DIY Backyard Lighting Ideas
I absolutely love to sit outside on my patio in the fall evenings. There’s nothing better than enjoying a warm drink on a crisp evening in your backyard. Good backyard lighting will also be great for getting your yard work done in the evening once those days start getting shorter and shorter.
Creative Options to Brighten up your Backyard
So what to do? It’s no fun to run out and purchase boring old lamps from a big box store like this:
It’s ugly and will make you feel like you’re escaping from prison.
Get creative with your backyard lighting choices. Having something that lights up the entire yard can be useful. But I’ll highlight choices that will be useful for all situations.
One of my favorite DIY backyard lighting options is something so simple, you’ll be surprised you didn’t think of it before. Christmas lights! String up some beautiful Christmas lights across your lawn; wrap them around your fence; or wrap around deck walls. These lights make everything softly lit, and you can still see everything in your yard.
1. Christmas Lights
Christmas lights will light up your backyard, but perhaps you just want something small to give a little light to your porch.
2. Tin Can Lanterns
3. Cupcake Lights
4. Solar Mason Jars
These DIY solar mason jar luminaries will do just the trick.
Steps to Building Mason Jar Lights
- 1. Buy solar mason jars.
- 2. Glue beautiful glass beads or anything sparkly and see through.
- 3. Voila! Enjoy outdoor lighting.
5. Tuna Can Lanterns
A couple of great DIY backyard lighting ideas that you can do with things just lying around the house. Tuna can lanterns and glow-in-the-dark planters!
Glow-in-the-dark lanterns can be made so easily! Just use some planters that you have already and spray them with glow-in-the-dark paint.
Tuna can lanterns can be made with old tuna cans. Glue or nail onto a post. Then paint your favorite color. (Hey, it would be super cool if you use glow-in-dark paint on these too!) And then install some globes. These can be purchased at a craft store.
Both of these DIY projects will be great to light up a path.
Hey, speaking of lighting up paths. One of my biggest pet peeves about fall is the lack of evening light. I like to do my yard work in the evening and spare my weekends. But I usually run out of light before I can put all my tools away in the shed.
Lighting up the pathway to my shed is a huge goal for me this year. Here are a few tips for lighting up pathways.
Go solar. Solar lighting along your path keeps you from getting stuck in the dark and it saves on electric bills.
6. Solar Rope Lighting
Use a solar rope to light your pathway.
7. Glow-in-the-dark Rope
Or just use a glow-in-the-dark rope! It’s versatile and they are priced inexpensively online.
8. Solar Powered Inside Brick Pavers
Use solar powered led lights inside brick pavers. Brilliant!
9. Glow in the Dark Paint
Another great way to light up a path: Literally, light up your pathway with that same glow-in-the-dark paint! Simply spray paint your path.
10. Wine Bottle Torches
There are tons more ideas for great backyard lighting solutions online. I love to find them on Pinterest and tweak them to fit my needs, my budget, and my own collection of DIY items. These are a handful of my favorite ideas. Hopefully, the light-bulb turned on inside your head. Do you have any backyard lighting ideas you would like to share?