Gardening Ideas Gardening & Landscaping Ideas 24 Backyard Lighting Ideas For A Gorgeous Glow And Easy Entertaining Enjoy your backyard all night long. By Ashlyn Needham Ashlyn Needham Ashlyn Needham is an expert decor and design writer with 6 years of writing for brands and personal clients. She has been published in The Spruce, Southern Living, House Digest, Family Handyman, and more. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on September 23, 2024 Close Photo: welcomia/Getty Images Creating a lively backyard starts with lighting. Just because the sun begins to set and daylight disappears doesn't mean it's time to head indoors, especially if you're hosting a party. Thanks to outdoor lighting fixtures, you can extend outdoor festivities way into the evening hours. If you need to find the perfect way to illuminate your backyard, we've put together a list of 22 backyard lighting ideas for a functional (and visible) space. 24 Backyard Lighting Ideas For A Gorgeous Glow And Easy Entertaining 01 of 24 Use Your Trellis Tria Giovan If your outdoor space has an overhead structure, like a pergola or trellis, use it to hang small pendant lights. When hosting an outdoor dinner party, they'll feel like floating candles to help achieve the perfect ambiance. 02 of 24 Highlight Your Garden welcomia/Getty Images Garden lights are meant to up the drama around your home when it comes to landscaping. Use solar lights that turn on at dusk to highlight your lush greenery or blooms to enhance the natural beauty surrounding your home. Directional lights can be pointed upward to light up greenery from below. 03 of 24 Make Spaces Intimate Johner Images/Getty Images If you're hosting a backyard barbecue or entertaining with an elegant dinner party, make your lighting intimate with its warm ambiance. Scatter candles along the table and frame the space with string lights to create a cozy atmosphere that'll invite your guests to stay and enjoy the time outdoors. 04 of 24 Keep It Simple With Lanterns Ridgewest Homes & White Cloud Productions Not all backyard lighting ideas need to be as extensive as installing or hanging new fixtures. Place a few lanterns or table candles on your outdoor coffee table for visibility all night long that's easy to set up. Use flickering candles if you'll be nearby, or try LED tea lights, which are easy to switch on and off and don't create a mess. 05 of 24 Line The Edges Westend61/Getty Images If you're planning on using the backyard for night entertaining and aren't looking for an extensive lighting project, line the edge of your patio or deck with tea-light candles. Battery-powered flameless candles provide as much light as actual flames and are completely safe, which is a big win if your patio or deck is made of wood. 06 of 24 Light in Layers Alison Gootee; Styling: Jennifer Berno DeCleene Adding light sources in layers is the perfect way to achieve a cozy space. Here, simple string lights are hung well above the copper fire pit to bring in soft light from above while small pathway lights surround the garden beds. 07 of 24 Make Use Of Trees olegbreslavtsev / Getty Images Low-hanging boughs are the perfect place to hang candle-lit lanterns and strings of lights. Don't reserve them just for the holidays—these lights will add romance to garden parties all year long. 08 of 24 Add Lighting To Seating Areas KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty Images Outdoor gazebos and pergolas add a relaxing environment to your backyard that's possible to enjoy at night with lighting. If you're worried that a pendant fixture will become damaged due to weather, add recessed lighting. Recessed lighting will illuminate your entire area and stay flush against the beams. 09 of 24 Drape Fences And Railings Alex Levine / Getty Images Drape fences and railings with string lights to create an intimate feeling during backyard parties. The lights will define the boundaries of your space and provide an extra spark for your gathering. 15 Best Plants For Fence Lines 10 of 24 Build In Lighting Meco Custom Builders If you're remodeling your backyard to include an outdoor kitchen or entertainment area, consider building lighting into the stone or masonry. This makes your space more functional and doesn't require adding in light from another source every time you use the area. Plus, turning the lights on at night enhances the new addition for an elegant glow to show off the completed project. 11 of 24 Add A Fire Pit Jon Lovette/Getty Images Lighting and warmth are essentials for backyard lighting ideas, and you can never go wrong with an outdoor fire pit. These yard items are the epitome of transforming your backyard into a space full of ambiance and glow at night that makes the area functional and relaxing. 12 of 24 Brighten Waterfalls And Fountains Melanie Rekola Magnify the tranquility of your garden fountain or waterfall with lights. The sounds of the running water mixed with the warm glow create a peaceful environment full of charm and sophistication. 13 of 24 Place Globe Lights In The Garden AHatmaker / Getty Images Solar globes will add a mystical feeling to your garden. Reminiscent of an orb or the moon, they provide lighting and a sculptural element. Intersperse them several feet apart if you want to even out the lighting on your property. 14 of 24 Hang String Lights Above Seating ]Jennifer Davick; Styling: Elizabeth Demos String lights are a popular option for backyard lighting ideas, and rightfully so. These adorable little lights make your backyard functional at night and enhance the ambiance. There are several possibilities for hanging string lights in your backyard to create a cozy and intimate atmosphere. 15 of 24 Line Your Steps Landscape Lighting Pro There's nothing worse than tripping up or down a staircase at night. Regardless of your step materials, adding lighting to this area is a great way to prevent tripping since the area is more visible. While these lights are being used for safety, they're still casting a glow that will light up your backyard and provide the ambiance you're looking for. 16 of 24 Elevate The Space With A Chandelier Ridgewest Homes & White Cloud Productions Create a beautiful backyard deck by opting for a chandelier as your light source. Not only does this provide the lighting you need for the darker hours, but this fixture accentuates your space and makes the environment feel more sophisticated. 17 of 24 Illuminate A Path blanscape/Getty Images Does your home have a courtyard or extensive garden area? Add lighting to the sides of paths for visibility and to dramatize the nearby foliage. This ensures your path stays lit when it gets dark and transforms your garden into a focal point. 20 Best Border Plants For Your Garden 18 of 24 Put Lighting In The Pool Ivan Hunter/Getty Images If you have a pool in your backyard then night swims are likely to occur. Install lighting down in sides of your pool to light up the water and cast a glow that reaches your backyard area. 19 of 24 Make DIY Mason Jar Lights Melanie Rekola Instead of purchasing a new light fixture, consider making your own backyard lighting with the help of fairy lights and Mason jars. Fill the inside of a Mason jar with battery-powered fairy lights (making sure to put the battery at the top for easy access) and screw back on the lid. Attach the lid's handle on both sides and then hang it on tree branches or on yard stakes with a shepherd's hook. 20 of 24 Go For Solar Energy Nickbeer/Getty Images Whether you don't have an outlet nearby or are looking for an environmentally-friendly source, consider going with solar lights. This lighting option is very user-friendly as most of them charge during the day from sunlight and light up on their own at night. All that's required from you is installing it in your chosen location. 24 Backyard Lighting Ideas For A Gorgeous Glow And Easy Entertaining 21 of 24 Light Up Side Tables Annie Theby / Unsplash Add lanterns or LED candles to side tables to cast a soft glow in seating areas where friends and family gather to converse. They're also a smart addition for serving tables, allowing guests to get a better view of the buffet. 22 of 24 Play With Pattern Amazon These finely detailed lanterns reflect an intricate pattern on a wall. Look for Moroccan lanterns with interesting geometric shapes or those with nature-inspired cutouts like fireflies. 23 of 24 Illuminate Your Pool Area Meco Custom Builders Outdoor pools transform empty backyards into one luxury, especially with impressive stonework similar to the one in the picture above. Place a few light fixtures around your pool area to show off the intricate landscaping and make the area functional at night. 24 of 24 Play With Color Olena Malik/Getty Images White lighting may be classic, but that doesn't mean you can't let out your wild side and play with color. Look for colorful string lights or paper lanterns for a more vivid, fun effect at your pool party. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit