Brighten Up Your Home with These Backyard Lighting Ideas

Enjoy your backyard, day or night, with these fun DIY backyard lighting options.

Entertain even after the sun goes down simply by adding a few lights to your backyard. Outdoor lighting goes so much further than basic post lights illuminating a pathway—you can add light and decor at the same time with backyard string lights, lanterns, and even torches. Depending on the needs in your yard, you can also add multiple lighting solutions, such as illuminating a walkway and decorating an outdoor dining area with string lights. No matter how you choose to light up your yard, these backyard light ideas can provide a starting point for your next weekend project.

Solar Lighting

Solar lights are a backyard favorite for good reason. These post lights have solar cells that charge during the day, so they can provide light along walkways at night. If you just need to illuminate a small portion of your yard, or create a path to a back door, these easy-to-install lights are a great option.

Simple Backyard Lighting

If you just need a small amount of light, add cute string lights to an entertaining area. These blue lights can make the space more usable at night, but also add interest during the day. It’s a great DIY backyard lighting option for a small seating area.

Paper Lanterns

Hanging lanterns not only provide light at night, but they’re a beautiful addition to your yard during the day as well. Large trees make an easy, natural place to hang lanterns over this outdoor dining table. Their bright colors add style even when the lights aren’t illuminated.

Mixed Backyard Lighting

To truly light up your backyard, consider multiple DIY options. This outdoor dining area is usable at night thanks to a combination of hanging pendant lights, string lights, and even candles. A pergola is a great way to install the lights so they’re suspended above the table.

Rustic Pendants

Create a rustic, farmhouse design outside with help from your lighting. These hanging lights use Mason jars as fixtures for a casual, vintage feel. Suspended from a distressed wood overhang surrounding a tree trunk, the effect is relaxed and rural.

String Light Idea

Hanging string lights is a fun, modern way to add light to your yard. These casual lights stretch over the seating and grilling area, making it easier to entertain at night. Suspend the lights from a nearby garage, shed, porch, or even a freestanding pole.

Outdoor Dining Area

If you have an outdoor dining area set up in your yard, you’ll want lights for any late-night parties or after-dusk dinners. Intricate silver pendant lights suspended above this dining table make it feel elegant and modern. The neutral colors also allow the yellow chairs and patterned benches to stand out.

Simple String Light

Another option for an outdoor dining area is to hang string lights. A strand or two of lights strung over the table can provide enough light for dining after dark, and is much easier to install than a large outdoor light fixture. In this design, a white arbor placed over the table is the perfect place to hang lights without adding any additional structures.

Backyard Fireplace

Lighting the large fireplace in this backyard will provide plenty of light to the surrounding seating area. However, when it’s too hot for a fire, lanterns placed on either side can also illuminate the entertaining set up. Candles placed inside each lantern create a more natural, rustic lighting option.

Torch Candles

If you just need a temporary lighting solution for a nighttime gathering, consider adding a few tropical torches. These brightly-colored torches add interest to a planter. However, they can also be spaced along a pathway at night for extra lighting.

Outdoor Wall Sconces

Light up an outdoor patio along a garage with wall sconces. This backyard lighting idea provides a lot of light from just a few simple fixtures. Placing a dining area next to the lights on the concrete slab makes it more functional, even at night.

Backyard Patio

Frame a patio dining area with simple string lights. Two poles provide anchor points to hang the lights in a square around the patio from the side of the home. This design will illuminate the entire patio with just a few strings of bulbs.

Porch Light

Your front door probably has its own porch light, but your backyard could use one, too. Adding a porch light to the back of this house helps illuminate the patio seating area. A simple lantern design is both stylish and subtle at the same time.

Candle Centerpiece

If you don’t need a ton of light in your yard, try placing a few candles on an outdoor coffee table. This easy DIY backyard lighting doesn’t require any electrical installation. Plus, you can move the large hurricane candles as needed to provide light just where you need it.

Outdoor String Lights

Typically, you picture string lights hanging above your outdoor seating area. However, this patio design adds a new twist by hanging them at waist-height from the surrounding fence. It’s a simple, effective solution for placing string lights.

Outdoor Hanging Candles

The metal chandelier over this outdoor dining table gives it a rustic, homey feel. But it also supports individual glass cups that can hold lit candles. Whether you use real or electric candles, this backyard lighting idea is both rustic and romantic.

Wicker Lantern Backyard Lights

Add lights throughout your backyard by hanging them from trees. This simple DIY backyard lighting can illuminate a large area without adding any permanent installations. These wicker lanterns are easy to hang and can add light to almost any part of your backyard.

String Lanterns

String lantern lights hung along the edge of this home add color and style during the day. The location of the garage next to the patio provides a great spot to string up the lights. At night, they can illuminate the seating area with ease.

Star String Lights

Though most string lights are small, these large lights make a statement. Huge stars suspended over this casual dining area create a fun place for picnicking. During the day, the stars add an interesting design element, and will twinkle and sparkle at night.

Backyard Bar Lighting

Light up just enough space for late night home bartenders. A wall sconce installed above this outdoor bar makes it easier to mix up drinks for evening entertaining. The simple fixture also fits the casual style of the bar thanks to its wicker shade.

For more Better Homes & Gardens news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens.