How Homeowners Are DIYing Outdoor Lights Using Dollar Tree Bowls

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Let's face it, affordable options for outdoor lighting aren't the most exciting — and the stylish stuff is usually expensive. Sure, there are great methods for hanging string lights in your backyard that bring all the cozy vibes, but most affordable lawn, garden, and pool lights are kind of confined to the cheap, stick-in-the-ground solar lamps that don't add much in the way of style. However, there is a clever, DIY Dollar Tree outdoor lighting hack doing the rounds that combines generic solar lights with an eye-catching, spherical housing, turning them into glowing orbs. 

The materials needed couldn't be simpler. The body of the lights is comprised of two Dollar Tree bowls glued together, such as the Caterer's Corner Crystal Plastic Punch Bowls, which cost $2 a piece. For the lights, you could use flat solar lawn lights like the eLEDing In-Ground Well Light from Home Depot, or, for something more affordable, check your local Dollar Tree to see if they have solar deck lights or path lights. If you can get all of your supplies from Dollar Tree, it's possible to keep this DIY between $10 and $20. In contrast, even the non-designer solar globe lights from Amazon can cost over $60. 

To make this DIY garden lighting idea, begin by spray painting the interior of the punch bowls with a thin coat of frosted glass spray paint. This step is optional – and can add to the cost of the DIY — but it helps hide the solar light inside. If you're worried that the sun in your area isn't strong enough to charge the solar panel through the frosting, you can opt to drill a hole in the top to allow more light through (just be sure to also add one in the bottom so rainwater can drain out). Place one solar light in the bottom bowl before gluing the two bowls together with an adhesive like E6000 or Gorilla Clear Grip. You don't need to glue around the entire bowl rim, just a few dots to make sure the two halves stick together. 

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DIY SOLAR GLOBE LIGHTS. I USED DOLLAR TREE PUNCH BOWLS WITH SOLAR PATH LIGHTS. #gardenlights #outdoorlighting #summerpatio #diyproject #diy

♬ Happy Summer – Vin Music

Depending on how many globes you want to make, you can stick them in your landscaped garden beds, bring them onto your patio, or even flank your pool to achieve a soft evening glow. While they look gorgeous placed on the ground, you can also try hanging these globes as a unique outdoor pendant light. Stick-on hooks could allow you to achieve this without drilling into the plastic bowls, but be sure to adhere to the weight limit. Alternatively, you could drill carefully through the bases of the bowls and thread a cord through the globe before gluing, knotting it at the bottom. Finally, you can adapt this idea for the holidays by using multi-color solar lights. For this you'll need something like these Viodaim lights from Amazon that come with a remote, so you can change the color for the season or holiday.