Ingenious Ways to Use Rope Light In Your Backyard!

Need a reason to love rope light? We can give you three! It’s weather resistant, available in energy efficient LED and is surprisingly easy to install.

We’ve seen amazing indoor DIY projects using rope light, but what about the outdoors? Rope light, also known as tube lighting, was made for illuminating walkways, adding ambient glow to decks and highlighting focal points in the yard, these landscape lighting ideas below will prove it!

These lights really can transform a backyard! We’ll show you how to create your own illuminated walkway or deck in just a few steps:

First you need rope light!

Start by measuring the space to insure you have enough tubing to complete your project. 150’ light spools are best for outdoor landscaping as they allow plenty of length to be covered and can be spliced for complete customization. Plus, any leftover can be used in other lighting projects! Pick a color that suits your style and will complement your landscape. Rope lights are available in a full spectrum of hues, so finding the perfect shade for your landscape should be easy!

To Install Rope Light as Outdoor Walkway and Landscape Lights:

Insert your first garden staple at the end opposite the spool. If you are lighting a straight path you can space staples further apart, however if the path is curved you may want to use extra anchors to ensure everything stays snug.

To Install Rope Light Across a Deck:

We chose to use screw in clips, these sturdy clips hide beneath the deck and are great for long term outdoor use. We decided to use the deck posts as a measuring tool and placed a clip at every third pole.

If you have completed the installation and are pleased with the way your lights look, you can splice the rope light from the spool, then add a power cord to one end and an end cap to the other.

After your rope light is connected to a power cord and the end cap is in place, go ahead and plug your power cord in to check that it is working properly. Note: Incandescent rope light creates heat and should never be plugged in while still wrapped in the spool.

When night time arrives you are ready to enjoy a beautifully illuminated walkway, deck or landscape!

For instructions how to work with the rope lights, you can take a look here.