Project - Multi-Use Solar Powered Outdoor Lanterns For $16.

May 28th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under

Since we are moving into an actual house in a month, we are very excited to have some outdoor space to call our own and to relax in. In our apartment building, we are not even allowed to put a plant on our stoop, never mind a chair or one of these solar-powered lanterns. We just picked up a few at Crate and Barrel, as we had a gift certificate still left over from our wedding almost 3 years ago!

There is a little solar panel on the top that is supposed to provide enough juice to the battery to run the tiny L.E.D. lights inside the lamp for up to 5 hours. They ought to look pretty good hanging outside in a tree…until the high winds that sweep through New Mexico destroy them. However, I have a plan for the remnants of them as well when this happens!

I am going to take the solar panel, the L.E.D. lights and the battery holder and use the parts to make solar table lamps from mason jars. I will attach the solar panels to the top of the jar lid, and drill a hole through the lid to the underside, where I will attach the battery packs and the bulbs. Voila - instant, solar-powered, portable table lamps!

Anyone ever do a project like this? If so, would love to see what you did and where you got your parts from. I mainly bought these lamps for the innards, knowing they would probably tear apart pretty quickly. I would like to build a whole bunch of these type of lamps, but I would need to access the solar and L.E.D. lights for pretty cheap to make it worthwhile!

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There Are 3 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Reina on 28 May 2008:

    I regularly get Readymade Magazine, and cut out this idea about mason jars as solar powered lights. Maybe you can use some of their ideas.
    I find the magazine gives tons of ideas to re-use materials that are lying around the house/thrift store.
    http://readymademag.com/feature_28_remake.php

  2. Comment by Reina on 28 May 2008:

    I saw this in ReadyMade Magazine, you may get some ideas of how to make your solar lights. http://readymademag.com/feature_28_remake.php

  3. Comment by david on 29 May 2008:

    Thanks Reina, will check it out!

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