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College Fraturday
College Fraturday

Good friends. Bad ideas. Great Saturdays.

Shopping guide

After Dark

The sun goes down. The house lights up.

Disco balls, string lights, eye-safe projection and glow gear.

Layer the light

Good party lighting comes in three layers, and you don't need all of them on day one.

  • Base glow: warm string lights overhead, along railings or across the yard, so people can see each other.
  • Color: LED strips or color bulbs in one or two zones, like behind the speakers or along the porch.
  • Focal point: a projector or disco ball aimed at a wall or ceiling, the thing people notice when they walk in.

Plug in safely

  • Outside, use lights and extension cords rated for outdoor use.
  • Follow the maker's limit on how many strands connect end to end.
  • Spread the load: don't run everything from one outlet or one power strip.
  • Keep cords out of walkways, or route them along edges and tape them down.
  • LEDs run cooler and draw less power than old incandescent strands.
  • Aim projected light at walls or ceilings, never at people's eyes, the street or the sky.

Renter-friendly mounting

Removable adhesive hooks, gutter and shingle clips, and tension rods hold most lights without holes. Skip nails and staples unless your landlord says yes, and take everything down when the season's over.

Be a good neighbor

Point the light into your own space, put the lights on a timer, and know your town's quiet hours. The best-lit house on the street is also the one that doesn't get the knock on the door.

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