DIY Solar Light Holder

9 Materials
$2
Easy
I just love creating things-it doesn't matter if it is out of barn boards, fence pickets, concrete, or hypertufa because when you think outside the box you can create so many cool pieces of garden art.
Working with either concrete or hypertufa does not always turn out but when it does you step back and say "WOW".
I had accomplished creating my flower and had some hypertufa left over so I could not waste it...
so I went walking around looking for something...
My elephant ears were not big enough to do those really cool hypertufa birdbaths and then I walked past my biggest green hosta and the LIGHT WENT ON!
I bought a few solar lights to put in the dry stream bed but they do not poke in the hard ground so easy so i knew I needed to come up with something creative. Even though I have LED low voltage lights in the front, I have not been able to re-run my wire and lights in the back yard. Solar lights at Target and Walmart are $1 so I have been inserting them in votive holders and sconces and thought about the ground.
I have to perfect how to do more but this is a basic how to for you to make your own. I think this is much prettier than sticking a light in the ground and calling it good. I let it sit about 12 hours before I peeled the leaves off and drilled the hole.
I really love how it looks in the dry stream bed and at night it looks really cool!
Creating, inspiring, and gardening without the rules!
After your first one you always find a way to make it better. next time I will carefully shape the hypertufa bit better around the hosta leaves.
Hypertufa mix from flower project-1 part sand, 1 part peat moss, and about 1.5 parts Portland cement mixed to about peanut butter.
I went and picked off 3 hosta leaves to use for this project
I mounded up the sand not too high and I carefully took the stems off the hosta leaves. I used the sand to make a point where I knew the solar light would go


Note: I spray the leaves with WD40 so they would not stick too bad. Any cooking spray or oily substance would work.
Just smeared it on the leaves
I liked the way the leaves look but they had to be peeled off. I took off some of the chunks and washed off the sand
After I peeled the hosta leaves off-I was so excited to see it turned out
I drilled a hole with a 1/2" masonry bit but the hypertufa is still so soft that a drill bit would work too
Use the hacksaw to cut the plastic tube down to the height you want
I definitely need to handle this sooner than 12 hours so I can carefully get the extra around the leaves off (but that's okay because it still looks cool!)
Night shot-cannot wait to make more!
The Garden Frog with C Renee
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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  • Darlin is my name. Darlin is my name. on Sep 25, 2018

    what is hypertufa?

  • Lisas Rexstar Lisas Rexstar on Sep 26, 2018

    Like you, I love how the green leaves look. Is there a reason you could not use a super-glossy green paint?

  • Sjt29229935 Sjt29229935 on Oct 17, 2018

    Is there a specific reason you waited until it was dry to drill the hole instead of inserting the light base in place while the hypertufa is still wet and would conform nicely around the light base making a secure fit? Sure looks warm and wonderful. Inspires me to start mixing cement and plucking my big hosta leaves before the snow flies.

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