If you’re anything like us, you enjoy the sight of a warm fiery glow in the garden or patio at night.
Surrounding your green spaces with tiny, controlled fires is one of the great pleasures of modern living, bringing a bit of ancient tradition to our contemporary world. Fire is inherently hypnotic, and when we can control and wield it in specific ways, it gains a fresh layer of appeal.
While the simple solution to wanting a bit of natural fire light in the garden is to buy sets of traditional tiki torch stands from a home supply store, it’s far more fun to craft our own.
We set out to find some innovative and enjoyable DIY tiki torch solutions, bringing photographs and instructions to you. The difficulty level of each of these projects varies wildly, but they all have one thing in common: thrift! None of these torches will tackle your wallet very hard.
With some fresh inspiration and instruction, we hope you can take the ideas shared here and run with them. The night is dark and the garden is waiting for your glow.
1. Bottles On A Fence
Also seen at the top of this post, the idea for mounting bottle-crafted tiki torches on a fence is probably our very favorite. With a simple set of hardware to purchase, along with actual torch fuel, the setup is not costly. These ingenious little lamps will add a resounding glow to the edge or your property, framing the garden perfectly at night.
2. Copper Pipe Torches
Source: Homemade Modern
Being handy with tools can help with this project, but it’s not necessary. The fantastic idea allows you to use copper, the most evocative of (non-precious) metals in an interesting new way. The resulting torches themselves are study and pleasant to look at, and will make themselves at home in any corner of your landscape.
3. Beer Bottle Tiki Torch
Source: Instructables
If you’re anything like us, you’ve got a steady supply of beer bottles to use for this project. The only things you’ll have to purchase, aside from beverages you’ll be enjoying anyway, are a set of wicks and some torch fuel. Using the brand of your preference, you can craft a perfectly cheap and cheekily perfect tiki torch in minutes!
4. Light Bulb Torch
Source: Instructables
This is a truly novel idea that leaves us reeling. Turning an innocuous light bulb into an entirely new source of illumination is a feat of creativity and craftsmanship, resulting in one of the most fun projects we found. Small enough to be placed virtually anywhere, these little lamps could be just what your garden needs.
5. Mason Jar Tiki Torches
Source: The Frugal Homemaker
Similar in scope to the beer bottle project above, Mason jar lamp torches are both incredibly easy and unstoppably effective. The process takes minutes, but the results last hours at a time. The best part is that the supplies are so readily available, you could be crafting these beauties within the hour and have them lighting up your patio tonight. Get the tutorial here.
6. Spinning Torch
Source: Instructables
When we discovered this DIY project, we had only one word as response: ingenious! Using simple scientific principles we’ve all forgotten since grade school, you can carve and craft this moving torch without much effort. The effect, however, is brilliant. Seeing the project in motion, spinning a dynamic web of light across the landscape, is an enviable opportunity.
7. Tuna Can Hurricane Lamp
Source: In My Own Style
Consider us frankly impressed by this DIY project. The combination of simple thrift store ingredients and ingenious repurposing of tuna cans leaves us with a nearly professional looking lantern. Metallic paint, crews, and cheap hurricane glass to combine a bespoke, beautiful tiki torch that will mesh fantastically with any style garden.
8. Wine Bottle Tiki Torches
Source: The Garden Glove
Similar to the beer bottle lamps shown above, this project utilizes a resource that we all likely have sitting around our homes. Once you’ve collected an empty wine bottle or two, the particulars of the design are up to personal choice. After purchasing tiki fuel and wicks, you can even drop in marbles to add a flash of color to the torches.
