11 Outdoor DIY Summer Lights You’ll Love

outdoor diy summer lights you'll love cover

Summer is almost here and if you haven’t prepared furniture, decor and lights, it’s high time to do that! We’ve gathered some cool tutorials of outdoor summer lights – for parties, for meals, for reading and just for creating a pleasing ambience. They can be not only used for outdoor decor in summer but also brought indoors when the season is over. Keep in mind that some of these lights won’t stand rain, so don’t hang them when rain is expected. Let’s take a look at the tutorials.

Use a cheap silicone mold to upgrade basic string of mini LED lights into lights that are perfect for a summer party! Using resin in a silicone mold allows you to create translucent decorations in nearly any shape. The author chose to make a set of colorful pineapple string lights, but you can use this same technique to perfectly match your party theme. If you don’t have any silicon molds at hand, you can make them yourself, the tutorial will tell you how, don’t worry!

DIY colorful pineapple string lights for summer (via madincrafts.com)

DIY colorful pineapple string lights for summer (via madincrafts.com)

What can be more summerlike than beaches? And you can hint on them hanging a string of lights with seashells, such a string of beach treasures casts a dreamy glow on a patio or porch. This is a real 5-minute craft that can be easily made while your guests are hurrying up to your home. Enjoy!

DIY seashell lights for a beachy feel outdoors (via www.marthastewart.com)

DIY seashell lights for a beachy feel outdoors (via www.marthastewart.com)

Getting ready for a cool outdoor party? Wanna impress your second half with romantic lights? We’ve got a great idea for you! Let’s make starry lights of foil or glitter paper – these lights will match most of party themes and decor ideas, they look very cute and very dreamy. The craft isn’t difficult, so take a look and make some.

DIY paper foil starry lights for outdoors  (via www.shelterness.com)

DIY paper foil starry lights for outdoors (via www.shelterness.com)

These origami fairy lights give the most festive vibe to any home or party space. The authors originally made them hang over the deck for our last party, but they loved the look so much they decided to bring them inside afterward. Adding simple details that make thehome feel festive is one of my favorite ways to decorate. The DIY lights are simple to make with sheets of origami paper and can be hung as garland on their own, or given as favors.

DIY colorful blow box summer or just party lights (via asubtlerevelry.com)

DIY colorful blow box summer or just party lights (via asubtlerevelry.com)

These very simple folded and colorful lights are perfect to spruce up your outdoor space. They’re festive and fun for a party and the kind of strand I could see leaving up all season long. The folded paper lights are bursting with color for summer. They can be resized to fit any bulb strand. Can you imagine inviting friends over for early evening cocktails under these pretty colors? Summer bliss! The simple paper folds easily stand in for new/updated lights outdoors, or in.

DIY colorful paper folded light strands for summer (via asubtlerevelry.com)

DIY colorful paper folded light strands for summer (via asubtlerevelry.com)

May flowers have arrived! These lights were inspired by all the beautiful blooms the author has been seeing around town. She wanted to bring the summer indoors, but they could make for some colorful outdoor lighting, too. Making these floral garlands couldn’t be faster – all you need are cupcake papers and string lights, and you’re on your way to some simple summer lighting.

DIY colorful cupcake flower lights for any season (via ohhappyday.com)

DIY colorful cupcake flower lights for any season (via ohhappyday.com)

Getting ready for a party outdoors? Here’s an idea for such an event: a DIY garland made of birthday caps, if you don’t have them at hand – just buy some and go! The garland with lights looks festive, fun, whimsy and very inspiring, it will fit not only a birthday party but many others, too. And of course you may use it indoors, whenever you want.

DIY colorful birthday hat party garland (via www.shelterness.com)

DIY colorful birthday hat party garland (via www.shelterness.com)

Summer parties have their special charm because of colors and an amazing atmosphere when we enjoy shades and peculiar air that’s unlike any other. Spruce up your summer party or just your outdoor space with cool summer lights – LEDs highlighted with bright crepe paper. This is a very easy and fast craft, get inspired!

DIY colorful paper fringe lights for any parties and outdoors (via www.shelterness.com)

DIY colorful paper fringe lights for any parties and outdoors (via www.shelterness.com)

When you’re rearing up to have a summer party, it’s easy to become consumed with menu planning. In the week before the party, there are ingredients to buy, dishes to prep, and logistics to map out. So when it comes to decorating, sometimes you need a quick, effortless way to dress up your party space that goes above and beyond a last-minute scattering of tea lights. Whether you’re working with a garden, a deck, a patio, or even a living room, this 10-minute project will give an old string of lights a summery upgrade. If you can dig up a string of white lights left over from Christmas and a stack of paper cupcake liners from your baking cupboard, then you can make this absurdly simple decoration. The cupcake liners create fluttery little lampshades for the lights and soften the light a little bit – a great atmospheric addition to any outdoor setting.

DIY cool summer lights using cupcake liners (via food52.com)

DIY cool summer lights using cupcake liners (via food52.com)

If you want some elegant and modern glowing lights for your garden, this is it! Some old glass shades, some old Christmas lights and voila – you have them! Just stick the glass shades anywhere you want and stuff them full of mini lights. Get more details in the craft and create some cool globes to glow in the dark!

DIY romantic glowing globes for outdoor summer decor (via www.theartofdoingstuff.com)

DIY romantic glowing globes for outdoor summer decor (via www.theartofdoingstuff.com)

Upcycling vintage light fixtures is a common theme and this particular project was inspired by the trendy shop, Anthropologie. Their metalwork hurricanes can be easily repurposed into a copper lantern that held firefly lights. The resulting firefly light looks very impressive, catchy and romantic, you won’t regret crafting it and it won’t take much time.

DIY firefly light of a metal hurricane and lights (via www.sadieseasongoods.com)

DIY firefly light of a metal hurricane and lights (via www.sadieseasongoods.com)