Adding garden lighting is an excellent way of enjoying your landscaping beauty, and as the days get shorter and nights longer, having the correct type of garden lighting can encourage you to spend more time in your yard.
Always take into consideration your purpose when deciding on the best garden lighting options. Are you seeking brighter light to illuminate your pathways or an ambient glow for a cozy, relaxing place?
Large, bright bulbs are excellent for highlighting tripping hazards, while warm, soft lights are typically good for giving your garden a glow.
Whether you have a small backyard, large acres of land, or a porch area needing some illumination, these 34 DIY garden lighting ideas will add ambiance and charm to your long evenings.
Take a look!
1. Impress with Dragonflies
Be creative and experiment with numerous designs for lights and shapes for your garden.
This DIY idea features cute dragonfly lights that stand out in full glory during the day and night, adding extra charm to this yard.
2. Bask in Fruitful Glory
Unleash your designer skills with this unique DIY glowing pineapple garden.
With just simple materials such as woven globes and string lights, you can easily create an artistic garden lighting installation that brings a captivating ambiance.
3. Light Up Your Pathway
Illuminate your pathway and improve visibility with this DIY garden lighting option.
This idea uses stake lights that mimic a dandelion and the subtle glow of fairy lights to preserve the garden’s serenity while guiding your way.
4. Let Your Lawn Stand Out
This DIY idea is similar to the previous one, but this one highlights a well-manicured lawn.
Placing DIY stake lights is an exciting option for garden lighting and will work well during special events and parties, creating an enchanting and practical ambiance that can’t be matched.
5. Hang Mini Jar Lights
Enhance the beauty of your garden with these hanging mini jar lanterns and flower embellishments.
You only need to add some fairy lights in the jars, hang them on a tree, and watch them transform your garden into an inviting space, with the soft twinkling of the lights adding an allure to your outdoor haven.
6. Make it Natural
With just a hacksaw and some woodworking skills, you can easily create this unique lighting fixture, and it will look great in whichever garden you place it.
7. Make a Rustic Statement
Nothing makes a more significant garden lighting impression than continuously placing repeated lights.
The wooden logs in this design have been sliced, and lights fitted into them, giving the garden a soft and luminous glow and lending it the ambiance of a serene gateway.
8. Use Twigs
It doesn’t matter if your garden only has trim hedges on your curbside; you can still add warm light that illuminates your space, making it feel cozy and welcoming.
For this design, rustic twigs surround a bright bulb, creating a rustic lantern that adds an architectural element to your space.
9. Enjoy Conversations Under Mason Jar Chandeliers
This DIY garden lighting idea effortlessly infuses rustic charm into your yard.
Find some mason jars and nestle fairy lights inside to transform them into captivating lanterns. Take a step further by attaching them to rustic metal rings and hanging them to create one-of-a-kind chandeliers.
10. Enhance Your Space with Tin Can Lanterns
Don’t throw away tin cans after you’ve finished using them; you can upcycle them into exceptional, beautiful lanterns for your garden.
Use a hammer and nail to poke holes with interesting designs and make a handle using baling wire. Insert mini LED or tea light candles for that soft lighting, and leave your tins in their natural state for an industrial look.
11. Repurpose Your Barrels
Most garden lighting is typically subtle, providing an ambient glow or highlighting specific plants. But you can also use a whimsical lighting feature as a focal point at night, like the one in the above example.
Holes poked at the sides of the barrel create interesting patterns and snowflake designs, while the light inside casts a glow that draws the eye to the unique design details.
12. Let Your Tree Twinkle
Turn your garden into a magical oasis with the charming beauty of a sparkling tree.
Embrace this whimsy DIY idea by hanging fairy lights on a tree, especially a big one, and transform your outdoor space into a captivating, forest-like escape.
13. Illuminate Your Path with Paper Lanterns
Create unique and stylish lanterns with smartly lit decorative paper bags that will surely impress family and friends at your garden party.
You only need to create unique designs using a hole punch, weigh the paper bags down with gravel, and add LED tea lights. Place your lanterns on garden steps and let them lead your guests with a charming glow.
14. Make Use of Bottles
If you have some old bottles sitting in your attic, they’ll be better off in your garden as beautiful pendant lamps.
Make the most of those old bottles with a touch of DIY magic using fairy lights. You can hang some while placing others on the ground to create an inviting, rustic ambiance.
15. Vintage Elegance
This simple and creative DIY project will surely add some sparkle to your garden.
All you need is an old bicycle and some fairy lights, and within minutes, you can transform it into something magical that brings elegance and fun to your garden.
16. Get Creative with Your Firepit
Your outdoor firepit can also be used for garden lighting, and no flames will be involved!
Instead, weave strands of fairy lights atop logs to create a mesmerizing spectacle. Use flickering lights to create an alluring play of lighting reminiscent of a crackling fire as they cast a warm and enchanting glow.
17. Make a Rustic Planter
Planters are the perfect spot to drape with strands of fairy lights, especially if your garden is near your porch.
This DIY garden lighting idea uses twigs wrapped in fairy lights and placed in a rustic woven planter to create an enchanting cocoon that turns this outdoor space into a serene retreat with a warm glow.
18. Bring Rustic Charm with Grapevine Lanterns
Give your garden a festive sparkle and turn your backyard into a cozy retreat with these grapevine lighting balls.
Wrap floral wire around your beach balls, securing the end of each piece. Hang them on a suspended tree branch and let them dangle elegantly as they evoke a magical ambiance surrounding your outdoors.
19. Create Mason Jar Sconces
These DIY mason jar lanterns are easy to make and add a tropical feel wherever you hang them.
Gather some mason jars and battery-powered LED candles and hang them on hooks fixed onto wooden boards on the wall. The salvaged weathered wood gives this design a rustic and unique feel.
20. Pick One Branch
Instead of draping a whole tree with fairy lights, you can still make a significant statement with a single branch.
Fairy lights gracefully hang from this tree branch, casting a soft, delightful glow on the garden below.
21. Get Inspiration from the Beach
Add depth and character to your garden using this unique lighting fixture of driftwood and Edison bulbs.
The suspended driftwood conceals the cables and holds the hanging bulbs, allowing a warm, gentle glow that turns your garden into an ethereal haven.
22. Upcycle Your Cutlery
There are numerous DIY garden lighting ideas you can use, and most of them require already-available materials.
You only need spoons to make a whimsical lampshade for this idea. These shiny pendant lights will glimmer during the day and highlight greenery at night.
23. Repurpose a Kettle
This DIY garden lighting idea is more than just a light source; it’s a focal point and a conversation starter that will spark admiration and curiosity in anyone who lays eyes on it.
Find a vintage kettle and cut the bottom side of it before fixing it to a light bulb. This rustic pendant light will incorporate an undeniable touch of whimsy into your backyard gatherings.
24. Think Vertical
Explore eco-friendly garden lighting ideas with LED tea lights to enhance the beauty of your garden.
This stylish, energy-efficient lighting idea uses LED tea lights placed on a ladder to highlight beautiful mason jar flower planters as well as brighten up the garden without the need for complicated installation or cumbersome wiring.
25. Add Texture with Woven Lanterns
Use garden lighting to give your steps a special spotlight.
In this example, the warm hue light of candle tea lights creates a dreamy ambiance when paired with woven baskets. The light also harmonizes with other small lanterns, making this space a whimsical wonderland.
26. Make Fanciful Tiki Torches
Container gardens are excellent for incorporating visual interest and color into your courtyards or patios. Adding some garden lighting is one way of enjoying the beauty of your potted plants, even at night.
This example uses pole lights with bottles on top to illuminate the flower container garden. The quaint tiki torches are placed at different heights to add depth to the design.
27. Bring Some Color
Make your garden glow with colorful lights with a bottle chandelier.
This playful DIY garden lighting idea uses colorful bottles hanging on a rustic metal ring to provide visual interest. The rustic chandeliers are a testament to the beauty found in simplicity.
28. Recycle Your Wheels
This vintage garden lighting idea uses a bike rim and a bulb to create a captivating lighting fixture.
One side of the rim has been cut, and the spokes have been removed to create room for the hanging bulb. The result is an artistic piece that casts a spell of wonder for your guests.
29. Be Sophisticated
Add a touch of enchantment to your garden with an enthralling allure of a floating lantern.
This DIY garden lighting idea uses a wire in a spiraling shape to create a pineapple-like design. Fairy lights are added to the design for a soft glow, while faux leaves at the top give the fixture an authentic look and feel.
30. Embrace a Coastal Feel
You can never go wrong with DIY mason jar lantern ideas.
These hanging mason jar lanterns allow you to enjoy the beauty of candlelight with a coastal twist. Some pea gravel has been added inside, while seashells adorn the outside to enhance the beach-themed decor further.
31. Enjoy Meals with a Mason Jar Chandelier
Festoon lights are a critical part of DIY garden lighting ideas. They are excellent options for providing both practical and ambient lighting.
This example pairs bulbs and mason jars to create the perfect outdoor dining experience. The lanterns are suspended from a curved wooden piece, creating a laid-back ambiance.
32. Make Use of Pallets
Construct a DIY garden oasis using recycled pallet lights. These mason jar lanterns have been attached to a wood pallet, bringing light and life to this outdoor area.
A black metal floor lamp brings the much-needed color to this rustic setup.
33. Amaze with Bamboo Lights
Add depth and atmosphere to your garden with these simple bamboo lanterns.
Start by cutting out circular holes and covering them with DIY paper art for an extraordinary look. Finish the look to perfection with intricate detailing from punch holes.
34. Draw the Eye Up
This DIY garden lighting idea not only adds height but also creates a unique and magical piece that will make your family and friends revere it at the sight of it.
Some lights have a different color to create different levels of an ambient glow.
