Decided to join the fray and tackle my own set of Mason Jar Solar Lights using Walmart 99 cent solar lights (folks also use Dollar General and such lights). The bottom just pulls off the purchased lights easily. For Mason Jars, Classico spaghetti sauce comes in a mason jar – although where and when you got it means a different size jar. The grocery store has the new smaller one on the left above and the standard mason jar lid no longer fits that narrow one. The middle is the size it was forever and the big ol one on the right is a new bigger size in the Costco 3 pack they started last year – wider jar but still fits the basic mason jar lid.
I’d spied a few versions running about on Pinterest and tweaked the concept to get something I like. For a good tutorial, start with the This Old House version. I can never let anything be simple enough, so instead of the acrylic they used, traced the solar charging cell’s top square opening on a piece of paper, cut that out and drew it on each lid, then dragged out my Dremel tool to cut into the lid (with my handy safety glasses as I don’t need bits of metal in my eye, thank you very much). I just cut an opening – if you don’t go really slow there are sparks, so after I had an opening in the lid I used my meal snips to cut out the rest of the square. Spray painted the lids black.
Got out the E6000 glue and put a bit around the inside of the lid where the square cut is – I want to glue the lights but not get the glue over the solar panel. Craft wire is wrapped tightly around then lid, then heavier copper wire from Lowes (#6, the same that I used for the bird feeders) makes a lovely hanging loop. Pliers will help you get that loop tight and clean looking AND you do need good wire cutters to cut through the number 6 copper.
I decided to leave the plastic light covers on to refract the light in the jars.
Pretty metal hanging hooks complete the look.
I LOVE how bright these lights are at night! And, they are solar!! I have them on every other fence post and can now see across the yard easily even in the wee hours of the night (remember, rural here – we have a few bears, rather large mountain lion and other critters – if you hear a noise, so much safer to peer out than step outside with a flashlight!). Only one was dull and shut off earlier than the others – for the 99cents, I just replaced it. The next step I may need before the winter rains is to go over each one and coat the edge of the cut lid with a bit of outdoor silicone – otherwise, with a wet winter they could end up with a bit of sitting water in that spot. This is one project I highly recommend to those of you who enjoy crafting.
This post is participating in Unknown Mami’s Sunday in My City – pop on in to see what other folks are up to when they have a bit of time off.
ceo a's dhraíocht 