17+ Outdoor Lighting Ideas for the Garden

It’s warming up outside and it’s time to head outside to enjoy the warm weather!  Outdoor lighting is one of the best ways to brighten up your outdoor space and make it usable at night. I’m sharing these gorgeous and easy to duplicate outdoor lighting ideas with you today.  I know you can find the perfect backyard lighting for your space.

17+ Gorgeous Outdoor Lighting Ideas for the Garden

Did I mention my mother’s day gift this year was yard work?

I will admit, I definitely got my “money’s worth” out of that gift. It took my hubby a couple of weekends to finish the makeover on our little side garden. I pitched in a little when we were shoveling and spreading the rock and choosing plants, but that is about all I did.

Now that it’s done we’ve really been enjoying the new garden in the mornings.  We jokingly call it the bird sanctuary as it is “bird-a-palooza” out there all day long!

Light up those warm summer Nights

It would be amazing if we could spend more time out there in the late evening after the day cools off, but right now it is just pitch black out there.  (Which is nice if you are star gazing, but not so much if you are trying to hang out and have a conversation.) So it is definitely time we come up with a few outdoor lighting ideas to brighten up the backyard in the evening.

We have all sorts of wildlife out here.  Our little DIY Bubble Fountain really brings them in.  Hubby snapped this picture through our bedroom window one morning, earlier this summer.  Isn’t it pretty?

I’ve spent some time lately browsing and collecting Outdoor Lighting Ideas on Pinterest, Houzz, and Google Images to get inspiration for the hubby’s next project.  I’ve come across a few images and project ideas that are just perfect for our garden and an excited to share these backyard lighting ideas with you!

Our neighborhood has a dark sky light regulation, so make sure to check if you have a similar rule before committing to your lighting fixtures.

Outdoor Lighting Ideas for the Garden

I love these little mason jars hanging from mini-shepherd’s hook.  You can get the tutorial and make some for yourself at Finding Home.  I can totally picture this lighting in a couple of spots around the perimeter and by the stone bench.

Of course, if you are not a DIY-er or just don’t want to make your own outdoor mason jar light, you could always buy premade mason jar lights like these gorgeous ones from Sweet Tea Clothing Co. on Etsy.

If you have a lot of trees in your garden, you can find a ton of hanging lantern ideas.  These hanging outdoor garden lanterns from  Millie Holloman’s Photography blog are beautiful.  I think I have seen very similar lanterns at Hobby Lobby and here on amazon.

Another hanging mason jar idea, though I can’t find the original source for this photo.

If glass votives or mason jars aren’t your thing, you could always follow this Tin Can Lantern Tutorial from Grow Creative.

These little sun jars from Fox and Feather would be perfect soft lighting on my outdoor coffee table.

This is a great idea for a DIY chandelier.  Something like this would be perfect over our door dining set.

We have a ton of trees, it would be so gorgeous to wrap a few of them in white rope lights and create a little sitting area.

Photo Source

How pretty would a lighted trellis be over our stone bench.  See how to make this one over at Kojo Designs.

This Tiki Torch Display is so awesome and so doable!

Source: Lowes Creative Ideas

These cupcake liner lights are so darling and creative and would look adorable hanging from the ceiling of the porch!

Or it could be something as simple as Japanese lanterns with battery powered luminaries hung from the trees!

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We definitely want to hang some of the round bulb string lights over the top of the garden.  Similar to the photos below.  Finally found the perfect outdoor string lights here on Amazon!    *UPDATE* I added some of these lights around our fire pit.  You can see them here.

Photo Source.

Photo source.

These paper bag lights look easy and fun to do:

I love these pathway lights!  They are the perfect size for our rock stepping stones.

Of course if you have a wider pathway, you could go with a larger path light.

How cool is this DIY String Light Design found over at A Beautiful Mess?

Here is a great DIY idea to up-cycle your old-style light fixtures:

I don’t have a place for these now, but I love the look of these lighted tables for a party.

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How about you?  Do you have any big plans in the works to spruce up your outdoor space?  I’d love to hear from you about your plans!

If you are looking for a few more semi-easy outdoor projects you can do yourself, be sure to check these out as well:

How to Make a Bubble Fountain in a Pot

Make a Wood and Rope Tree Swing

No Sew Outdoor Patio Curtains (from drop cloths)

DIY Outdoor Firepit

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