Repurpose Old Spray Paint Can Lids And Turn Them Into Cute Patio Lights

There's something fun and playful about vivid colors, even if they're on an item that typically ends up in the trash or recycle bin. If you view the color as something of value on its own, however, the magic begins. Plastics are particularly colorful and ripe for the transformation from trash to upcycled treasure. Large, colorful plastic caps such as those found on spray paint cans are particularly fun to repurpose since they're fairly durable, weatherproof, and available in countless colors. Adding a solar light source to them illuminates them from the inside to show off some of their color as you enjoy your low-maintenance backyard oasis after dark, but the fun doesn't end there. Holes poked through the caps in a pattern allow white light to shine through, similar to the old-school DIY tin can lanterns that were the staple of kids' craft books in the pre-internet era, but with no need for candles. 

If you can't find caps from spray paint cans in colors you like, similar caps can also be used, such as those on some brands of liquid laundry detergent, fabric softener, spray-based household lubricants, or cooking spray. As for the solar lights, the garden stake style, such as the Stainless Steel Solar Yard Light Stakes from Dollar Tree, works best since they come apart and have a puck-shaped cap containing the solar panel and the light. If you buy extras, use some for a playful DIY birdbath upgrade that illuminates a clear birdbath basin with colorful glass gems in the water. 

Take the solar yard stake apart by twisting the clear "window" off of the cap that sits atop it. Though solar stake lights vary, many of them twist apart for access to the on/off switch. Feel free to save the clear plastic window and the yard stake for another project. Test-fit your spray can caps to see which best fit the solar light. While spray paint cans typically have caps of the same diameter, other caps may vary.

Once you find a fit that works, charge the solar panel in the light for a while so it'll work when you're ready to use it. Think up a design to poke through the spray can's cap so white light can shine through. Star patterns are a classic for tin-can lanterns, or you could make a dotted jack-o'-lantern face design in an orange cap for Halloween, for instance. A peace symbol, your family name, a band of ocean waves, or even a sea turtle would create a stunning display for a compact patio light. Cover the area of the cap you wish to poke through with some masking tape, flip the cap so the open side faces up, then draw dots on the tape with a marker to create your dotted design. It's okay if you mess up and need to cross out some of the dots because the tape will be removed later.

Use a drill bit, such as a one-eighth inch size, in a cordless drill to carefully create a hole over each dot. The more detail you'd like to include in your design, the smaller the bit size. Using bits of different sizes could also create an interesting pattern on your patio light.  After creating all the holes, remove the tape, flip the switch on the solar light to the "on" position, then place the solar puck atop the upturned patio light in a dark area. Display the light atop a patio or porch table after dark for ambiance, use them as DIY garden pathway lighting, or to illuminate the perimeter of the patio or driveway for a party.