Are you going to be throwing a party in your backyard sometime soon? Whether you’re putting together plans for a Christmas party, a birthday party, a graduation party, an anniversary party, or another type of event, you should iron out all of the details to ensure everyone has a great time during it.
If your party—or even just a portion of your party—is going to take place at night, that’s going to mean putting some of the best outdoor party lighting decoration ideas to the test. You can set the right mood for your big event by learning about the different outdoor lighting ideas for a backyard party.
Are you ready to get your outdoor lighting situation in order prior to the start of your party? We have a bunch of ideas for lighting an outdoor party that are guaranteed to do the trick for you.
Check out 11 ideas for outdoor party lights below and see which ones might work well for you.
1. Start by Hanging a Decorative Patio Light on the Back of Your Home
Of all the outdoor party lighting ideas listed here, this is definitely the most practical one. It’s going to benefit you both when you’re throwing parties in your backyard and when you’re just living your day-to-day life.
You should find a decorative patio light that you can hang on the back of your home somewhere by the back door to your house. It should help to set the tone for your backyard space while also providing you with the light that you’ll need to navigate your way in and out of your home through your back door.
Ideally, you don’t want your patio light to be too bright since it could ruin the atmosphere when you’re throwing a party. It could also attract too many bugs to your patio if you’re not careful.
But your patio light should be bright enough to keep your patio area safe. It’s a good place to start when you’re on the hunt for outdoor lighting for your home.
2. Run a Series of String Lights Over the Top of Your Patio Area
Once you have your main patio light hung up, you can start to work your way out away from your home and look for other areas to add lighting. You might want to begin by running some string lights over the top of your patio area.
These string lights aren’t going to cost you much money. They’re also not going to be all that difficult to install. You can put them up in an afternoon by erecting a few poles around the perimeter of your patio and using them to hold your string lights up.
But you’re going to be amazed by how much a set of string lights can transform your backyard. It’ll look like the kind of place that you want to use to entertain people during a party.
3. Line the Walkways Throughout Your Backyard Space With Lighting
If you have one or more walkways that wind through your backyard space, it’s going to be important for you to make them easy to see. You don’t want to have people accidentally tripping and falling in your backyard while trying to walk on these walkways.
You can make your walkways safer and add a nice decorative touch to them by lining them with some kind of lighting. Even something as simple as solar lights will work wonders for your walkways and help people find their way on them.
You might also want to invest in some fancier lighting that you can put out along your walkways when you have parties in your backyard. They’ll make your outdoor space look more exquisite in an instant.
4. Highlight the Landscaping Features in Your Backyard With Landscape Lights
Do you have some special landscaping features scattered around in your backyard? If you do, you’re going to want to turn them into focal points in your outdoor space by utilizing landscape lights.
You don’t necessarily want to shine bright spotlights at these landscaping features. But you should try to add some subtle lighting to your backyard that will play up the landscaping features that you’re most proud to show off.
You should also take this same approach to any water features that you might have in your backyard. It’s so easy to show them off through the use of landscape lights.
5. Wrap LED Light Strips Around Any Poles That Exist in Your Backyard
If you have poles in your backyard, you’re not going to want to have people running into them while they’re walking around during your next party. You’re also not going to want to pass up on the chance to use these poles to decorate your outdoor space.
You should try to put an outdoor LED lighting strip around each pole that you have in your backyard. They’re going to add some pops of colors to your outdoor space while also ensuring that all of the guests at your party stay safe.
6. Decorate Some of the Trees in Your Backyard With Christmas Lights
Most people decorate the trees on their property with Christmas lights during the holiday season. But did you know that you can also do it during the warmer months of the year if you would like?
You can make your backyard look so festive by climbing up into your trees and putting Christmas lights on them. While you’re welcome to go with colorful lights if you would like, plain white lights might work better.
You should try not to go too overboard with Christmas lights. They could prove to be distracting if you go too wild with them. But when done right, they’ll make your backyard look great and get everyone in the mood to party in it.
7. Line the Top of the Fences in Your Backyard With Twinkling Lights
Is there fencing that runs around the perimeter of your backyard? If there is, there is no reason why you can’t take advantage of this by adding some lighting to it.
You’re welcome to add almost any kind of lighting that you would like to the fences that surround your backyard. But putting twinkling lights around the top of your fences might be your best bet.
Twinkling lights can be used to inject some much-needed energy into your backyard. They’re going to let everyone know that it’s OK to unwind and have some fun at your party. These twinkling lights will also add an ambiance to your backyard that wouldn’t exist otherwise.
8. Strategically Position Tiki Torches Throughout the Different Parts of Your Backyard
Almost all of the different outdoor party lighting ideas that we’ve talked about thus far have involved lights that need to be plugged in. But there are also a few kinds of lighting that you can incorporate into your backyard for a party without having to rely on electricity.
Let’s start by discussing tiki torches. They’re an excellent option for anyone who wants to scatter light around in different parts of a backyard without having to run cords all over the place.
Some people will put tiki torches around the outside of a patio to provide more light to it. Others will put one tiki torch in each corner of their backyard so that there aren’t any dark spots in it.
Regardless of which direction you decide to go in, you’re going to be able to get a lot of mileage out of tiki torches. Just be sure that you have plenty of fuel on hand to keep them going at all times.
9. Sprinkle a Handful of Candle Jars Around in Your Backyard
In addition to putting tiki torches in your backyard to provide it with some light, you should also consider finding places to put candle jars with lit candles inside of them. This is another fantastic option for those who want to add lighting to a backyard space without having to use any electricity.
Candles are also great because you can put them pretty much anywhere that you want. Here are a few examples of how you can use them:
- You can put them on the tables that you’re going to have out at your party
- You can use them to line your walkways
- You can hang them from fencing
- You can place them on retaining walls
The only downside of using candles is that they could blow out right in the middle of your party and need to be lit again. But as long as you buy the right kinds of candles, you should be able to use them outside throughout your party without a problem.
10. Give Chinese Lanterns a Try in Your Backyard
Chinese lanterns might not be the best fit for every type of party that you’re going to throw in your backyard. But they could really take some kinds of parties to the next level when you hang them up over your patio as opposed to string lights.
Chinese lanterns are very decorative in nature. They’re also known to provide just the right amount of light when you hang them up in the right places.
Additionally, you can find Chinese lanterns in almost any color that you want these days. From white to red to blue and everything in between, you shouldn’t have any trouble tracking down Chinese lanterns that are going to look great at your next party.
You should stay away from using sky lanterns at a party since they’re illegal in some states and could potentially lead to problems in your backyard. But regular old Chinese lanterns should be just fine to use and should make your backyard look way better than it would without them.
11. Take Your Outdoor Lighting to the Top With a Chandelier
When you think about hanging up a chandelier, you likely think about doing it in a foyer, a dining room, or another place inside of your home. But believe it or not, there are lots of chandeliers that are available for outdoor use these days.
This might be the most unorthodox idea of the outdoor party lighting ideas found here. But we can promise you that putting up a chandelier in your backyard is going to get people talking during an upcoming party.
We can also promise you that you’re going to be surprised to see how many options that there are when it comes to outdoor chandeliers. You can find everything from DIY chandeliers that are filled with lots of personality to formal chandeliers that will look like they belong in your home.
No matter which one that you decide to go with, you should make sure that you find something sturdy to use when you hang it up. You should also try to put it in a place where it’s going to be impossible to miss.
It’ll put your outdoor lighting over the top and help you throw an awesome party in your backyard.
Test Out These Outdoor Party Lighting Ideas Today
At the end of the day, the lighting that you use in your backyard during a party could ultimately make or break your event. If you don’t choose the right lighting for your outdoor space, it might end up being either too bright or too dim for your guests.
You should use the outdoor party lighting ideas that we’ve provided for you here to sift through your options and pick the best ones. They’ll make it possible for you to light your backyard up in the most effective way possible.
They’ll also help to establish the tone for your party. People are going to have such a great time when you invest in the right outdoor lighting for your backyard.
Get more tips on how to throw an incredible backyard party by browsing through the other articles posted on our blog.
