Ah, trusty fairy lights. They've been with us since day one, when their main use was to brighten up sad student accommodation or rented rooms. And we still believe in their powers of filling spaces, – big, small, awkward and more – with a little more warmth, happiness and style. To pay homage to their room changing abilities, we have rounded up our pick of the best fairy lights to provide you with some shopping inspiration and ideas of where to put them in your home.
We've got every type of fairy light going in here, from fairy lights for your bedroom, to indoor fairy lights that can be used outdoors too. With plenty of funky shapes and sizes to choose from, keep scrolling to find some of the loveliest fairy light ideas around.
For more lighting ideas, head over to our lighting hub page.
String lights are perfect for creating a whimsical feel, adding to that industrial, exposed look that we adore. Plus, we are big fans of the cosy ambiance that warm lighting makes.
However, the thing that is special about these . is the fact that they're flexible. The clear, plastic string is super easy to bend and blend into a scene and has a subtle charm. The adjustable brightness feature adds to this effect and ensures a cosy ambiance with the warm lighting tone.
Also, of course they're waterproof so these are well worth consideration for outdoors. Drape, hang or wrap them wherever you fancy, inside or out.
There are 100 warm LEDs. The battery box (note: although the lights are waterproof, we would advise you to put the battery pack in a plastic bag if this is to sit outside to provide extra protection from water, so it doesn't get fully immersed) has three modes: steady, flash and off.
Festoon lights are everywhere at the moment, and not just strung over patios either, they look just as gorgeous indoors. Lights4fun is our go-to place for festoon lights, and the are our best pick. We love the white cable option, they make great bedroom fairy lights as the thick cable doesn't look too harsh.
With these fairy lights you can pick the bulb colour, string colour and the length you want too, so you can create the perfect set of fairy lights for your space.
These look gorgeous turned on or off. Wind them through your bed frame to add texture and a lovely romantic look, or hang them from the ceiling and let them dangle down a wall. The wire is clear so easy to hide, they are a lovely soft cream colour and when lit glow a lovely warm white.
Coloured fairy lights are definitely making a comeback and we love the retro, oversized bulbs of these . They are suitable for indoor or outdoor use so you can string them up over your decking or use them to add a pop of colour to your kitchen. You can pick the length of the cable between 5m to 25m and you can purchase a core series plug if you want to join multiple strings together.
Curtain fairy lights are all over Pinterest and Instagram at the moment and we can see why. They are perfect for creating a feature wall and adding an instant cosy glow to a room. We think this is perfect above a headboard, or even instead of a headboard. This set is one metre across and two metres down so covers a large surface and you can always group a few together if you need them to cover a larger wall.
How to choose the best fairy lights
Battery or mains-operated?
This is important to consider – battery-operated fairy lights allow you the flexibility of displaying them away from a socket.
Warm or cool light?
This is all about what you prefer – cool light suits more contemporary, Scandi schemes; warm light is better for traditional, cosy spaces.
String length?
The fairy lights you're checking out might look like a bargain, but if they're only a metre long, you might want to move on to a more generous length.
Waterproof?
We've included a combination of fairy lights here; for outdoor fairy lights, see our other guide.
