Scrap 4x4 Porch / Deck Solar Lamp
by
Jim Cox
3 Materials
$18
1 Hour
Easy
Another quick way to use outdoor solar lighting with stuff around the house
Pressure treated 4x4 scraps
Here are a couple of pieces of scrap pressure treated 4x4s left behind by the previous homeowner. Both were about 21 inches so I cut them to give four different lengths ( 7, 9, 12, and 14 inches. The stagger was part of the look I was going for). You don't have to use 4x4, I just wanted something stable that wouldn't fall over.
My fave outdoor lighting component
Next get 4 pieces of $.99 solar lights " At Home " (the store). I prefer the stainless steel tops over the black plastic.
Wear safety glasses!
Discard the stakes, and cut the bottom tube off the globe. Cut squarely. I used an angle grinder,but a dremel would work too. Sand the bottom square if you need to. (On one of my other projects, Hometalk members have suggested drilling a hole large enough for this stem. That would save the time cutting the globe)
I glued the wood pieces together with upholstery/vinyl top glue. I didn't want any screws to show. (Took a half hour including drying time) Pre-drill your holes for the lights, and attach the globes with any wood screw using a screwdriver, not a power drill or you could break the globes. (See previous step about drilling if you want to avoid using a wood screw, and use a waterproof glue) I went slightly random with spacing as well.
Here is the lamp on my front porch/deck. I think the LED light looks better on the yellow treated wood than they do on my brown deck rail ( see my other projects ) Fast and cheap! 
Comments
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4 of 43 comments
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We actually did this at our lake deck. Put a light in the top of each 4x4 post.
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yep, looked similar. did it on fenced dog yard too using $1.00 dollar general lights. easy to replace.
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love it, always looking for something different.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
When you say add waterproof glue do you mean where you put the screw in?
how do you get the star reflection on the wood?
i dont understand where you put the woodscrew in the light?