Make your Own Solar Table Lamps

Summer days when you able to sit comfortably outside are so appreciated and we try to squeeze out as much time outdoors as our schedules allow.  Its so enjoyable to sit outside on the deck visiting, drinking wine and enjoying the fresh air. These solar powered table lamps light the deck so you can enjoy another hour or two.  The lamps cast enough light to play cards although reading is not possible.
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DIY Outdoor Lighting Tutorial

These lamps are so easy to make.  To make a set yourself you will need.

Unwanted table lamps

Plain yard solar lights

Dollar store wire mesh waste paper baskets

Paint of your choosing.

Updating the Lamps

These lamps don’t plug in so the first step is removing the plugin cord.  The wiring in these lamps and most others enters the lamp from the bottom.  Take the bottom cover off of the bottom of the lamp.  Cut the wires inside the lamp short enough that they no longer show. Place the bottom of the lamp back on.  These lamps have simple felt bottoms so we reattached them using crazy glue.
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Leave the upper part of the casing (where the light plugs in) intact.  This will hold your little solar lamp.  Because of the width of the top of our lamps Hubs had to widen the shade brackets a little so the solar lamps would fit.  He did this with a simple set of pliers and a little pressure.    Don’t overextend them, just move them a little bit at a time until the solar lamp fits.  If your solar lamp is smaller you may be able to skip this step.
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Fit the upper part of the shade brackets and the light part of the solar lamp back onto the lamp.   You need to keep the lampshade bracket for the shade to attach to.
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Making the Lamp Shade

You can make the lampshade out of various things, an old metal fruit basket,  a metal bowl or a colander even.  You need a shade that covers the lamp workings and for our lamp, these dollar store wire wastebaskets were the right size.

The solar panel for the lamps is located on the top of the solar light.  Hubs needed to remove as much metal as possible from the bottom of the wastepaper baskets to allow the light to come through.  This is how he cut them out.

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Hubs cut these out using a small Dremel with a tiny cut off blade.  Depending on the basket you find, you may be able to cut them with tin snips.  The central piece he cut out using a simple drill.

Painting the Lamp

Paint the entire lampstand right up to the solar light any way you choose.  This lamp was originally very dark brown and it took two coats of chalk paint to make it white.  I then sprayed it with three coats of polyurethane.   Make sure to let them dry for a couple of days before any rain gets on them.

The baskets and the lamp brackets were spray painted metallic grey to match the top of the solar lantern.
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This last photograph is taken when the daylight is dwindling but it’s not yet dark.  Hopefully, it gives you an idea of what they look like at night.
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So looking forward to the summer days outdoors.

The solar lights are part of our deck makeover that includes various inexpensive upcycles.  I also updated our patio furniture and made a cafe sign.  These inexpensive updates will make our tired patio usable for a couple more years.

Ombre Chalk Paint Patio Chair Makeover

Wood Spool Upcycle a Grillin and Chillin BBQ Sign