I haven't done any sort of crafty stuff in a while. Okay, in addition to being a poorly crafted sentence, that last sentence isn't entirely true. I've done some things, I just haven't posted them. But today, because as I have shoved down your throat mentioned a time or two before, since I'm a giver, I'll share a quick and easy project with you.
Way back in late May or early June, when life around here was a little slower and before the mouth of hell opened and started spewing the heat of a thousand suns across the Midwest, I liked to spend time on my patio. (Actually, the last several days around here have been very pleasant and I've found myself out there again, which is what reminded me of the project and what spurred me to do this post. Stop yawning, figuring out how I originate my posts is totally riveting.) And even though we have landscape lighting, I wanted something else to create a little ambiance around the patio. And trust me on this, me in a tank top swilling wine doesn't do much to create ambiance, so I thought that perhaps ambiance and something to distract from my tank-topped wine swilling would be in order. I found just the project in the diy column of my local paper. It also met my criteria for such projects: cheap and easy. You know, like those girls that weren't us in high school.
Yes. So.
Here it is:
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| It's too light out, so the lights aren't on. |
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| Caught this one before it shut off. |
I don't know exactly what to call them. Solar bowls? Light globes? Whatever. They only required me to buy one thing--the el cheapo solar lights on a stake from Walmart or Garden Ridge or where ever you can find el cheapo solar lights on a stake. I already had a bowl and the glass pebbles, which are totally optional, by the way. Um...the pebbles, not the bowl, because how else would you do the project without the bowl? Then it would just be broken solar lights. And that's not ambiance. That's just...kind of what our yard looks like by mid-August anyway. Ahem.
Here's what you do:
Measure the opening for your bowl. I think my big bowl was about 5 inches, my smaller one was...smaller.
Find a solar light on a stake that will fit over your opening without falling through. This was not a hard task. I found the cheapest ones I could.
Toss some glass pebbles in your bowl. (If you wish.)
Take the solar light thingy off the actual stake thingy. (Look at me getting all technical!)
Place the solar light in the opening of your bowl.
Run in and out of your darkened bathroom hooting like a deranged owl because it's 2 in the afternoon and too early to see any results outside and you want to see it now and good golly, but it's kinda neat-o!
That last step is also optional.
But it's only optional if you are a fun-killer.
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| Taken in my bathroom. Totally dark and totally sanitary. |
I made three of these solar bowls/light globes/whatever thingies to sit out on the tables on my patio. Now, you're not going to be able to sit out there and read by these lights, but they do provide nice little patches of light and are great when you are sitting out there visiting, or having a glass of wine, or visiting while you are having a glass of wine, or if you've had too much wine, visiting with your wine glass. I think they would be nice on tables at an outdoor party. But you would have to check that out for yourself, as I am a little anti-social and the thought of throwing a party that would use these lights gives me hives. But, if you are hive-free at the thought, you should totally try it. And then let me know about it. Or heck, even invite me. I mean, chances are good that I won't be so nervous that I'll stand in the corner saying inappropriate things about your dog. Then again, maybe you should just tell me about it.
Hmmm...I'm starting to wonder if this entire post is why I haven't published a crafty project in some time. Let's see...images of me in a tank top swilling wine, slipshod materials list and project instructions, and talk of my anxiety about parties. Yeah, sure! I should absolutely write another one of these tomorrow!
Alrighty, then. Goeth and maketh and enjoyeth your lights.
Oh, yeah! You might want to bring these inside if the weather is dicey and your patio or deck isn't covered. Wind and glass don't always get along very well and I would hate for something to break or someone to get hurt. (Please don't sue me. I have no money. My children will never get therapy. Pray for them. Also, don't sue. Thanks.)
Okay. Now, goeth and maketh and enjoyeth and all that other stuff.
