Thanks for showing the new solar thingy, Robin! Very very cool!

Well looky here!! I followed the link Brenda gave for her moss ball this morning and saw on a couple of blogs where these solar lights had been used. I was heading to this thread to let you all know I might have solved my light shade dilemma and Robin's already used the idea!

So here's one of the shades I picked up at Habitat for Humanity on Monday. They only had two and I wish they had more - $.85 each!


And here's how it fits perfectly on the metal rods I found, again only two of these but another $.85 each! I didn't dare stick them in the gardens yet because I haven't attached the shade. I had a bucket of mulch waiting to be spread so I shoved it in there for its debut in the forum!


And here's a close up of the other two I picked up. I could only find one of each.

I don't think the one on the left is big enough for the solar lights but I'll figure something out.

That is so cool!

SCORE, Debbie! looking good!

Did I tell you I went to Goodwill and their prices were similar to Walmarts and other stores? I'll be waiting!

Deb on your score!

Debbie methinks the big thing in the middle of the garden is for the coffeemaker, showers and sleeps. Everything else in there is potential stuff for the garden. For instance, thanks to Boo all my ice cube trays are now doohickies for holding glue. I'm learning SO much on this forum

Debbie, that looks awesome. I looked today at HD for solar lights and didn't spot them. Where did you get yours?

I don't have any yet! I don't remember seeing them at Dollar Tree earlier this week but at the time I didn't know I needed them. I saw them at Target marked down to $1.00 back in June. Back then I was tempted but thought what the heck am I going to use them for because they were so small? I am kicking myself now!

Walmart sells them discounted after Holidays. At least here in Phoenix. I bought red/white and blue ones after July 4th. I think you can reconstruct them for your shades.

WM is where I got mine.

I've seen them at walmart, too... in the garden center. Sweeeeet use of the shades, ladies!

Robin, I headed to Walmart yesterday to pick up a couple of the solar lights like yours. I didn't realize the globes were so large!! I didn't buy any because I didn't think they would fit inside my shades? I wish I had thought to take one of the shades with me to "test" them because now I'm going to have make another trip back there! Of course I could have just bought two to try them and if they didn't work return them - obviously my brain wasn't working!

I have a ton of these in my yard with solar lights. I started a thread on DG in the Trash to Treasure forum about it in 2007. There are lots of great photos here from folks who have tried this.

The solar light has to sit on top of the opening so its collector is exposed. Frosted glass works fine---I even have one that's amber that looks really nice.

What I do with the more open glass pieces is put a plate, wide enough to completely cover the opening, over the top. Sometimes I can find a plate with a hole in it, and sometimes I have to drill it. The solar light sits on top of the plate. This arrangement keeps leaves from falling into the globe.

Some solar lights have two bulbs, which work really well. Some also have plastic diffusers attached that go down into the globe and make the light shine farther down into the longer glass fixtures.

I got my last set of solar lights from eBay. That's where I found the ones with two LED bulbs.

This photo is the "before" photo of a lamp I got from Freecycle.


This is the "after" photo. The lamp has a bulb for reading, and when it's turned off, the solar kicks in so it still lights up. You can see the plate over the top, with the solar collector on top of the plate. The bulb fits through a small hole in the plate so it lights up the globe.

That is SO COOL Janet! LOVE the blue!

and the sparkly diamonds hanging all about

Beautiful!

Sure would look great in my blue garden, Janet!

Hi Janet. Great job. That is so pretty.

Sharon , I agree that would look great in your garden. Every time I'm in the thrift store and see beautiful blue and green glass , I think of you and smile.