Creative Solar Light Ideas for Summer Nights

Discover innovative ways to illuminate your outdoor space with these DIY solar light ideas! From repurposed materials to upcycled creations, bring a touch of eco-friendly charm to your summer nights.

Creative Solar Light Ideas Video

Solar Light Vase

I found this vase and solar light at the dollar store.

Dollar Tree Materials List:

• solar light
• vase
• glass rocks

I pulled the base off of the solar light and pulled the tab out. I stuck the top part of the solar light into the vase.

Here is the cool solar lamp I created.

I added some Dollar Store rocks to weigh it down. Here it is at night.

Solar Candle Holder

I grabbed this candelabra from a thrift store and five solar lights from the dollar store.

Materials List:

• Dollar Tree solar lights
• Candelabra
• silicone

I squeezed silicone that could be used outside into all of the candle holder spots.

Then I grabbed the solar lights, pulled off all of the bases, and then placed the solar light top into the silicone. I repeated that process with all of the solar lights. I turned a candle holder into a solarabra!

I love the way it looks when it glows in the evenings.

Solar Candle Holder: Thrift Store Repurpose

I found this larger candle holder at the thrift store and I did the same thing as above. See below for the tutorial.

Materials List:

• solar lights
• thrift store candle holder

I used larger solar lights for this one. I pulled the base off. Then I placed all the solar lights into the top openings of the candle holder.

The solar lights cover the top perfectly. No water can seep in. It creates a beautiful glow at night.

Solar Chandelier from Flea Market Find

I found this candle holder at a flea market. It was missing the glass pieces for globes.

Materials List:

• Solar lights
• Repurposed candle holder
• silicone
• Rustoleum spray paint

I washed the candle holder and cleaned it first. Then I added some Rustoleum spray paint. I gave it a couple of coats and let it dry.

I pulled the bases off of six solar lights and then I added them to the holes. They fit perfectly. They sit right on top.

I hung it in a tree. Here is an important tip. I needed to make sure that the chain was long enough so that it would get enough sunlight during the day under tree branches to glow at night.

Here it is. You can see how lovely it looks in the backyard.

Solar Chandelier Tutorial from Thrift Store

This is a different candle holder that I found at a thrift store.

Materials List:

• Walmart Solar lights
• Repurposed candle holder
• silicone
• Rustoleum spray paint

It needed a little love. I started by washing it. Then I spray painted it with Rustoleum spray paint.

Just like before in above DIYs, I filled each of the holes with that silicone that I can use outside. Then I pulled the bases off another set of solar lights.

These solar lights were from Walmart for .98 cents. I pulled the orange tab off to make sure it would light up. I placed it in all of the silicone. There are four total.

I hung this one in another tree. You could hang it from a shepherd hook or under your porch just as long as it gets enough sunlight.

Solar Chandelier DIY Project from Facebook Marketplace

I found this chandelier for free on Facebook Marketplace. What a deal, right?

Materials List:

• Solar lights
• Repurposed chandelier
• silicone
• Rustoleum spray paint
• painter’s tape

I started by removing all of the glass pieces. I’ll be using those for another project. 

Now, if you want to, you could pull this whole thing apart and remove all the wiring. All I did was remove all the wiring from the hanging chain so I wouldn’t have a sloppy mess up top.

Now, this chandelier was pretty dusty. I went ahead and gave it a good cleaning and let it dry completely. I wanted to paint this one. I started by placing some baggies with a hole in them over the top of the light sockets. I wanted to make this blend a little bit better and not stand out like a sore thumb.

Next, I grabbed a kitchen garbage bag and covered the rest of it so that I would only be spray painting the white parts. I grabbed some Rustoleum spray paint and I sprayed all of those white little sockets. I wanted them just to blend in a little bit better and not stick out so much. This worked perfectly. I let this all dry before I removed all of the plastic. 

I grabbed five solar lights from Walmart. These were just a little bit more expensive, but not much, maybe about $3 a piece. I pulled the base off of each of them and the little tabs on top. I added silicone to the socket hole. I filled it all the way to the top. Then I put the solar light top into the socket. 

Now it gets a little tricky because these socket holes are a little bigger than your typical candle holder. I like to use painter’s tape because it’s easy to put on and remove. I place it over the top of the solar light and then I tape it to the chandelier. The tape holds it firm in place. Sometimes one piece is enough, and sometimes you need two pieces. 

I went ahead and filled up all the rest of the holes with the silicone and added all of the tops of the solar lights. Then added the tape to the top of everything. I let that sit for 24 hours to make sure it’s nice and solid. 

Once it was nice and solid, I was able to remove all of the painter’s tape. I hung this one up in a tree. Again, you could hang this under a gazebo, a front porch, or on a shepherd’s hook if you choose.

Here it is at night. I love this one and the beautiful glow it has. I love using solar chandeliers in an outdoor dining area.

Candle Holder Patio, Porch or Solar Path Lights

I got these three candle holders from a garage sale.

Materials List:

• Solar lights
• Repurposed candle holder
• silicone or Fix All Super Glue
• Rustoleum spray paint

I started by washing them, cleaning them all up, and letting them dry. Then I spray painted them all with some Rustoleum spray paint that was good for outdoors. I let that dry completely before I moved to the next step.

You could use your silicone again, but I’m using Fix All super glue from the dollar store. I’ve got some light fixtures that I found also at a thrift store and I’m just adding some of the Fix All adhesive to them.

Then I turned the glass fixture over and placed that on top of the candle holder. You could tape this in place if you were worried about it falling off, but I’m going to let this dry completely.

I’m going to repeat this process with the other two candle holders, adding some of the Fix All adhesive to some more light fixtures that I found and placing them on top of the candle holders. 

Once I got all three of these complete, I let it dry for 24 hours before going to the next step. 

For this next step, I found these large solar lights at Walmart. They’re a little bit more, but not much. They slid right into the candle holder. They fit right into the hole and covered the top. Water could technically leak in these a little bit so you could add a little silicone seal. 

As you can see, the two smaller solar lights that I got fit better and all I would have to do is add a little seal to those. Then they would fit nicely. It’s up to you and it depends upon your environment and your climate what you’ll need to do. We are a pretty dry climate here in Colorado. I’m going to leave them as is. Here they are at day.

Here’s another look at them in the evening. I just love how they add a little something special to our front porch and curb appeal. It also helps light up the front door so it’s easy to see when guests arrive. I could use these to light paths, too.

Solar Water Fountain

For this project, my father-in-law gave me this piece. I’m not even sure what it was for, maybe a plant stand. But, it clearly is missing something.

Materials List:

• Solar fountain
• Repurposed plant stand
• Repurposed punch bowl
• Rustoleum spray paint

I went ahead and washed it up and then I gave it a coat of Rustoleum spray paint. All the paint I choose is with primer built in and it’s made so it can be outside. I coated the entire thing with the spray paint. Then I let that dry completely. 

I found a giant punch bowl at the thrift store, super cheap. I placed it into this stand and it fit perfectly. The next thing I did was fill that bowl up with a bunch of water. 

I found this super cool solar fountain online, the little bars help it stay in place. There were several heads to choose from so you could pick the one that works best for you and the look you want.

The bonus in it is that it was actually a solar light and runs off solar power. It has a battery pack power to keep it running into the evenings and the solar light changes color. I was super excited about that and to have this in my backyard.

Vase Solar Lamp

I found this pink vase at the thrift store.

Materials List:

• Repurposed vase
• solar lights

I grabbed one of those Dollar Store solar lights, pulled off the base, and pulled out the tab.

I added the top piece to the vase. It fit right perfectly inside and overlapped nicely.

I was able to create another lamp for a table outside. Here it is at nighttime. This one will be going on my front porch.

Painted Glass Solar Lanterns

I grabbed a plain vase from the dollar store.

Materials List:

• vase or glass jar
• Folkart Murano glass paint
• solar light
• repurposed candle holder

I cleaned it all up for this next step.

I’ll be using Folkart Murano glass paint. 

I started with the blue paint and I just started squiggling it around all over the vase. I added some of the color green and some of the color purple. 

I started kind of tapping it and using the tip to blend it until it kind of filled in all of the spaces. I got the look that I was wanting.

Here it is completely coated now and it has a tie-dye look. I let that dry completely. 

It takes about 48 hours to cure. It’s supposed to replicate Murano glass. I love how this looks. 

I have this old candle holder and I went ahead and placed the base into the center of this candle holder. It fit perfectly.

I pulled the top off of a solar light and placed it into the vase on top. 

I’m going to leave this here on my front porch, but I could hang it up because it does have a handle. I love that this paint can be used outside. It’s no problem at all. This project would look great for deck lights, too.

Here is the soft glow of the painted vase solar light at dusk.

I hope this inspires you to create some solar light creations of your own.

More Solar Light Ideas

Are you interested in more outdoor solar light ideas and solar light hacks? I have a few solar landscape lighting ideas for flower beds, pathways, walkways, and house address numbers.

• Awesome and Easy DIY Solar Light Post
• How To Make Solar Light House Numbers
• Mason Jar Solar Light Sidewalk
• From Candle Holder to Solarabra!
• Top 14 Ways To Use Solar Lights In Your Home

Now that you’ve made all of these things, do you know what to do when you’re solar light stops working? Many of these I can buy a new one, twist off the old top and replace the new top. If you’re buying the inexpensive solar lights that might be the cheapest way to go. However, you can find more information in this article: What to do if your solar lights stop working?

Creative Solar Light Ideas Video