DIY Hanging Solar Lights

3 Materials
$5
1 Hour
Easy

These DIY solar lights are made from embroidery hoops and make a beautiful statement for your deck or patio.

I really wanted some ambience lighting for my back patio and it got my wheels turning to use solar lights. I came up with these DIY hanging solar lights made from embroidery hoops! Sounds crazy, right? But they turned out gorgeous!


More DIY Embroidery Hoop Ideas

Check out our guide on embroidery hoop crafts for more information on how to use an embroidery hoop to make home decor, as well as sizes, shapes, and other helpful crafting tips.

Hometalk Recommends!

Make your own lights with these highly recommended embroidery hoops and solar lights that Amazon reviewers swear by!


Paint


I used three sizes of hoops--7", 6" and 5". The first step to making hanging solar lights is to disassemble the embroidery hoops by loosening the screws and pushing the inner hoops out. You will need one full hoop and only the inside from the other. Stain or paint the hoops the color of your choice. 

Assemble


Once dry, place the two inner hoops into one another as shown. The bottom will cross like an ‘x’.

Chain


Add the chain next. I bought my chain from Home Depot which is sold by the foot for under a dollar. They will cut any length for you. Take the outer hoop and unscrew the screw until it comes undone. Slide the chain onto the screw. Catch the other side of the embroidery hoop and screw back together but NOT tightly–you won’t tighten fully until the smaller hoops are added.

Next, fit the outer hoop over the inner hoops and fully tighten the screw. If hanging outside, spray on a coat of sealer.

Light


Cut a 12″-14″ piece of wire (I don't know the gauge but it was on the thinner side) and wrap the middle of it once around the plastic on the light. Then wrap the ends around the underneath of the screws and screw it back tight.

Turn the light over, take the ends and make them meet in the middle and twist a couple times to look like this. Slip the light through the embroidery hoops and attach the wire to the embroidery hoop screw, making sure the light is straight. Cut off any excess wire.

Hang them where you want some accent light. Just remember, high winds or rain can damage them if they are not secured.

You Might Also Like...


My DIY House Number Sign and my DIY Industrial Chalk Board

Resources for this project:
See all materials
Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.More info
Pamela - DIY vibes
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 9 questions
  • Lois Buchanan Lois Buchanan on Apr 29, 2022

    How about a flat path light and glue to the bottom? I love this idea!

  • Pat Pat on May 15, 2023

    How much exposure to sunlight does the solar light need? My area for these is quite shady. Great idea!!

  • Carolyn K Carolyn K on Dec 04, 2023

    How do solar light work on a porch? There's no sun.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 112 comments
  • Jim Cox Jim Cox on May 16, 2023

    Looks great!

  • Carla Carla on Jan 16, 2024

    I typically don’t like anything made from embroidery hoops, they always look like embroidery hoops and to me look cheap. But your solar lights I like. The metal screw on the hoop actually looks like it Needs to be there and is a vital part of the piece. I will be making at least a couple of sets (of 3) of these for my back porch❣️ Thank you for sharing, I do love this one.

Next