Get Glowing: 12 Of The Best Fairy Lights

When Sian featured the cutest animal lights in her Friday Wishlist last week, it reminded me how much I adore fairy lights. I always feel pangs of regret and remorse on Twelfth Night each year, when I take down the flickering, glowing loveliness that is the hundreds of lights around my house, enough to illuminate a small country. The garish Santa heads, the multicoloured bauble lights, the tree lights that play carols (oh yes, OH YES), the plain white chains of JOY and COSINESS. Well, sod it. I want fairy lights all year round. I want my bookcases and my doorways to be aglow at all times. How to do this without looking like I've forgotten to take my Christmas decorations down? Funny you should ask. I have the answers right here. 

First of all, these wooden British beach hut fairy lights. They're £34.50 from stringlights.co.uk, and they are brilliant. It'll be like a holiday by the sea every time you switch them on. Maybe. 

If your adventuring aspirations roam far beyond the great British seaside, these vintage world map fairy lights from Dotcomgiftshop are just £19.95, which shouldn't leave too much of a dent in your travel fund. 

Lighthouses! Tiny boats! These nautical fairy lights from Design55 are £37.50, or go for a battery-powered chain in the same design for £18.50. That way, you can wear them as a necklace. 

Now for something much more expensive, but ever so pretty. Joanna Coupland's fairy lights (clockwise from left: birds, fruit and veg, peapod and radish) are handmade to order, and are £145 a set. Although I could never justify spending that on fairy lights, I can see why they cost a pretty penny - what a huge amount of work must go into each set. 

A post about fairy lights wouldn't be complete without some kitsch pink flamingos. These are £14.95 from Nerd Supply.  

Also pink and very, very kitsch are these flying pug fairy lights from Pugs Might Fly. They're £39.99, and have been endorsed by Peter "I love your flying pugs they're amazing" Andre.

If you have a garden or some sort of outdoor area, you should definitely have some solar-powered lights. They won't be getting a huge amount of sun at the moment, but come spring, you'll be rewarded with nights full of twinkles and sparkles. Wrap these birdcage lights, £12 from Homebase, around a tree or between the branches of a bush and be delighted every time you catch sight of them.  

I first found these Tardis lights when I rounded up the best Whovian stuff to celebrate 50 years of The Doctor. They're now available in the UK (but they've still got pesky US voltage issues, so you'll need a step-down transformer). You can get hold of them on Amazon for £29.99. 

From one mode of transport to another - these battery-operated wooden London bus lights are £18.50 from stringlights.co.uk. Let's hope they're more reliable than the real thing.  

Fancy making your own fairy lights? Paperchase has come up trumps with this create-your-own origami lights kit, which comes with origami papers, instructions, tape, and - of course - lights. It's £12. Just add imagination and creativity.