If you’ve built a fire pit, you’re probably looking for ways to light it up at night. You can light it up in many ways. Some are lower budget and require little or no electrical knowledge to set up. Others cost more and need someone with electrical knowledge to set them up. We’ll discuss some fire pit lighting ideas and how to set them up in this article.
Seat Wall Lights
One of fire pit lighting’s most popular designs is the seat wall light. A small light fixture is installed beneath a seat wall’s ledge. It’s hardly noticeable by day but provides a lot of lighting at night.
Seat wall lights shine on stonework, creating a pleasing appearance. Additionally, they provide adequate illumination at night to prevent trip hazards, stubbed toes, and falls.
Uplighting
Next on our list of fire pit lighting ideas, we have “uplighting”. Placing a few lights at the base of a nearby tree creates ambient light to help with visibility, visual interest, and drama whenever the fire pit is not in use. If you live in the mountains, it can also provide a pleasant backdrop when looking at your backyard from the patio or deck.
Copper Light Sconces
Copper lights can complement a fire pit, making the area less dangerous at night and more aesthetically pleasing. They illuminate the stones to add some element of beauty to the area and make it easier to see.
Downlighting
This option gives a fire pit plenty of soft lighting without overwhelming it. Downlighting creates a relaxing atmosphere around a fire pit during chilly evenings. You can install fixtures in trees around the area or attach them to your house or another structure. You can also use them as additional lighting with seat walls and path lights.
Path Lights
Path lights are another great way to illuminate the area around a fire pit. Like seat wall lighting, they dramatically improve the safety of the fire pit. You can choose from several path light types: traditional path lights have a pole with a hat-like top, contemporary path lights come in more modern styles, direct path lights are larger and can provide light in whatever direction you want, and bollard path lights are much larger and can stand several feet tall.
Bistro String Lights
They are another excellent way to create a soft ambiance in your space. There is no limit to string light patterns and configurations; you can use them in almost any outdoor space.
Gazebo Lights
A roof over a fire pit protects you from the elements during late-night conversations with friends. You can illuminate a fire pit gazebo by hanging string lights under the roof. This may require a nearby electrical outlet – if you don’t have one in your gazebo, you can have someone add an electrical outlet, or try to do it yourself.
Under Cap Lights
These lights illuminate the benches, making it a convenient way to locate a seat before the fire is lit. This built-in lighting adds a soft glow to the entire area.
Glow in the Dark Buckets
Glow-in-the-dark buckets are an excellent way to combine lighting and seating. Get yourself a white 5-gallon bucket with a lid. Put a light source in it, such as a color-changing battery-operated LED light. You can mount the light at the bottom of the bucket using a mounting strip.
Tiki Torches
Tiki torches are often an overlooked source of outdoor lighting, but they have a lot to offer. They can be placed in any location. They can also keep bugs away if filled with citronella fuel. If you decide to use tiki torches, ensure you have six feet of clearance on all sides around your fire pit.
LED Paver Inserts
These come in low-voltage and solar options. Paver inserts are easy to install – just use a diamond bit to drill a hole in the paver, and tap the puck light into place.
String Lights on Posts
Think about installing wooden stakes if you don’t have a tree tall enough to hang string lights. You can use planters to hold up and support the posts, add some flowers to your entertainment area, and then hang the string lights.
Tree Spotlights
Remember, the light source doesn’t need to be next to it when lighting up your pit area. If you have trees near your fire pit, tree spotlights can provide a great deal of warm light, even though they’re several feet away. You can buy low-voltage and solar tree spotlights.
If you want your back patio to feel like you’re at a trendy nightclub, use LED lights to light up your fire pit area. You can use smart outdoor strip lights that change color via an app on your phone.
Icicle lights
Icicle lights are usually used to decorate homes during the holidays, and they look great around a fire pit. They can be strung in trees or hung on nearby structures. In either case, your outdoor space will be dripping with light.
Step lights
Lastly, on our list of fire pit lighting ideas, we have step lights. You can install solar step lights under direct sunlight, so they’ll illuminate at dusk. If you want to spend a little more money, you can install motion-sensing, recessed stair lights, or semi-recessed stair lights. You can also wrap rope lights around your stair railing, so people can see the railing clearly and grab onto it easily.
Those are a few fire pit lighting ideas to get you started. As you consider which fire pit lighting idea is best for your fire pit, think about the size of your yard, your budget, and whether you have people that can help you.
If your budget isn’t big, but you know people who can help you wire or set up your fire pit lighting ideas, you might still be able to do one of the more involved lighting ideas. Otherwise, you might have to stick to something simpler or hire a professional.