These Boring Solar Lanterns Can Be Turned Into Something Beautiful
A friendly solar-powered glow is a nice addition to any porch or patio, and since solar LED components have become relatively cheap, it’s not hard to find affordable solar path lights, string lights, or other small solar lights. However, they often don’t come in much variety, except for the usual “stake-to-the-ground” style, so if you want something a little more fun or whimsical, you can go the DIY route. Luckily, with a few simple tools and materials, it’s easy to turn ordinary sunlight into a more exciting centerpiece. Here’s how to implement your own solar recycling project.
How to recycle sunlight
The tools and supplies you’ll need may vary, but a good cordless drill, a set of drill bits, some floral wire, and wire cutters will come in handy. The most important factor is choosing an outdoor spot to place your flashlight where it will receive sunlight so it can recharge. Once you have the materials and space, you can decide what type of light you want to create.
Chandelier
There are many ways to use the light that comes with cheap solar lights , so we can start with those. The first thing to remember is that these lanterns come with stakes, but there is no rule that you should use them. Instead, you can use a different structure to hold the light. For a solar chandelier, take a few shades and place them in a hanging chandelier . The great thing about this type of lighting is that you can hang it anywhere there is sunlight because it is wireless.
Luminous fence caps
To create illuminated fence caps with solar lanterns, drill a hole in the top of the fence post the same size as the base of the lantern that usually goes into the stakes. The hole should be about two or three inches deep so that a lamp can be inserted into it. To measure the depth of each hole so that all of your lights are at the same height above the posts, wrap the drill with masking tape or other soft duct tape a few times and use it as a drill stop. If you stop drilling the tape each time, all your holes will be the same depth.
Illuminated central area
You can also use wire wreaths to create illuminated centerpieces by placing the light from the path into the wreath shape and then decorating it with any greenery or wreaths you like. For a special outdoor occasion or an accent piece on your patio, this is a fun and easy solar recycle project. If you find it difficult to get the lights to stay upright, you can use floral wire to hold them in place by wrapping it around the base of the light and attaching it to the wreath shape.
The possibilities are endless
Once you start using these light trails for other purposes, you will start to see new ways to use them in every common object. You can use the sunlight on top of a jar filled with sea glass or colored glass beads to make a lantern. You place some solar-powered string lights inside a lamppost ball to create a glowing ball for your garden. You can even put a sun light on top of a jack o lantern to get a safe and inexpensive sunlit pumpkin for Halloween. The only two ingredients you really need to recycle solar LED lights are sunlight and imagination.