Want a backyard that glows like a little resort without paying resort prices? These 26 DIY outdoor lighting ideas cover every corner of a patio, porch and yard. DIY outdoor lighting is any light you make or customize yourself, usually from solar garden stakes, string lights, mason jars, rope light or thrifted fixtures, so it looks custom and costs a fraction of store bought. Some take five minutes (a solar light glued into an upside down hanging basket is basically a magic trick), while string light poles and a ladder gate make a happy weekend project. A few DIY JOY originals with step by step videos are mixed in too, from pressed flower fairy jars to a beaded lantern that doubles as a plant hanger. One honest tip for all of them: test the lights before the glue goes on. Find more on the outdoor lighting project hub.
DIY Outdoor Lighting Ideas
1. $10 and 10 Minute Solar Chandelier
This $10 and 10 minute solar chandelier needs exactly two supplies: a solar garden light and a wire hanging floral basket. Pull the stake off the solar light so only the top is left, then pop the liner out of the basket and turn it upside down. Dry fit the light into the bottom opening before gluing, because some baskets take a round globe light and others suit a square one. Glue it in place, let it dry and hang it from a chain, a shepherd’s hook or a sturdy tree branch.
Get the full tutorial at Down Home Inspiration.
2. DIY Mason Jar Solar Light
A DIY mason jar solar light might be the easiest outdoor lighting project on this list, and vintage blue mason jars make it extra pretty. The trick is a solar lid light that screws right onto the jar in place of the canning lid, so there is no wiring and nothing to glue. Wrap a little basic wire around the neck to make a hanger, then hang the jars from ground hooks around a pool or patio, or simply set them on a table. Leave them in the sun all day and they glow on their own after dark.
Get the full tutorial at Finding Home Farms.
3. Solar Mason Jar Lights
Solar mason jar lights cost very little and need just three supplies: a mason jar, printed tissue paper and a cheap solar garden stake light. Line the inside of the jar with the tissue so the pattern glows through, then swap the stake for the jar and set the solar top in place. Charge them in a sunny spot during the day and they light up on their own at dusk, even during a power outage. Hang them from a deck rail or cluster a few down the middle of a patio table.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
4. Outdoor Rope Light
Outdoor rope light casts a wide, even glow along a path instead of the single pool of light a stake light gives. Measure the run first, then lay white LED rope light, which blends in by day, along the walkway edge and pin it every so often with garden staples or U stakes. Curved paths need more anchors than straight ones. Leave the rope on the spool until it’s placed exactly, then cut it and attach the power cord and end caps. Incandescent rope light gets warm, so never plug it in while still coiled.
Get the full tutorial at Christmas Lights, Etc.
5. Mason Jar Fairy Lights With Pressed Flowers
Mason jar fairy lights with pressed flowers glow like a little garden in a jar. Clean and dry the jar, play with the flower layout first, then brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the glass. Press each flower down and brush more glue over the top, working in small sections so nothing dries too soon. Thin petals and ferns are the best picks because they let more light shine through. A second coat seals everything. Drop in a strand of fairy lights, close the lid and tie on a jute bow.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
6. Easy DIY Porch Light
This easy DIY porch light is a grapevine ball chandelier strung with tiny warm lights. The current tutorial uses five ready made grapevine balls, two at 6 to 7 inches and three at 4 inches, plus two strands of 50 fairy lights on brown wire so the cords blend into the vine. Thread roughly 25 lights into each large ball and 15 to 17 into each smaller one, then tie them in place with garden twine. A birch branch and two pieces of burlap ribbon hang the whole row level under a porch or pergola.
Get the full tutorial at All Things Heart And Home.
7. DIY Succulent Chandelier
This DIY succulent chandelier started life as a hanging pot rack. Small pots of succulents sit along the rack’s flat shelf, with a few candles tucked between them, and the whole thing hangs by chains from a covered patio ceiling. Succulents are a smart pick for a hanging garden because they shrug off a missed watering. Thrift stores and yard sales are good hunting grounds for an old pot rack. The source is a short photo post rather than a full how-to, so plan the planting to suit the rack.
Get the full tutorial at Erin Ever After.
8. Back Patio Light
A back patio light swap is a fast curb appeal fix that costs about $50 and takes under an hour. Turn off the power at the main breaker first, then flip the switch to confirm the old fixture is dead. Unscrew the old light and remove its inside bracket, watching for wasp nests hiding in the housing. Disconnect the wires, mount the new bracket and check it with a level. Twist like colored wires together with wire nuts, attach ground to ground (or the green bracket screw), tuck the wires in and secure the new fixture.
Get the full tutorial at Two Twenty One.
9. Hang Patio Lights
Hanging patio lights goes smoothly with a plan. Sketch the space with measurements, then add 2 to 6 feet so the strings can swag. Pick a pattern, like a V, an X or a zigzag, and run a guy wire first on long spans so the bulbs don’t carry the strain. Start with the male plug nearest the outlet and link strings end to end. No railings or trees to hook onto? Set a wooden post in quick dry cement inside a small clay pot, nest it in a larger pot and plant flowers around the base.
Get the full tutorial at Christmas Lights, Etc.
10. Lighted Ladder Gate
A lighted ladder gate makes a rustic garden entrance from 2x4s and scrap wood. Rip three 2x4s in half for the long ladder sides, then cut a pile of 18 inch rungs. Sand every edge and rough the wood up with a hammer, nails and screws so it looks old. Mix two stain colors with a little water in different combinations for a weathered finish, then seal it all with polyurethane since it lives outside. Build the two side ladders, set them in place, nail on the top and drape it with twinkle lights or lanterns.
Get the full tutorial at Kojo Designs.
11. Mobile String Light Poles Easy DIY
These mobile string light poles move wherever the party is, and they cost about $50 for a pair. Each pole is a 10 foot length of 2 inch gray electrical conduit set in a 6 gallon galvanized bucket of Quikrete. Fill the bucket three quarters full with water, stand the conduit upright and pour in a 60 pound bag of Quikrete, stirring without moving the pole. It sets enough to let go in a couple of minutes. Leave it level for 48 hours, then cap the top with a PVC cap so rain stays out.
Get the full tutorial at You Should Grow.
12. Outdoor Fairy Lights
Outdoor fairy lights give a container garden a little magic after dark. Battery operated micro LED lights on thin wire wrap easily around a small trellis, and a built in timer can run them 6 hours on and 18 off. Coil the string loosely in one hand so it passes through the trellis gaps, rest the battery pack at the bottom of the pot and work upward. Going over the same spot twice concentrates the sparkle. About 20 feet of lights covers a small trellis. The lights are water resistant but the battery pack is not.
Get the full tutorial at Garden Experiments.
13. Cupcake Liner Lights
Cupcake liner lights take about a minute per bulb and cost under a dollar for a pack of 65 liners. Paper baking cups in pleated patterns look like tiny lampshades. Make a small cross cut in the bottom of each liner with a craft knife, pull a bulb out of its socket, slip the liner over the socket and screw the bulb back in. Keep the paper from touching the bulb, and swap to LED bulbs if possible since they run cool. Paper won’t survive rain, so slip them off after the party.
Get the full tutorial at Family Chic.
14. Glowing Outdoor Orbs
Glowing outdoor orbs are a 5 minute, $5 landscape lighting hack. Round opaque glass light shades, the kind thrift and secondhand stores sell for $1 to $3, get stuffed with a strand of outdoor mini lights. Nestle them in a garden bed, along a pond edge or under shrubs, then run an extension cord under the mulch. Those half working light strings in the basement are perfect for this. A plug in timer turns them on every night at dusk. New shades online can run from $4.99 to over $20.
Get the full tutorial at The Art of Doing Stuff.
15. Easy DIY Beaded Plant Hanger and Lantern
This easy DIY beaded plant hanger and lantern is two projects in one, built from fishing line, glass beads and a small wooden ring. Cut four 5 foot lengths of line, fold them through the ring and tape the top down. String 8 mm beads in runs with 14 mm beads as spacers, filling each strand to 16 inches, then split and regroup the strands to form the cradle. Different bead sizes work fine if you measure by length instead of counting. Knot all eight strands, then drop in a jar with a candle or a small planter.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
16. Backyard String Lights on Posts
Backyard string lights on posts look intentional instead of temporary, and this version skips concrete entirely. No dig ground anchors twist about 24 inches into the soil and hold 10.5 foot black chain link top rail poles, with a rail end cap glued on top as a ready made hook. Set the anchors no more than 20 feet apart (13 feet works well) and shim any loose caps so the poles stand straight. Run a guide wire through the light loops and clip the strand to each pole with a carabiner. Hanging the lights is easiest with two people.
Get the full tutorial at Taryn Whiteaker Designs.
17. Homemade Rope Light Sign
A homemade rope light sign spells out a word in cursive light across a deck or wall. Start by setting the word on a measured grid in any design program, using siding boards or feet as grid lines to map each nail. A 48 foot outdoor rope light kit and about 50 nails cover a short word, and the whole thing cost around $55. Hammer in the nails, loop the rope around them and add more nails wherever a curve looks sharp. The ties that come with the kit close any doubled up gaps. An outdoor light switch saves trips to the plug.
Get the full tutorial at A Beautiful Mess.
18. DIY Outdoor Solar Chandelier
A DIY outdoor solar chandelier gives an old light fixture new life without a single wire. Start with a thrifted or estate sale chandelier (this one was $10 and 36 inches long) and strip out all of the original wiring and sockets. Pull the stakes off clear globe solar garden lights, about $3 each, and set a solar top in each arm where a bulb used to sit. A dab of hot glue holds them in place. Hang it from a sturdy tree branch in a sunny spot so the panels charge, and it glows all evening, even in the rain.
Get the full tutorial at Simple Details.
19. Cozy Patio Lights
Cozy patio lights are only one part of this Swedish guide to a snug outdoor space, but they do the heavy lifting once evening falls. String lights, solar lighting and candle lanterns bring warmth after dark, and hanging lamps, lanterns and flowers from above draws the eye up to add a layer. The guide also suggests framing the patio with trellises, screens or curtains, furnishing at different heights and using an outdoor rug to define zones. Outdoor textiles like pillows and throws finish the cozy feel. The page is in Swedish, so browser translation helps.
Get the full tutorial at hildurblad.se.
20. DIY Outdoor Light Poles
These DIY outdoor light poles double as planters, so the string lights get a sturdy base that looks like it belongs on the patio. Paint concrete planters with exterior paint and primer in one, then stain 8 foot dowels, 1 3/8 inches thick, cut down to 7 feet. Pre drill and add eye hooks or cup hooks facing inward. Pour about 4 inches of cement into each planter, stand a pole in the center, level it and tape it to hold overnight. Top with pea gravel for drainage, then soil and plants, and wrap extra cord around the poles.
Get the full tutorial at City Farmhouse.
21. Old Lantern Lights
Old lantern lights might be the simplest idea on this list: fill an inexpensive lantern with a string of white lights and hang it in a tree or around the yard. The idea comes from a weekend round up of party ideas, where it sits beside tips for glow stick balloons and soda bottle ice molds, so think of it as inspiration rather than a full tutorial. A battery powered strand avoids running cords up into the branches. Group several lanterns at different heights for the biggest impact.
Get the full tutorial at Good Life of Design.
22. DIY Icicle Chandelier
A DIY icicle chandelier takes about 20 minutes and uses a grapevine wreath where most versions use a hula hoop. Wrap a strand of icicle lights around the wreath and secure it with zip ties (bread ties or pipe cleaners work too). Propping the wreath across two chairs makes the stringing much easier. Hang it from a hook in a covered patio ceiling and run a brown extension cord up the chain and along the ceiling so it disappears. Craft store sales and coupons keep the cost low.
Get the full tutorial at The Project Table.
23. DIY Mason Jar Tiki Torches
DIY mason jar tiki torches take about five minutes and are perfect for warding off mosquitoes on a porch or deck. Punch a hole in a jar lid with a hammer and nail (or a drill), widening it until a tiki torch wick fits snugly enough not to slip into the jar. Thread the wick through, trimming it in half if it is extra long. Fill the jar half to three quarters full with torch oil and screw on the lid. Give the wick a few minutes to soak, then light it. One bottle of oil filled four jars.
Get the full tutorial at The Frugal Homemaker.
24. Outdoor Dining Room Lights
This outdoor dining room lives under a stained pergola on a deck, and the lighting is what makes it feel like a real room. Café string lights run in rows across the pergola beams and stayed up all winter with every bulb still working. A black chandelier hangs over the table, being converted to hold candles. The deck got an Antique Oak stain, the railings stayed white and a blue gray lattice indoor outdoor rug defines the dining space. Moving the table under the pergola made the space feel more intimate.
Get the full tutorial at Thrifty Decor Chick.
25. Easy DIY Fairy Jar Lanterns
Easy DIY fairy jar lanterns glow with a little silhouette scene, and an old pickle jar works as well as a mason jar. Print a fairy silhouette (or trees, mushrooms or a tiny house) and cut away all the white parts. Paint the inside of the jar with white acrylic or primer, keeping the coat thin enough for light to shine through. Add fake moss or crumpled tissue in the bottom, hot glue the cutout inside facing out and tuck in a few leaves. Drop in a tea light or fairy lights and tie twine around the neck.
Get the full tutorial at DIY JOY.
26. Illuminate Your Pathways
Illuminating your pathways is part safety and part style, and this guide covers both. LED fixtures run cooler and use far less power than incandescent bulbs, which leaves room in the budget for more lights. Motion sensor lights add security and save fumbling in the dark on a late trip to the shed. Path lights can blend into the landscape or stand out as modern pillars and ornate lanterns. Aim a light at a striking plant or garden feature for drama. Talk to a licensed electrician about anything hardwired.
Get the full tutorial at City of Creative Dreams.
