Woman Turns Old Solar Lights Into Stylish Candle Pillars With An Easy DIY

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Solar stake lights are a simple addition to your garden or walkway, and many homes have them. In fact, when it comes to outdoor lighting ideas, they are some of the lowest cost and easiest to install.  However, they tend not to last long. Battery degradation and poor weather sealing in cheaper models, which lets water damage the hardware, are common culprits. And, unlike a blown light bulb, it's usually not feasible to repair a solar stake light when it stops working. The good news? You can still put it to use with a clever DIY instead.

Instead of letting your old solar powered light end up in landfill, why not turn the plastic diffuser lens into a stylish candle holder? It might sound far-fetched, but that's exactly what DIY content creator Sarah Teresinski did. Demonstrating her thrifty idea on TikTok, Teresinski removes the clear, curved "shade" of her stake light, sprays it white, and attaches coasters to either end to create a unique pillar candle holder. It's simple yet effective, and it's easy to recreate the idea if you have a few old stake lights you were intending to throw away.

There's never been a better reason to skip pricey candle holders than after seeing this clever hack. What's more, even if you don't have old stake lights in your garden to upcycle, you could just buy brand new ones to complete this project. Dollar General sells them for around $2 for a pack of six, and Amazon features some inexpensive ones like this GIGALUMI Pack of 8 Solar Lights that, after illuminating your garden, can be a good choice for this craft. Teresinski offers some excellent ways to put the other components to good use besides the plastic bulb casing, too.

Besides the "bulb" component of the stake light (that's the transparent glass-effect lens that looks like a bulb and diffuses the LED), this DIY only requires some spray paint, two coasters, and some strong glue. First, you'll need to disassemble the stake light. Usually this requires twisting the lid off to remove the top housing, but occasionally you might have to loosen a few screws, too. From here, you should be able to remove the transparent casing, which is typically textured to diffuse the light. It's worth mentioning, though, that you'll need a solar stake light with a curved cone-shaped lens to make a candle holder. Globe shapes or shallower casings won't work.

Once you've removed the casing, you can paint it in your chosen color. This will act as the stem of your pillar candle holder. Next, stick two mug coasters on either end. Teresinski uses E6000 glue, but any industrial-strength adhesive should work. Once dry, you'll have a beautiful holder perfectly suited for a pillar candle. 

The best part is it's easy to decorate your candle holder look to suit your own style. Teresinski opts for a white stem with beige coasters for a neutral look, but you can experiment with the spray paint or coaster color and pattern to create a design that's uniquely yours. And there you have it — a great way to make use of simple solar stake lights with a DIY that's quick, easy, and budget-friendly.