade in that ale for a cup of hot cider. And be sure to add some fanciful fire lights.

Here are some 5 ways to put the cozy into a great fall night outdoors.

 1.  DIY the simple, affordable way. Make your own lanterns with:
* glass containers (anything from baby food jars to Mason jars to tall, cylindrical glass vases)
* something interesting to wrap around the glass (translucent, patterned scrapbook papers or scraps of burlap or screens for screen doors, even oversize green leaves)
* something to tie around your wrap (raffia, twine or wide grosgrain ribbon, for example)
* votive or pillar candles, depending on the size of your glass container
* sand (or rice, dry beans, fish gravel, river rocks – be creative) 

Set the pillar candle in the glass container; pour in sand (or your choice of filler to hold the candle in place and catch wax drips). Wrap glass container and tie it up. Not only is this affordable, but there’s also a lot of potential for reuse. And we love reuse.

2. Swimmingly sensational. If you’ve got a big galvanized steel washtub or a great big planter, put it in a strategic spot, then fill it with water and drop in a half-dozen or so decorative floating candles. Light. Voila.

3. Canned heat. OK, you love to make things, you’ve got some time and you love a challenge. Making punched tin luminarias with empty tin cans of any size – from soup to paint – is for you. Click here for instructions.