There are many important aspects one needs to consider when it comes to designing a stunning landscape for their yard. Many often focus on flowers and outdoor furniture, but one area that is also good to consider is the lighting for a garden landscape. Lighting can add a unique ambiance to the garden and show off its beautiful plants at night. However, installing professional lighting can be expensive, and with the ubiquity of solar panels, DIY outdoor lighting is becoming easier and easier for average homeowners. If you’re interested in adding some lighting to a garden landscape, get some inspiration from these DIY Garden Lighting ideas.
This article will explore some great ones you can consider using in the garden and at an affordable price.
Why Choose DIY Outdoor Lighting?
Many might be skeptical to use DIY lighting at first because it might not look as nice as professional lighting installments. However, there’s no need to worry about this because DIY lighting can look just as nice, sometimes even better, and can be made to fit one’s preferences.
In other words, the lighting can be designed according to one’s creative tastes.
The other great aspect of DIY lighting is that since there are generally no cords and electricity to deal with, you can add and modify at will. Don’t like the light in the left corner of the garden? Move it to the right! This used to be prohibitively expensive with the older wired systems.
DIY Garden Lighting Ideas
Searching for some DIY lighting ideas to use in the garden? Below are some different ways one can spice up their landscaping with lighting.
Wine Bottle Lights
One way to add an elegant look to the garden is by using recycled wine bottles. After finishing up the contents inside it (the best part!), wash the bottle out until everything is sanitized. You can then use a fiberglass tiki torch wick to draw fuel up through the wine bottle and burn with an attractive, mild flame. We love using Eucalyptus oil as torch fuel, as it does a great job of keeping the bugs away.
You could consider building a wall mount for the wine bottle tiki torch, as shown here, or you could simply leave them on a table or on the ground.
If you like the idea of wine bottle lights, but don’t want to deal with Tiki Torches, you could drill holes in the bottom of the bottles to enable you to run cords through them, and insert a string of fairy lights into the bottle. You could even use a solar light setup, which would make things pretty easy!
Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Hanging String Lights
If walkways happen to be in the garden landscape, they can be better enhanced with a long row of hanging string lights.
To make this, simply buy a few outdoor string lights, or globe ones, and hang up them on wooden posts, the edges of a fence, or other similar objects. We love the Proxy Lighting String Lights, as they are covered under a lifetime warranty.
Use your imagination, and your garden will come to life in the evening!
Make sure though to put a nail or hook on each post so the string of lights can be secured as the cord is draped over it. Keep stringing the lights until a power outlet is reached where the cord can then be plugged in so the lights can illuminate the area.
To run along a fence or wall, try using cup hooks to suspend the string lights. They install easily, and it’s very easy to remove the lights when necessary.
If you’ve got long runs and want a slicker look, you could consider pairing the lights with a metal guy wire for straight, non-sagging runs of lights.
Guy wires can be pulled much more tightly than string lights can, and are stronger and more secure. You can then attach your string lights to the guy wire, and get a cleaner look.
Last update on 2024-12-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Oil Floating Candles
A great way to add a sophisticated touch to an outdoor landscape is to use oil candles in it. Ideal for decks or tables in a garden, these are simple to make and are very affordable.
All one needs is a clear jar, some inexpensive olive oil, and floating wicks. With the exception of the floating wicks, there’s a pretty good chance you already have everything else you needed to get started.
After collecting the items, pour the olive oil inside the jar until it comes up to the top, leaving about half an inch still remaining. Then, place the floating wick inside and light it up!
But the magic happens when you add items into the oil for style and beauty. You can place flowers, herbs, fruits, and the like into the jar with the oil, and enjoy a beautiful botanical candle centerpiece.
Of course, place that stuff in the jar before you light the wick!
Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Solar Light Jars
A cool eco-friendly lighting idea is a solar light jar. Typically these are made using Mason jars and consist of the jar with a special screw-on cap with a solar panel on it. Lights are suspended underneath the jar cap. You can use any jar that fits a standard Mason jar cap.
They can be placed in various areas around the landscape without fear of them catching on fire or needing to be plugged in.
These jars can also be hung up by drilling a hole in the top of the lid and weaving a strong cord through it.
Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Floating Tea Lights in the Birdbath
Floating tea lights can add an elegant look to a garden landscape, especially when they are focused on a single spot as opposed to being strewn about. They can be put in birdbaths, buckets, or even a garden fountain, and will calmly float around in the water lighting up the surroundings.
The one shown here uses real flame floating tea candles, but it’s generally much easier now to use the battery powered floating LED tea lights. It’s much safer, too, though we understand if you simply love the authenticity of the flame.
Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Candles in Lanterns
A quick DIY garden lighting method would be to put some battery-powered candles in a large candle-less lantern. Many of these are pre-made setups, like these Solar Hanging Lanterns, but these aren’t the only way to go. You can pick up empty lanterns and fill them with any candle or LED light you choose, enabling a wide variety of lights.
Consider several different sized, but similar colored, candles, or perhaps a ball of fairy lights spilling out of the lantern frame.
The candles can be set to go off at a certain time and illuminate the lantern when they do. Different sized candles can be arranged together inside the lantern as well to add a nice look to it.
Like the Jar Oil Candles mentioned above, you can add non-lighting elements such as flowers, herbs, glass beads, Lite-Brite pegs, etc. to the lanterns to great effect.
Last update on 2024-12-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Fire Pit Fairy Lights
When evening sets in but it’s not quite time to light the fire pit, you can use the fire pit as a source of ambient light! A casually entangled set of solar fairy lights can make for a beautiful bit of evening lighting, and you’ll still be essentially all ready to light the fire pit when the time comes.
Of course, you can leave these lights on and skip the fire if it’s a warm night, or light the fire pit later on and use up that wood to generate some heat (just be sure to take off the string lights before you light the fire pit!)
If you’re looking for a fire pit, be sure to check out our list of Copper Fire Pit and other Metal Fire Pits, and you could use this technique with a chiminea as well.
Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Lantern Tea Light Bags
These are super simple outdoor illumination projects that can be purchased essentially off the shelf or can be a great project.
Just get some flame resistant white paper bags (best to use LED tea candles here regardless), and you can cut them, pole holes in them, paint them, or otherwise decorate them to create a beautiful outdoor lantern.
Add your LED candles inside, and place them all around for a beautiful ambient lighting effect.
You can also get pre-decorated lantern bags in a variety of patterns like stars and hearts, as well.
Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Conclusion: DIY Outdoor Lighting Ideas
Lighting for an outdoor garden landscape doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. With the DIY lighting ideas above, there are plenty of ways one can make some unique and fun homemade lighting items to brighten up their landscape.
Not only are these lighting ideas creative, but they look just like professionally-installed ones and can be easily added to the outdoor garden with just a small price tag.
Outdoor DIY Lighting Guide
In this section, we’ll look at a couple of the common questions people have when considering outdoor ambient lighting
Solar vs. Electric: Which is Better?
Depending on the type of DIY garden lighting one wants, it may or may not need to be near a power outlet. While an electric light will be a bit more dependable and ideal if brighter lights are preferred, solar panels can also be used as well. These panels are environmentally-friendly and don’t depend on electricity.
This means they will power on during storms or even with power loss as they don’t require electricity to run. They do, however, rely on the sun which could mean sometimes they might not work if it’s a cloudy day.
Generally, solar is becoming easier, better, and cheaper every day, and the solar lighting options are becoming more and more compelling.
LED Candles vs. Flame
Yeah, we think there’s something a little bit, well, fake, about LED tea candles compared to actual flame tea candles. But that is more than balanced out by the lack of fire danger, and when the candles are behind any kind of screen or hidden in any way, it’s almost impossible to tell LED from an actual flame.
Go with the LED unless you have an application where you’re going to see the flames directly, and even then… go with the LED.
Can Any Type of Material Be Used for These Items?
Almost any type of material can typically be used to make these DIY garden lighting projects. However, it’s a good idea to use weatherproof materials as much as possible to help prevent the items from wearing out easily. There are plenty of items, like outdoor-friendly fabrics, one can use to make these projects.
And if you’re going to be working with any actual candles, be sure that the materials you’re using the candles near are fire-resistant.
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