Use Dollar Tree Garden Fences To DIY Adorable Outdoor Lights

Dollar Tree's fences might not grab your attention as a garden border, but those little garden accents definitely qualify as Dollar Tree decor items you should stop overlooking — the design potential for DIY projects is unmatched. In this case, Hometalk introduces us to a stunning and inexpensive lighting option that's simple to create. The fence becomes an open-gridwork-style shade, with wire fairy lights providing the illumination. A little faux greenery tops off this hanging light, which is perfect as an accent for a covered porch or patio.

Since you're decorating with fairy lights in this DIY, it won't completely illuminate your space. Instead, it will add a decorative touch to your outdoor area and draw attention with its warm glow. 

When you head to Dollar Tree, look for the Garden Collection Black Garden Fence – you'll only need one fence section per light. It's made from polypropylene, so the fence is flexible enough to curve into a cylindrical lampshade. To support the rounded shape, the Hometalk creator used a Floral Garden Metal Wreath Form. You'll also need zip ties, outdoor battery-powered fairy lights, twine, and faux greenery to complete each light. Check the Dollar Tree floral section for greenery to keep the project low-cost.

Start by cutting off the stakes along the bottom of the fence. In the original DIY, Hometalk keeps the fence black, but you can spray-paint it first to change the look. Next, cut the outer rings of the metal wreath form off so that only the two inner rings remain. Once those are ready, zip-tie the wreath form to the fence, starting at one end. Add a little hot glue as you go, and roll the fence around the metal circle, adding zip ties every few inches.

With the frame complete, wrap a strand of fairy lights around the fencing. You can focus along the top edges or run them up and down all the pickets. The original features a short faux greenery garland wrapped around the top edge, but you can cover more of the fence or add a strand along the bottom as well. Gluing faux flowers onto the display is another way to adapt the design. If you plan to display this outdoor lighting idea in direct sunlight, apply a product like Sunguard UV Protectant Spray to keep it from fading.

Hometalk uses four short pieces of twine spaced around the ring and tied together at the top to create the hanger. If you want to incorporate more of the twine look, cover some or all of the fence sections with twine. This gives the light more of a rustic vibe and adds extra texture. Other hanger options include wire and chains, which you can leave plain or cover in more faux greenery. Either way, consider hanging a single light over a seating area or grouping three of them together at different heights for an impactful display.