DIY Solar Light Watering Teapot

I enjoy looking at all the craft and DIY posts on Pinterest. I'm always saving posts thinking I'd like to make the craft pictured, but knowing in the back of my mind I never will.  Well, I finally decided to try to make one, and I'm glad I did!

Supplies to make your own solar light teapot:

• Tea pot
• Solar fairy lights
• Shepherd hook
• Thin wire
• Wire cutters
• Super glue or glue gun
• Large washer 

When I found directions to make a cute solar lighted "watering" tea pot, I realized I already had all the supplies except the solar fairy lights. Solar fairy lights were easy to find on Amazon, and there were several different lengths and colors to choose from. I chose a double pack of thirty three foot long lights in warm white light. After they arrived in the mail, I made sure they worked before using them in my project by leaving them out all day in the sun to see if they would light up at night. 

I used the teapot I already had, but you could also opt for a watering can. I think it would be neat having the strands of "water" coming out of the watering can sprinkle top. Before buying the watering can, take a look at the sprinkle holes, though, to make sure your light will go through them or that the holes can be enlarged if necessary. (This might be easier with a plastic watering can, and you might be able to pick one up at a yard sale, the Dollar Store, Goodwill, or other thrift stores.

I needed to find a sunny spot in my yard since the solar lights need sun to charge, so I decided on putting the tea pot by a hydrangea bush that got full sun. I put my shepherd hook in the ground by the bush and hung the tea pot on it to get an idea of how I wanted it to hang and also to get a measurement of how long I want the lights coming down from the spout. It measured about fourteen inches.

After removing the teapot from the hook, I unwound the solar lights and laid them out in a length of fourteen inches. Since the lights were a lot longer than this, I had to go back and forth several times until all the lights were laid out.  (Photo B) 

When I finished unwinding the lights, I cut piece of thin wire approximately 20 inches long and put one end of thin wire through the looped strands on one end of lights and wired them together. (Photo C)

I took the other end of the thin wire and ran it down the tea pot spout to inside. (Photo D)

I pinched the wired end of lights together so they went in the spout just a little way. (Photo E)

Then I wound the excess wire inside the tea pot around the washer as much as I could. (Photo F)

With the washer in bottom of the tea pot I gently pulled the lights out of the spout until the washer was against spout opening inside. (Photo G) If it looks like you've pulled the lights out too much then you'll have to wrap more wire around the washer. 

When I had the lights in the right position, I glued the tea pot top on. After gluing it on, I thought I could have used velcro instead of glue so when the lights stopped working I could easily replace them. Darn, too late now. 

I hung the tea pot on the shepherd hook and arranged the light strands so they weren't mangled together. (Photo H) My brother staked the solar panel in the ground. In the photo you can see it near the fence by a Black Eye Susan flower. Make sure your solar panel is on so it will charge. 

Now I just had to wait until it got dark outside. I looked out when it was dark and was delighted to see the lights flickering. I went out to get a close look and take a photo. (Photo I) 

Flagsrus.org even has a cute flag with a tea pot on it HERE and lots of pretty flower flags HERE. Good luck if you decide to make one. It really is easy.