DIY Planter Lighthouses That'll Add A Nautical Vibe To Your Outdoor Space

Summer days are longer, and your time outside naturally follows suit. As the sun dips lower, a little light can make your backyard patio feel like an evening escape. The right glow can brighten your space, adding mood, charm, and sparkle, and lets a festive night linger a little longer. If you love a coastal feel, why not lean into those nautical vibes? Even if you're miles from the shore, you can channel seaside serenity, and a splash of whimsey with a DIY solar lighthouse. While some lighthouse replicas designed for yards or gardens are expensive, this clever project lets you create your own — complete with laid-back, beachy energy — all on a budget, similar to this Dollar Store vase hack to create cheap and gorgeous outdoor lighting.

YouTuber Blessings Craft Therapy offers a breezy way to bring the coast to your backyard using small terracotta planters, paint, and a solar light. With just one trip to Dollar Tree or your local discount store, you can gather everything you need: Planters in various sizes, white chalk paint, any extra paint colors to suit your style, a black Sharpie for drawing in lighthouse details, and a reliable outdoor adhesive or hot glue and gun. Top it off with a small solar light, and you've got a coastal beacon that lights up as the sun goes down. This is the kind of craft that's simple, satisfying, and big on charm — no sand or ocean required. It's a fun way to make your patio feel personal, warm, and ready for those sweet summer nights under the stars. You can even perch it on one of these whimsical, rustic DIY light-up logs, giving it a sturdy, glowing base.

Start by brushing your terracotta pots with a coat of white chalk paint to give them that soft, sun-washed look that feels straight off the coast. Once they're dry, it's time to add your lighthouse design. Historically, lighthouses were navigational icons, standing tall with bold, recognizable stripes to help ship captains find their bearings. That's why no two lighthouses look exactly the same. You can mimic the dramatic black-and-white diagonal swirl of North Carolina's Cape Hatteras or the candy-striped red and white rings of Maine's West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. Use your Sharpie to sketch a charming door on the bottom pot, and add as many windows as you like on the upper tiers. Want a towering effect? Stack as many pots as your creativity and your glue gun can handle.

Once your painted pieces are fully dry, it's time to bring your lighthouse to life. Flip the smaller pots upside down and stack them onto the larger base, securing each layer with strong outdoor glue or your trusty hot glue gun. Cap it off with a small solar light to serve as your beacon. Want to give it even more personality? Add a few driftwood fragments or tiny shells collected from past beach trips. Then place your DIY lighthouse on your patio table or garden nook and let it charge in the sun. By evening, it will glow softly, lighting up your outdoor space like a tiny coastal beacon. It's more than a garden decoration: it's a personal, welcoming landmark. Line the path to your lighthouse with a few clever, low-cost Dollar Tree lighting hacks, adding style to your yard and helping guide the way to your safe backyard harbor.