With just a few objects, and of course, the
power of the sun, you can make a unique outdoor light for your patio, deck or yard. Here's what you will need:
* A hanging plant basket * One or more solar lights, which you can
buy at Dollar Tree or Walmart for about $1 each
* Fishing line * Acrylic or glass beads or pendants
* Scissors Years ago a friend of mine was throwing away
an old chandelier from her dining room, and I asked her if I could have the crystals that
were hanging from it. She said as long as I didn't mind dismantling
it, sure I could have the glass pieces. So that's what I used mostly in making my
chandelier, but you can buy glass and acrylic beads at craft stores like JoAnn, Michael's
and AC Moore. Look for faceted beads so you get the maximum
light reflection. Home Depot sells the hanging plant baskets
and they ranged from about $5 to $20. The more expensive $20 had the circle cut-out
at the bottom, but I decided to buy the $5 one and retrofit my light(s) if necessary. The wire could be cut with heavy-duty wire
or bolt cutters, or a small saw. In my case, the solar lights fit snugly in
place, so no cutting was necessary. And by the way, after I completed this chandelier,
I saw a smaller version of a metal hanging basket at the Dollar Tree for only $1! To start, you want to flip the wire basket
over, and reposition the chain so it will now hang upside down. Once you are finished with that, figure out
how you want to position your lights. When you have that settled, you can begin
fastening your acrylic or crystal pendants. In this case, I had different chandelier pieces
which I attached hanging from the top and the bottom. I then took fishing line and went around the
entire basket with some more beads. Finally, I hung a few more to dangle inside
of the basket for maximum effect. So all you need now is a great place to hang
your chandelier. Hang it from a tree or whatever else you have
in your outdoor area - just make sure the solar lights are exposed to the sun and you
will have a nice outdoor light all year around. A note about solar lights - most or even all
of them actually have a battery inside. So you can easily take them apart and replace
the battery, or just replace them with a new solar light when they start to lose their
brightness. With lights only costing $1 each, either option
is affordable. The solar lights from the Dollar Tree were
not only brighter and longer lasting, they had batteries that were pretty easy to replace. Have fun with your new outdoor light! For more Do-It-Yourself projects, Pinterest
is a good resource but also make sure to check out BCPL's collection of books, DVD's and
magazines for some great crafting ideas! Music
