When you buy products via links on our website, we might receive an affiliate commission. Learn more

20 Fun Outdoor Lighting Ideas to Give Your Outdoors a Creative Twist

By Sheena Rajan
fun outdoor lighting ideas

If you are looking for outdoor lighting ideas beyond traditional fixtures and lights, we bet you will love these exciting, fun and innovative ideas! 

Colorful orb lights on a wooden table besides the pool

Make the Most of Luminous Orbs to Light Up Your Outdoor Space

This exciting and fun idea focuses on luminous orbs to add a magical touch to your outdoor space. These radiant spheres, which are typically available in a variety of colors, offer a lively vibe to patios, gardens, porches, and pool areas. Most luminous orbs on the market are solar-powered or battery-powered. 

Water wave effect lights on a wall

Create an Oceanic Aura With Water Wave Effect Lights

This fun outdoor lighting idea is all about adding a mesmerizing oceanic effect to your outdoor areas. These lights project wavy patterns, creating a serene ambiance. They are ideal for pool areas, garden walls, patios, and so on. Water wave effect lights typically feature a wide range of colors and intensities, allowing you to set up the “oceanic” vibe per your requirements. Therefore, if you are planning to host a beach-themed party or a relaxing dinner with friends surrounded by wavy lights, we bet you will love this idea!

Colorful solar figurine lights shaped like butterflies

Brighten Up Your Outdoor Areas With Whimsical Solar Figurine Lights

Solar figurine lights can add a magical and playful touch to your outdoor areas. The figurines can range from beautiful flowers to whimsical mystical creatures. Therefore, they are not just fun lighting ideas but also eye-catching decor pieces that can uplift the appeal of your gardens, patios, and walkways. Figurine lights are solar-powered and eco-friendly. 

Colorful mushroom-shaped LED lights

Create a Fantasy Glow With LED Mushroom Lights

LED mushroom lights are also an enchanting outdoor lighting idea. They resemble mushrooms and are available in a variety of colors and sizes. You can install them in the garden, among flowers and plants, creating a fantasy world in your outdoor space. You can make the most of LED mushroom lights to illuminate flowerbeds and garden paths, or simply create a forest-like effect around bushes and trees.

LED light pouring out from watering cans

Sprinkle Sparkle With Solar Watering Can Lights

This is one of the most unique and fun outdoor lighting ideas on our list. You can use these solar-powered watering can lights to create a sparkling effect in your patio or garden. The stunning lights pouring from the water can create the illusion of a twinkling stream. During the day, the watering cans blend seamlessly with the garden environment, and at night, they light up to create a beautiful and warm ambiance.

A metallic sun-shaped garden light

Display Radiance With Solar Garden Metal Sun Lights

Solar garden metal sun lights can add an element of majesty to your outdoor space. These lights are beautifully crafted to resemble the sun and showcase its glory. They also comprise metallic rays and a glowing center. During the day, these majestical lights serve as artful garden decor, and as the night falls, they light up to provide a radiant, warm glow. 

LED lights shaped like fireworks

Showcase Beautiful Nightlights With Solar Garden Firework Lights

Now you can bring the dazzle of fireworks into your outdoor space with eye-catching solar garden firework lights. These lights mimic the vibrant fireworks in the sky and look fabulous. They feature thin, flexible wires that extend out from a central point. Each wire comprises multiple LED lights. You can make the most of these lights to display spectacular vibrance in your garden or patio.

Flower-shaped LED lights on the poolside floor

Beautify Your Outdoor Space With Blooming Solar Flower Lights

If growing and maintaining real flowers seems like too much work, you can install beautiful solar flower lights to create a floral aura in your outdoor space. These lights are designed to look like different types of flowers, such as roses, lotus, daffodils, etc. Each flower light comprises multiple LED lights. 

LED lights shaped like bees

Create a Buzzing Ambiance With Solar Bee Lights

Didn’t we tell you there’s no dearth of fun outdoor lighting ideas on our list? Here’s another interesting example! Yes, we are talking about solar bee lights. These lights are designed to resemble bees with translucent wings. Each bee comprises a small LED light that glows beautifully during the dark hours of the night.

Slipper-shaped fun lights in multicolors

Get Quirky With Slipper String Lights

This outdoor lighting idea is both fun and quirky. Yes, we are talking about the slipper string lights that you can see in the picture above. These lights are designed to look like miniature flip-flops or slippers. The slippers are available in a variety of colors and designs. You can hang them around doors, fences and pool areas, along walkways, and across patios. You can also use them as decor lights for theme-based parties and events. 

LED neon sign in the garden shaped like a rabbit

Add a Chic Vibe With Vibrant LED Neon Signs

LED neon signs can add a chic, fun, and modern vibe to your outdoor areas. They offer eye-catching and vibrant illumination in a variety of designs and colors. These days you can easily find neon signs with messages, symbols, and custom designs, on the market. You can hang these signs from patio roofs, on exterior walls, and in outdoor bars and entertainment areas. 

Candy-cane-shaped LED lights in the garden

Showcase a Festive Glow With Sweet Candy Cane Lights

You can make the most of sweet candy cane lights to uplift your outdoor areas’ appearance during the holiday season. These beautiful lights resemble candy canes with red and white stripes, symbolizing the sweetness and excitement of the festive season. You can use these lights from framing doors, decorating pathways and gardens, or beautifying your decks.

LED fairy mason jar lights on a table

Make Evenings Glow With Enchanting Solar Fairy Mason Jar Lights

If you are looking to add a fun and whimsical touch to your outdoor areas, we highly recommend checking these enchanting solar fairy mason jar lights. These lights comprise mason jars filled with small LED lights (also called fairy lights). The jars harness solar energy during the day and shine like twinkling stars during night. You can place these jars on garden/patio/backyard tables, hang them from trees or pergolas, or place them along walkways. 

Spherical floating pool lights

Let Vibrance Flow With Floating Pool Lights

If you are focused on adding a fun vibe to your pool area, we bet you will love these floating pool lights. These lights are designed to float on water and look like a visual treat after sunset. You can use them to illuminate your pool with a wide range of colors and patterns. Most floating pool lights resemble luminous orbs, but you can also find floating lotus flowers, etc.

Eyeball-shaped outdoor garden lights

Illuminate in a Spooky Way With Solar Eyeball Lights

Can fun also be spooky sometimes? Well, why not? These solar eyeball lights create a spine-chilling yet fun ambiance in your outdoor space. They look like glowing eyeballs staring right at you! You can make the most of these lights to illuminate your garden, patios and walkways.

'LED letters combined to form the word "home" in a garden

Create a Personalized Glow With LED Letters

This outdoor lighting idea is quite similar to LED neon signs. LED letters emit a warm glow, creating a serene ambiance in your outdoor space. Using these lights, you can spell out names and messages per your requirements. Therefore, they are perfect for events, such as birthday parties, anniversaries, and holiday gatherings in your backyard, garden, patio, etc. 

LED lights looking like a butterfly

Instill an Element of Playfulness With Swaying Butterfly Garden Lights

Here’s another way to add playful elegance to your outdoor space. Yes, we are talking about the stunning butterfly garden lights. These lights are designed to look like beautiful butterflies sitting on bushes and flowers. Each butterfly is illuminated with LED lights and can create a magical vibe in your garden after sunset. 

Inflatable LED solar lights floating in a pool

Showcase Colorful Vibrance With Portable and Inflatable LED Solar Lights

Inflatable LED solar lights are another version of floating pool lights. They are both eco-friendly and easy to use. You can deflate them during the day and easily inflate them after sunset to create a colorful vibe in your pool area. 

Stars projected on a house exterior by the star show projector

Spread Cosmic Splendor for Stunning Outdoor Nights With a Star Shower Projector

This outdoor lighting idea takes fun a notch higher, with a celestial twist. You can make the most of a star shower projector to transform your outdoor space into a beautiful cosmic abode. The projector casts several shiny, twinkling stars on exterior walls, garden trees, patio roofs, and so on, creating a breathtaking view. 

Paw-shaped multicolor outdoor lights

Build Charming Trails With Solar Paw Print Lights

Last but not the least, we have solar paw print lights to create charming trails in your walkways and gardens. These lights are designed to resemble animal paw prints, adding a playful touch to your outdoor areas.