Creative DIY Outdoor Lighting

Is there anything cozier on a warm summer night than sitting down on your patio or deck or lawn with a glass of wine to enjoy the fresh air and the fact that you’re able to be outside in fewer than 3 layers (I live in Massachusetts, which requires several layers the majority of the year).

I love outdoor areas with lots of lights and comfy furniture, like you have moved your dining or living room outside. It doesn’t matter if it’s white table cloths and chandeliers (I do love a chandelier in the garden!) or DIY lighting and pillows and poufs – it still feels like you’re on vacation in your own back yard.

I recently came across these easy, adorable and creative outdoor lighting ideas that can be made in an afternoon (or less). I definitely have to try several of them.

Milk Carton
Either use a plain milk carton or cover it with gift wrap or some other pretty paper. Cut out a window both in front and a little bit higher up in back (to let the heat out) and add a candle in a glass votive.

Lamp Shades
This is my favorite – I have a thing for lampshades and can’t resist them when I find a fun one on sale (I have a box of them in the basement). Just use regular string lights with outdoor lighting bulbs (works best with the larger blub variety) and add the shade! So creative and simple.

Rubber Stamp Bag
For this, you need wax paper sandwich bags, rubber stamps and ink (or you can just draw an illustration on the bag). Stamp your image(s) on the bag and add a tea light in a glass votive.

Gift Wrap
Just take a sheet of pretty paper, fold it in half, make little cuts all along the fold, unfold, roll up, press down so the cut part expands outwards, and tape the ends together.

Tin Cans
Another one perfect for me. I have saved tin cans for quite some time because I was going to use them for “craft projects”. Now I have several boxes of them in the basement (I am not a hoarder, I promise!) just waiting for me to get creative. For this project, just punch decorative holes in the cans (with the help of a nail and hammer) and 2 on each side up top, add a wire and hang. In this project, they added paper “tails” to the cans, but I’m not crazy about that idea.

From Living at Home