If you’re looking for creative and easy DIY outdoor lighting ideas, then we’ve got you covered with this collection of gorgeous landscape lights. Whether you prefer solar or wired, you’re sure to find something to light your desire!
Summer is our favorite season here at The Navage Patch. Oh, we’re not beach-goers nor boaters nor vacationers. Nope. In fact, we tend to work like dogs on landscape and gardening projects all summer long. And given my aversion to back-breaking labor and excessive heat, you’d think that I, at least, would hate the season. But summer is the one season when Handan and I can slip outside at night to enjoy our new deck and our landscaping all lit up by our DIY outdoor lighting.
But enjoyment is fleeting, and progress never sleeps. My lovely wife, Progress Handan, has even more landscaping ideas for us this summer which will require even more landscape lighting. I guess the only blessing is that we don’t work after dark, so I’ll have my martini, and she’ll have her spiced rum, and we’ll both be outside every night under the stars listening to the frogs and crickets sing their summer songs under the warm glow of our landscape lights.
Since we’ve been scouring the web looking for the absolute best ideas for our DIY outdoor lighting, we figured we’d round ’em up and share ’em with you!
Before we begin, be sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram, and click the subscribe button at the top of this page to sign up for our email list so you’ll never miss a post!
Oh my, would you look at that! Our first DIY outdoor lighting idea comes from my wife! Now, what are the odds….
Even though we already have two of these beauties in our yard, her post deserves a spot on this list, because there is nothing like them, anywhere. There’s a lot of borrowing and influencing and outright stealing of ideas in this competitive world of blogging, but Handan’s Waterdrop Solar Lights are 100% original. That’s why they went viral, and that’s why they’re on this list. They are among the most beautiful additions to any garden, and they’re pure magic at night!

Source: The Navage Patch
Moving on from the “wow” to the “practical and pretty,” we have a great solution for all those broken ground spikes that plague the inexpensive solar path lights sold in big box stores. Oh, hey, wow, this one is ours, too. Hey, wait a minute…is this list rigged? Two in a row from The Navage Patch? Yeesh, talk about “fair and balanced!” But seriously, we have tons of awesome lights that aren’t from us, I swear, so stick with me. Anyway, back to these awesome Cedar Cube Solar Landscape Lights – Handan made me make these a while back, and they’ve been a fantastic solution for us. Bonus: I show you an easy little trick to clear up those hazy and degraded old solar panels!

Source: The Navage Patch
Okay, enough of me tooting our own horn (though I may try to sneak another one of ours in later), let’s move on to our next easy outdoor lighting idea, courtesy of Karen at The Art of Doing Stuff. She’s taken a couple of old glass shades and turned them into glowing garden orbs.

Source: The Art of Doing Stuff
Handan hit upon that same idea a couple of years ago, but with color-changing solar lights.

Source: The Navage Patch
For a simple but dramatic lighting solution, rope lights are perfect for illuminating long stretches of landscaping or a deck with beautiful soft light.

Source: Christmas Lights Etc.
It’s like a line of fire through your yard! All you need to create this stunning look is a rope light and some landscape staples.

Source: Christmas Lights Etc.
Let’s move from lights in a rope to lights on a string. It’s amazing the magic you can create with a set of simple string lights, especially when they’re strung between two wooden poles. They give any outdoor space a rustic, old-timey feel.

Source: The Home Depot
When hung under a pergola, string lights create a cozy and inviting environment that is perfect for entertaining.
If you shrink the bulbs way way down, you get starry string lights. These little guys are perfect for smaller landscape lighting needs. Handan used them to create her Spilling Solar Lights, and they look great in the garden.

Source: The Navage Patch
For another awesome project using starry string lights, check out the Anthropologie hurricane knock-off that Sarah of Sadie Seasongoods made using an old brass ‘n’ glass hanging chandelier!

Source: Sadie Seasongoods
If you have wild grapevines growing in your area, Lynne Knowlton shows you how you can make lighted grapevine balls for your yard. No grapes growing nearby? No problem! You can buy grapevine ball here, and make these beautiful tree-hangers.

Source: Lynne Knowlton
Or you can pick up two metal planters from Lowe’s and DIY these outdoor globe lights.

Source: Lowe’s
If you have trees in your yard, you can simply wrap lights around them. I love this look – especially in the tropics when palm trees are wrapped this way!

Source: Cosmopolitan.com
For the ambitious DIYer who wants to add some serious Rustic Farmhouse class to their backyard, this Mason jar chandelier is the belle of the ball! Using solar Mason jar lid lights, this beauty will keep your deck party bumping all night long. We love it so much, that we’re planning to make one this summer! 🙂
Okay, I know, that chandelier takes a bit of work. But there’s an easier solution that still looks great. Check out what Robin from All Things Heart and Home with a bunch of Mason jars, some burlap ribbon and Christmas lights! You can also go wireless by using these solar Mason jar lid lights.

Source: All Things Heart and Home
This colorful bottle tree looks just as good during the day as it does at night! The solar-powered bottle lights will brighten up any yard or garden, and trees come in two sizes, prefect for a small garden or an open yard.
If you’ve spent more than 3 seconds on Pinterest, you’ve likely come across this image. It is one of the most pinned pictures among the garden and landscape DIY projects. Most of the pins claim that this look was achieved with glow-in-the-dark paint.
We disagree. It’s a fantastic look, but we think it was done using illuminated planters such as the ones below.
They’re a great way to light up the night and show off your blooms long after the sun has set!
It’s so simple, your kids could do it, but we love the look of these solar Tiki torches in a planter! You can easily DIY this with Dollar Store Tiki torches – just pull out the canisters and replace them with cheap solar path lights. Of course, if you can’t find the torches at the Dollar Store, you can just use the ready-made solar Tiki torches.
If you like Tiki torches, then you’ll also like these next two ideas. Diane from In My Own Style made some awesome hurricane torches from tuna cans and thrift store glass.

Source: In My Own Style
This glass bottle Tiki torch is another Pinterest darling that has been shared around the world and back. You can find the step-by-step tutorial for this DIY Tiki torch here.

Source: Gerardot & Co.
Robin from Redo it Yourself turned some ordinary table lamps into awesome solar garden lights. She has tons of great DIY light projects over at her page, so be sure to check it out!

Source: Redo it Yourself
For those who know their way around a saw, Jenn from Build-Basic shows you how to make a beautiful and stylish solar cedar path light.

Source: Build-Basic
And finally – for those who just can’t be bothered – I present A Tangle of Starry Lights on a Pile of Logs. Seriously though – I love it! This may be the best-looking no-effort DIY of all time! This one is one my summer to-do list, for sure 🙂
We love it when you share our posts on Facebook and Pinterest!
Giselle says
I love them all and can’t wait for summer! The weather forecast currently calling for light snow showers despite it being spring! ? I guess it could be worse, it could be a blizzard!
P.S. Handans lights are by far my favourite!
Greg says
Thank you, Giselle! Yeah, I’m going stir crazy waiting for spring – it can’t come soon enough!
Sara says
Is there a link for the mason jar chandelier? I’d love to make one too 🙂
Handan says
Hi Sara, I love that chandelier too and definitely will be making one similar. 🙂 As for the link, I searched all over the internet for the source of that picture, but no luck, so I don’t think there is a tutorial for it.
franki says
Oh, this was SO FUN especially with a Spring Snow on the ground. *sigh* Absolutely luv “twinkle lights!!!” franki
Greg says
Thank you, Franki! I know, this has been a tough winter and a tougher “spring.” I can’t wait to get outside!
chris tucker says
throwing wood in a container and adding lights is about my speed lol, all of these are amazing and i can’t wait to see what special lights you will be creating handan xx
Greg says
I know, Chris, I love that one, too! Once the snow melts, we’ll be out there banging away on all of our summer projects. I can’t wait! Oh, and Happy Birthday!!
Maria says
I absolutely love the look of the mason jar chandelier but my worry is about the jars clinking together in wind storms and breaking? Any thoughts?
Greg says
Hi Maria, you bring up a good point. I don’t know how you’d protect against that except to take it inside during foul weather or hang it in a porch. That’s a problem we’ll have to consider before we make one!
MeiYue says
I love the Mason jar chandelier! But it really, really does not look like solar fairy lights inside. Can you please provide the link where you found this great Mason jar chandelier ? Perhaps they have details on how to make it with LED bulbs. Thank you!!! Love all your posts!!
MeiYue says
I think I may have found the original source for the mason jar chandelier. However, the blog that the source leads to is no longer functional. Here is is anyway.
http://summerdaisycottage.com/2017/10/10-beautiful-mason-jar-decor-ideas.html/7/ You have to go halfway down the post to see it.
I did find this link to a mason jar chandelier. Not exactly the same, but it will get you there and then you can bling it up as you see fit. 😀
http://diyjoy.com/mason-jar-crafts-diy-chandelier#
Greg says
Thank you, Mei Yue!
Greg says
Hi Mei Yue, thank you for the links!
Claire says
Fantastic ideas for outdoor lighting. I agree your solar drop lights are the best.e
Greg says
Thank you so much, Claire! Oh yeah, I love Handan’s waterdrop lights! 🙂
Karen says
All Beautiful ideas!! LOVE the garden drop!! Thanks for sharing!
Greg says
Thank you, Karen! 🙂
Vickie says
I love things that are simple, practical and pretty! My faves are the globe string lights over the picnic table and the tiny lights interspersed in the cut wood. Thanks for sharing!
Greg says
We couldn’t agree more! Simple is almost always better!
Mitchell Taylor says
That’s an easy little project to offer more light!