solar powered garden chandelier

Once again, it has been too long since I posted!

The hot weather makes me feel uninspired.


The grape survived the heat wave, but doesn't seem to have much fruit.

The blackberries got nuked.

But the roots are impossible to destroy, and they are already creeping back.



It has been too hot to work on the cars. 

Most days it is 80 degrees before the sun comes up!

I feel like the cars are just falling to pieces, without their maintenance.





Last week, I found something at the thrift store, I'd been meaning to use in a garden craft.



That day, there was a lot of nautical themed home deco, from a store that went out of business.

I found a chandelier/ candle holder meant to look like an anchor, for about $7.

It had some plates to hold candles, welded to the points on the "anchor," which I removed.

The paint was already distressed, which was a plus.



I glued some solar garden stake lights, to the points of the "anchor."

I got the idea of using solar lights in a chandelier, from Pinterest.

These lights were about $3 each from Walmart.


I thought they were a decent size to shine some light down in my yard.



Here is the anchor in the tree:

Well, it was a dud.


Even fully charged, the lights barely lit up themselves, and threw no light on the ground!



A week later, I replaced those lights with some that I got at the dollar store for $1.99.

They are kind of a stained glass with white grout, and silver tops.

They looked pink and blue at the store, but in the tree they are purple!

Although the chandelier still doesn't light anything up, it is prettier to look at now.




Another option would be running an extension cord to the tree.

Then I wouldn't be limited to solar lights. I could use all kinds of lights.

There is an outside electrical outlet (that runs the pond pump.)

Unfortunately it is across the yard from where I want the lights to be.



I can't seem to find a place to run another extension cord that isn't obvious and ugly.

I don't want to have to dig up the yard to run it underground...