10 Fence Lighting Ideas
Are you looking for a way to dress up your beautiful Minnesotan backyard a little bit?
Maybe you go outside and feel like things are just a little bare or don’t really speak to your personality. Do you ever want to host a backyard party that goes late into the night, but it gets dark too soon and you find you don’t have adequate lighting? You may even want lights on your fence for more practical reasons, like for home security or so that you can keep an eye on your dog when he needs to go out to pee in the middle of the night.
There are many reasons you might want to install lights on your fence. Whatever your reason is, we’ve got 10 ideas for ways to light up your fence to help you get started. Whether you’re looking for vinyl fence lighting ideas or ways to light up any kind of fence, we’ve got all kinds of suggestions to brighten your backyard.
1. Fence Post Lamp
Fence post lamps are a classic, easy way to brighten up your fence. These are designed specifically to be installed on the top of the posts of your fence. These are usually sold in the form of solar lights that get energy from the sun and turn on at night as it is difficult to find an energy source that you can conveniently connect these to.
These fence post lamps come in a variety of styles so you can find one that fits your needs. You can get some with a simulated flame look if you want that old-timey feel without, ya know, the threat of actual fire on top of your fence. You can also get a much more standard, classic lamp look if you just want something that will blend into the background of your suburban home.
2. Fairy Lights
Fairy lights are a classic. They’re little white string lights that provide a soft light wherever they go. Whether you’re trying to put together a fairy garden or just want a classy, soft light to gently brighten up your backyard, fairy lights can be a great addition to your backyard fence.
Fairy lights can be easily strung along the top of your fence so that they hang around the posts. They could also be twisted up the side of the post. You could also buy hooks to hang them on if you want a little bit more control over exactly where on your fence they go. Fairy lights can come with a traditional electric plug, battery power options, or solar power.
3. Hanging Lanterns
Hanging lanterns can be a cute addition to any outdoor setup. These often have a similar look to the fence post lamps. However, as the name indicates, hanging lanterns hang. Hanging lanterns may not be the right choice for every fence and are often mounted to walls. However, if you have a high fence and you want the light to be focused into your backyard, rather than upon the top of the fence post, as would be the case with fence post lamps, hanging lanterns may be something for you to look into.
Hanging lanterns could be mounted to the side of the fence or strung up on a fence post, depending on the look you are going for. They also come with solar-powered options for easy, regular use.
4. Color-Changing LED Lights
If you really want to make your backyard into a party zone, you can invest in some color-changing LED lights. These come in all sorts of styles, from string lights to fence post lamps to the kind that can be mounted on the side of the fence. Color-changing lights are perfect for an exciting party set-up and are sure to wow your guests. Many of these color-changing lights come with a remote so you can decide when to change the colors, or you can put them on a timer.
The easiest kind of LED lights to put on your fence is going to be a style that is either solar-powered or battery-operated, but you can buy color-changing lights that plug into a traditional power outlet if that is what works for you.
5. Uplighting
Uplighting is a classic style of lighting to use in your backyard landscaping. Uplighting or spotlighting is when a light is put in the ground and shines upward. Uplighting against your fence is the perfect way to discreetly use your fence to reflect light into your backyard without adding the visual of lights or lamps actually on your fence. These also do a nice job of lighting up the perimeter of the property.
When it comes to uplighting, if you’re shining them on something tall, like a fence, you usually want to use a bullet-shaped bulb. Most uplighting is done using solar power.
6. Artisan Glass Post Cap Light
We already talked about classic fence post lights, which are very similar to these. But if you’re looking for something with a little bit more color and personality, you may want to look into artisan glass post cap lights. These can come in a variety of colors and specific styles, but typically feature stained glass that is illuminated by the light within. These are a great option if you are looking for a classy way to add a little bit more color to the decor in your backyard. If you love the look of light coming through stained glass, this is perfect for you.
These are typically solar-powered, so you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to get electricity all the way out to your fence post.
7. DIY Bottled Solar Lights
If you are particularly crafty, it might even be fun to make some of your own lights to put up on your fence. You can buy solar-powered string lights, like fairy lights or LED lights, put them in used bottles, decorate them to your liking, and mount them to your fence post. Some people use wine bottles or even mason jars to give your backyard a cute, homemade feel. If you’re feeling like that’s not enough, you could even add your own designs and finishing touches using other crafting materials.
We recommend using solar lights for these kinds of projects so that once they are in the bottle, you don’t have to go through the hassle of trying to get them out just to charge the battery.
8. Mounted Solar Lights
Mounted solar lights are a common way to light up your fence at night. These types of lights, as the name implies, are mounted to the side of the fence. These often come in a half globe shape that points down toward the bottom of the fence with a solar panel on top.
There are also different styles that are larger or smaller depending on your needs. Some of them can be screwed right into the side of the fence, and others are designed so the solar panel sits on the top of the fence and the lights hang over the side. This is a practical way to light up your fence without attracting a lot of attention to the lights themselves. These will blend right into the look of your backyard.
Mounted lights for fences are typically solar lights, for the ease and convenience of homeowners.
9. Christmas Lights
Do you have extra Christmas lights hanging around? This can be an easy, cost-effective way to light up your fence. These lights are great at Christmas time, but why only use them once a year and keep them in a box in the basement? They can be used year-round to keep the backyard lit. They’re nice and colorful and will add a festive feel to your backyard. You can string them along the posts on your fence, or you can install hooks and hang them that way.
10. DIY Tin Can Lights
Are you into arts and crafts but the look of bottled fairy lights isn’t quite your style? You could try making tin can lights to put on your fence instead. This can be a really fun project for the whole family. You can punch holes into the side of the can so that the light comes out showing a design. You could also paint them and even do different colors and designs on different cans. This is a fun, environmentally friendly way to up-cycle the cans you have that would otherwise be discarded. You can then mount these to the posts of your fence.
For this project, we recommend using either battery-operated or solar-powered tea lights.
Building a Fence With Northland Fence
Don’t have a fence you can beautify with light fixtures yet? No problem, Northland Fence can help you out with that. Northland Fence has been serving Minnesota for 17 years. In that time, Northland Fence has provided solid work, excellent customer service, and an overall great customer experience. Northland Fence has a near-perfect rating and zero customer complaints, according to the Better Business Bureau. When you hire Northland Fence, we will help you ensure that your fence is 100% up to code.
Whether you’re looking for vinyl fencing or metal fencing (chain link or ornamental wrought iron), Northland Fence can provide you with a 15-year to a lifetime warranty on materials, depending on the material, and 10 years on labor.
Are you ready to build your dream fence? Call (763) 316-4881 and get started today!
FAQ:
How do you illuminate a fence?
You illuminate a fence by installing lights on or around the fence. You can use solar lights, which absorb energy from the sun during the day, or you can find lights that plug into a traditional electric power source.
How do you string lights on a fence?
Depending on how you want to string your lights to look, you can loop them around your fence posts, or you can install hooks to hang them on.
How do you light up a dark backyard?
You can light up a dark backyard by installing different kinds of lights. Lights can be installed on or around a fence or throughout the backyard. You can use solar lights, which absorb energy from the sun during the day, or you can choose lights that plug into a traditional electrical outlet.
How do you install PVC fence lights?
How to install lights on your vinyl fence depends on what type of lights you would like to install. Some lights, like string lights, will need hooks, whereas other lights are mounted onto the top of a fence post or the side of a fence.