Woman Turns Dollar Tree Finds Into A Unique Solar Chandelier For Her Patio

When it comes to outdoor decorating, everything from sofas to coffee tables to grills can leave a dent in your budget. But meaningful home decor doesn't need to run your wallet completely dry. One crafty woman on Facebook, Olivia's Home DIY, found everything she needed to make a stunning solar patio chandelier at Dollar Tree. It might not be glistening crystal, but by the end of her project, you couldn't even tell it cost her less than $20 to make. 

There's no shortage of ways to transform your home with Dollar Tree items. The solar lights in particular are one of our favorite ways to add warm elegance to a backyard or walkway. However, for this DIY, instead of staking them to the ground, they'll be the eye-level focal point. On your next Dollar Tree visit, pick up a Cooking Concepts Splatter Screen, Floral Garden Metal Wreath Forms, two Garden Collection Black Garden Fences, and a Garden Collection Planter Pot Chain. Dollar Tree has a variety of solar lights choose from, but you'll want to choose an option with a longer lantern portion and a solar cap that will peep through the splatter screen.

Keep in mind that the metal wreath forms come in a two-pack but are only eight inches wide, so if you need multiple chandeliers for more outdoor lighting ideas, adjust the supply list accordingly. Lastly, you'll need scissors, zip ties, and a can of spray paint to make the chandelier.

The crafter started by zip tying the splatter screen all the way around the interior of the metal wreath form. Next, she cut the stakes off the garden fences, and zip tied the fences to the exterior of the wreath to create a structure that looks like a cage. Don't forget to remove the excess from the zip ties for a cleaner look. She then cut holes in the splatter screen big enough to slide in a solar light, repeating that step for each of her four lights. Be careful not to make the hole too big to prevent tearing through the screen.

With the main structure of the chandelier in place, it's time to spruce it up a bit. The crafter spray painted her chandelier with a copper color to give it a brassy shine (removing the solar lights first). If you plan on doing the same, ensure you have a weather-resistant, exterior spray paint like the Rust-Oleum Metallic Spray Paint. She then attached the planter pot chain to make the unit hangable, and finished it off with faux Floral Garden Twig Garland Strands. 

If you're planning on hanging this project outdoors, you probably won't need to go faux for the greenery. Grab some branches or flowers from your garden and use them to adorn chandelier. Or, to make it look a bit more enchanted, you could add Floral Moss across the top of the splatter screen to conceal the solar lights. Just make sure the panels are still exposed to sunlight so they can recharge. These Butterfly in a Jar Solar Lights also add to the enchantment with whimsical flair. 

Glue isn't necessary for this DIY, so you won't have to worry about it falling apart in bad weather. But keep in mind that the greenery add-ons aren't the most element-resistant, so you may need to replace them (and eventually the solar lights, too) if they start to look worse for wear. To make this project more bird-friendly, you could even attach a dowel across the inner fence portion to attract birds without a feeder and serve as a perch.