Re-purposing old light fixtures in the garden

Part one: Globes and fairy lights

How to transform a thrift shop light globe into a garden beauty! Flea Market Gardeners are very clever at re-purposing the old into a new features for the garden and you can find these glass globes in any thrift shop these days.

Sue’s Fairy Lights

Sue Gerdes has a method of taking any glass globe, new or used, and turning it int a hanging solar ‘fairy light.’  Sue is an artist who lives and gardens in South Dakota. She has a small business, and a Facebook Fan page, both called Flea2Fab.

This is what you will need:

• A small solar light, there are two sizes and this one is the smallest so it can fit into the mouth of the glass globe. You can find these at many stores.  I found mine at Target. You can find these at a Salvation Army or even a Habitat for Humanities Outlet. All you need from this is the glass globe.
• Large mouth canning lid
• Tube of GE II Silicone
• Small link chain, (I bought a prepackaged sack of chain.)

Directions:

• The stem of the solar light should be taken off, leaving only the top (the black round piece in picture).
• Make sure you turn the switch to “ON” so the solar light will charge, then place inside the glass globe.

• Take your chain and measure what you will need for hanging, depending on where you mean to hang it.  Some of my Fairie lights I hung with 3 chains and some I hung with two, this is up to you what you prefer.
• Cut another piece of chain small enough to go around the top of the glass globe and then wrap it around tight enough that it won’t slip over the lip of the globe. I clipped one end of the chain open and connected it but you can also connect the chain with a wrapped piece of wire.
• Connect your hanging chain to the chain around the lip opening chain. Make sure it is balanced well.
• Now take the silicone and glue the underside of the canning lid and place it on top of the globe opening. Once it is dry hang it up and let your fairies fly!
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Tips:

• You can replace your fairies solar by taking a small knife and slicing the silicone.
• You have to use the silicone to keep it air tight and rain proof.

 

Ann lights the way…

Ann Elias made a fairy light as well, in about the same way!

Ann says, “My test project. It worked and I plan on adding a whole bunch of these on my tree in the front yard as part of my Christmas display. In the day time they look like flowers hanging from the tree..and at night…its magic!”

Ann Elias say, “I priced what end caps cost for the 4×4’s at the stores..and I could not spend that much money on my mostly rescued fence. So I checked to see what I had on hand…and I found some glass light fixtures…They just sparkle in the sun…I hope I will be able to find some solar lights to fit inside of them for night time sparkle.

So far, I have not found any that fit inside…but I have not given up yet

You can see what we did…we placed four small nails real tight against the base and just bend the nails tight against the light. I was surprised how secure that made them.”

More re-purposed light globes:

 

 

Tip:  Our favorite glue for FMG projects!

GE II silicone clear Premium Waterproof   for $4.25

Go on to:

Upcycling vintage light fixtures for the garden   Part Two: Hanging lamps

 Sensational recycled solar lights in the garden  Part Three: Solar Lights