21 TikTok-Inspired Ways To Make Your Yard Glow With Dollar Tree Solar Lights

What's the point of finding savvy ways to incorporate art in your yard if the gorgeous pieces aren't visible once the sun goes down? The good news is there are multiple cost-effective ways to illuminate your yard after dark. After all, how else would you host social gatherings, plan intimate dinners, or foil a burglar's meticulous plans of infiltrating your home? To illustrate, Dollar Tree sells varied solar lights, like Halloween-themed, flower-shaped, lantern-esque, and more for $1.25 each. However, if you want the cheap lights to be unique to your yard, look expensive, or stoke your neighbor's envy, simply installing the store-bought variety won't do. You need to get creative to light up your patio on summer nights with amazing TikTok ideas.

The best part, though? The ideas are all simple enough so beginner DIYers can get their feet wet without worrying about a failed attempt. Additionally, they only require a few elements to achieve. For instance, TikTok creator @meiralaryssa transforms her basic Dollar Tree solar lights into striking lanterns just using a glass jar and glue. Similarly, @michellehoopermaj has a handy trick up her sleeve to make your indoor pool or hot tub glow at night with nothing except a few solar lanterns. We even included a few DIYs from Dollar Tree's horde. So, without further ado, here are 21 TikTok-inspired ways to make your yard — both front and back — glow with Dollar Tree solar lights.

TikTok user @meiralaryssa has a pretty simple Dollar Tree solar light DIY to prettify your yard. She uses a glass vase and a stainless steel solar light from Dollar Tree, which are $1.25 each, as well as her glue gun to adorn her patio with these makeshift lanterns. To create this DIY lantern for your yard, get the required supplies and follow the video to a T. If you don't have a vase or don't fancy spending money on it, repurpose an empty glass jar for a similar look.

If you fancy hanging lights around your yard, create beautiful lantern lights to line your lawn with this affordable DIY from TikTok user @windycitycrafts1. For the hack, she uses a hanging glass jar, strong adhesive, and a layer from her glue gun to keep the unwanted moisture out of the pretty lanterns. The final step is to stick the solar lights on top before hanging them. Add a few colorful marbles or stones to the bottom of the jar to add a flair of drama to your backyard.

For homeowners living in humid regions or ones experiencing rainfall for the better part of a year, water making its way inside DIY hanging solar lights is a real challenge. Well, not anymore. TikTok creator @oghappycakes has the answer to your dilemma: crafting fitting coverings for the jar so there's no gap at its mouth through which water can make its way inside and undo all your hard work. So, grab a couple of textured candle jars, solar lights, a plastic cutting board, and spray paint to DIY water-proof solar lanterns.

Looking for something incredibly simple and long-lasting? Take inspiration from TikTok creator @mariahurd3, who's found an ingenious way to set her Dollar Tree solar lights against the wall. The secret ingredient? A few ¾ inch galvanized steel pipe supports. Yep, that's it. She fixes the tubes to her backyard fence prior to dropping the solar lights through the gaps. Voila! In case you don't like the utilitarian look of the steel supports, give them a bit of personalization with a can of spray paint.

Have you ever looked at lit-up pools and hot tubs and dreamed of having an equally pretty setting for your pool at home–but had to abort your plans due to lack of funds? If this sounds like you, take heart because creator @michellehoopermaj has an absolute game-changing solution to your problem. She advises sticking your solar lights in the sleeve around your pool and letting them shine after the sun sets. Remember, you might have to swap the lights for new ones after some time.

Although the above TikTok hack is an excellent way to light up your pool and hot tub, it'll only work if a dedicated sleeve runs around the structure. Instead of returning to traditional lighting methods, get your trusty pool noodles and a few zip ties for an interesting DIY. If you don't have the ties handy, Tool Bench's 8-inch nylon cable ties are available at Dollar Tree for $1.25. Place the pool noodles around the water structure, use zip ties to secure them, and fit in solar lights through the mouth.

Have extra plant and flower pots on hand that you don't know what to do with? Simply use them to create a lifelike solar light planter for your yard. Follow @dollartree.hacks's cues and grab the planter, a few floral-shaped LED solar stake lights from Dollar Tree for $1.25 each, and floral foam. Position them strategically around your patio so they look real during the day. A game-changing trick to make your artificial flowers look real is to conceal the foam with pebbles or fake moss (faux grass works, too).

A few well-placed sunflower arrangements can brighten up your yard during the day. So, why not let them shine in all their glory once the sun checks out of its day job? You just need to purchase the sunflower solar lights for $1.25 each from Dollar Tree and let @dollartree.hacks's TikTok video serve as your guide. You'll also need some floral foam, high-quality faux sunflowers, and a hot glue gun. Eco-conscious individuals might want to repurpose their old plastic containers instead of purchasing a new basket for the hack.

Need a budget-friendly and spectacular way to light up your backyard deck? TikTok creator @mrsangelnemeth shares an easy tip. She glues her basic Dollar Tree solar lights to colorful deck decor and lets them weave their magic at night. In case you don't find the same base at your nearest Dollar Tree, substitute it with a $1.25 Caterer's Corner wine carafe or some colorful tumblers you have on hand. The trick is to find something that doesn't have a too big mouth, or you'll have difficulty gluing the solar lights.

If you stashed a few old glass jars in your attic (or basement) and have been saving them for an impressive DIY project, it's time to put them to use. Give them a soapy water bath to remove the dust and debris nestled inside, and use this brilliant hack to remove stickers from your glass decor item. Make the jar look rustic with twine (or thin rope) and your trusty glue gun. Add a few reflective decorations to the bottom and place a Dollar Tree solar light on top.

An open flame and the night breeze don't gel well together. But that doesn't mean you have to ditch the romantic dinner idea or sit in darkness while you ponder the mysteries of the universe. TikTok channel @dollartree_craft shows how you can upcycle your candle holders to light your yard using solar lights. You just need a pool noodle, some paint, and your hot glue gun. If you can't find the same candle holder as the one shown in the video, your old metal or glass taper candle holders will do the trick.

If you like using the Dollar Tree solar lights like they're meant to, aka staking them directly into soft soil, why not design covers for them? This will make them look more expensive and one-of-a-kind. All you need is cement, beach balls, and rope. Once you have all the required supplies, check out the TikTok video to design beautiful covers for your lights. Don't limit yourself to a pattern. Substitute the beach ball for other items, like a balloon, to design varied covers for the solar lights in your yard.

Whoever said chandeliers are just meant for indoor use wasn't aware of @hometalk's brilliant idea to craft a stunning light feature using an unassuming tomato cage and some wood shims. Stain the shims per your preference and drill holes in the corners to loop wires through them. Let the cage serve as the base, carefully hang the shims to conceal gaps, and craft a chandelier. For the final touch, loop in a few Dollar Tree solar lights. Et voila! Your chandelier is ready to light your yard at night.

While you might have been using your colander to wash and store fruits and vegetables, TikTok user @oliviasromantichome shows how you can create gorgeous solar lamps out of these plastic kitchen essentials. The most important supply for this hack is a sharp pair of scissors, which are necessary to shape a lamp out of a colander. Keep a can of spray paint handy to give them a new lease on life before pushing Dollar Tree solar lights at the bottom. After they're ready, hang your colander solar lamps around the yard.

For fans of simple and sophisticated, here's a TikTok video that'll feel like a light-bulb moment. Creator @bea_bold separates the stakes from her Dollar Tree solar lights and fits them tightly onto her fence's protruding tips. That's it; it's as simple as that. The lights will look tailored to your fence once they glow at night, and the entire project won't take too much effort or time. Plus, the hack is a great option for budget-conscious homeowners since they'll only have to bear the cost of the solar lights.

Sometimes, you need a light source to carefully navigate your yard when it's dark, and you're afraid to come face-to-face with the spirits partying in your yard (just kidding, mostly!). However, if you don't fancy starring in a horror movie and would rather not depend on a flickering candle or outdated torch, fashion a dependable solar light out of a cheese shaker from Dollar Tree, following @sandyk616's guide. Add a few river stones (or something a little lighter) to ensure these DIY lights don't bowl over when placed on a table.

Paper lanterns are a great way to add some color and cheer to your yard, but making them glow at night can be challenging. If you don't want to spend time figuring out how to put LED lights inside them, follow this TikTok video to surreptitiously position Dollar Tree lights inside the structure. Remember to purchase colored floral wire for $1.25 from Dollar Tree to safely hang the solar lights in the paper lanterns. Get lanterns in varied shades and swap them out based on the seasons.

Are you obsessing over cute mushroom lights and need a few for your yard? Hold your horses and DIY them yourself. You just need a mushroom-esque lampshade to add Dollar Tree solar lights to them and turn your yard into a magical haven ideal for fantastical scenarios. So, the next time you visit a thrift store or your local retailer, keep an eye out for mushroom-shaped lampshades. There's just one caveat: the lampshades must have a hole large enough to allow the solar lights to soak in sunshine during the day.

A DIY planter our favorite way to creatively display house numbers. Imagine how convenient it'd be if the numbers could glow at night and light your front yard. Dollar Tree's cylindrical LED solar light yard stakes can help turn this daydream into a reality. A plastic basket, floral foam, and some faux moss and vine are needed for this hack, as well as a sheet of letter, number, and symbol stickers from Dollar Tree for $1.25 to put your house number front and center of the solar lights.

Thinking of buying fancy lamps from high-end stores to grace your outdoor dining table? If yes, why not create a few at home to save your hard-earned dollars? You'll just need a few old vases and a corresponding number of Dollar Tree solar lights and lamp coverings. The lamp coverings don't have to look similar. In fact, deliberately using varied coverings will add visual interest and make your lamps seem unique. Don't forget to fill the vase with some stones to weigh down the solar lights and help them stay upright.

For this TikTok-inspired way to make your yard glow, you'll need to buy a few items. Fortunately, you can find the essentials at Dollar Tree for $1.25 each. The items you need to buy are a few solar hook lanterns and 7½ feet of wired jute cord. You also need a pole (any sturdy stick you have at home should do the trick), some fake climbing vine, and yard stakes to support the decorated pole–loop in a few faux flowers with the vine for a timeless look.