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Entertaining Ideas

Delight your guests with easy lanterns, stars on the lawn, and tablecloths that glow in the dark

Sunset

STAR LANTERNS

White bags and vellum stars make festive lanterns. Use a star stencil and colored vellum to make red and blue stars. Glue them to white paper bags. For beautiful (and safe) illumination, use a small tap light instead of a candle.SECRET NIGHT LIGHTS

Get a nice glow going at your next garden party.

Eden Rodriguez, owner of End Design in Santa Rosa and Mill Valley, places garden stake lights or a battery-operated camping lantern under tablecloths. To hide an electrical cord, she parts the grass, tucks in the cord, and stakes it with a U-shaped piece of wire. If you’re using electric lights, keep fabric 2 feet from the bulb. For extra shine, you can create a table covering from brightly colored ― and inexpensive ― taffeta. Use fusing tape to secure panels together and tuck unhemmed edges underneath.

LAWN STARS

This Fourth of July, let a few lawn stars brighten up your celebration. They’re ideal alongside a walkway or next to your picnic table.

1. Use a craft knife and a metal ruler to cut a star-shaped stencil out of a large piece of chipboard or cardboard.

2. Mist the patch of grass with a spray bottle of water.

3. Place the stencil on the grass and, using a sifter or large strainer, sprinkle a very small amount of white flour into the stencil.

4. Carefully remove the stencil and dispose of the excess flour. For a longer-lasting star that can be walked on, use spray or marking chalk. To find suppliers, search the Web using the key words “spray chalk.”