The Aluminum Foil Hack That'll Make Your Outdoor Lights So Much Brighter

Being outside on a warm summer night is one of the greatest pleasures we get to experience on Earth. If your nocturnal activities require more brightness than the moon offers, you'll have to bring out some artificial lights. But even outdoor lighting can only offer so many lumens in the dark. Thankfully there's a simple solution that uses aluminum foil to make your outdoor lights a whole lot brighter.

Just place some foil around your light source. Its shiny surface will reflect the light making it appear more luminous than it actually is. According to Science Direct, aluminum foil can reflect up to 86 percent of visible light. Using tin foil to make the light seem brighter can really come in handy when enjoying an evening on the patio or during a camping trip. If you're unable to affix the tin foil directly to your light source, you can still achieve this effect by making a DIY reflector from some cardboard and aluminum foil. 

To make a light reflector, you will need aluminum foil, tape, and a piece of cardboard or cardboard box you can take apart for this hack. Pull your box apart or configure your cardboard so that it has three sides and can stand on its own.

Depending on the structure of your light source, a curved piece of cardboard might be better. You can make this as small or as large as you need depending on how big your light is and how much you want to reflect. Next, cover it in tin foil and secure it with tape. 

Place the reflector around your light source. If you're using something like a lantern, you can place it on a flat surface if you use the three-sided option. If you're trying to amplify a light fixture or something else, you'll have to secure your reflector with tape. Just be sure not to tape the foil directly to the light.