6 Dollar Tree Solar Light Hacks & DIY Ideas

Sharing is caring!

6 Dollar Tree Solar Light Hacks for Fall

Looking for easy and inexpensive ways to decorate your outdoor space? These 6 Dollar Tree solar light hacks and DIY ideas turn simple solar lights into beautiful outdoor decorations without spending a lot of money.

Solar lights are one of my favorite Dollar Tree finds because they are inexpensive, easy to customize, and don’t require batteries or an outlet. With a little paint and a few inexpensive craft supplies, you can transform basic solar lights into unique decorations for your porch, patio, garden, or deck.

Want to see these Dollar Tree solar light ideas in action? In this video, I share 5 easy fall solar light DIYs using inexpensive Dollar Tree finds. From glowing fall flowers to creative solar light decorations, these ideas are a simple way to add warm outdoor lighting to your porch, patio, or garden.

From colorful seasonal decorations to creative outdoor lighting ideas, these DIY solar light projects are easy enough for beginners and fun to make.

Why I Love Dollar Tree Solar Light DIYs

Dollar Tree solar lights are a great starting point for DIY outdoor decorations. They are already designed to collect sunlight during the day and illuminate at night, so you can focus on changing their appearance instead of building the lighting from scratch.

1. Dollar Tree Solar Lights turned into Sunflower Garden Lights

One of my favorite solar light transformations is turning plain Dollar Tree solar lights into glowing fall sunflowers.

Instead of leaving the yellow plastic solar lights plain, I used inexpensive acrylic craft paint to create warm orange and red sunflower petals. I also painted the center bronze to give the flowers a more realistic look.

The result is a colorful fall decoration during the day that becomes a glowing outdoor decoration at night.

Watch this quick video on how to make the Dollar Tree Solar Lights Sunflowers below.

How to Make Dollar Tree Solar Light Sunflowers

1. Start With Your Solar Lights

Begin with clean Dollar Tree solar lights. Make sure the solar panel is free of dust and dirt so it can collect sunlight properly.

2. Paint the Petals

Use orange and red acrylic paint to customize the petals.

Painting a Sunflower Solar Light[/caption]

I like using more than one color because it gives the flowers a more realistic, dimensional appearance instead of making them look like one solid color.  I like to dry brush the edges of the paint to give it a nice blended look and not hard edges.

Dry brushing is a painting technique where you remove most of the paint from your brush, leaving just a little on the bristles. This creates a soft, blended look and adds subtle texture to your project.

Allow the paint to dry completely before adding additional details.

3. Paint the Center

Paint the center of the sunflower with bronze metallic or brown paint .

This simple step makes a big difference because it gives the solar light more of an actual sunflower appearance.

4. Create a Base

For my fall display, I used a mini hay bale as the base for the solar lights.

The hay bale gives the project a rustic fall look and makes it easy to display several of the glowing sunflowers together.

5. Let Them Glow!

Place the finished solar lights somewhere they will receive plenty of sunlight during the day.

At night, the lights transform the painted sunflowers into glowing fall decorations.

I especially love how different they look during the day and at night. During the day, they look like colorful fall sunflowers, but once the sun goes down, the lights create a warm glow.

I also used Dollar Tree metal sunflower yard decoration to add to the solar lights outdoor fall decoration.

Why This Solar Light Hack Is So Much Fun

What I love most about this project is that it doesn’t look like a typical Dollar Tree solar light.

Instead of simply placing the lights in the ground, you can turn them into part of your outdoor decor.

And because they are solar powered, you can enjoy the glow without having to run an extension cord or adding batteries.

More Dollar Tree Solar Light Ideas

This is where I will be adding more of my favorite Dollar Tree solar light transformations.

2. Dollar Tree Solar Light Fall Lantern with Metal Bucket

These beautiful fall lanterns start with simple Dollar Tree metal buckets and solar lights. I painted both with metallic paint, leaving a little of the original blue showing through for a pretty patina effect, then added metallic gold accents and natural-looking Dollar Tree rocks. Fill the bucket with Dollar Tree rocks and fall flowers for an easy DIY solar lantern perfect for a porch, patio, or garden.

Look how beautiful they look at night when the solar lights glow through the flowers.

3. Dollar Tree Solar Light Industrial Mason Jar Lantern

Turn a simple Dollar Tree Mason jar into an industrial-style solar lantern! Black craft foam strips painted with bronze acrylic create the look of rustic metal, while clear rivets add realistic industrial details. A strip of craft foam attached to the solar light creates a fun handle, and you can finish it by filling the inside of the mason jar with fall leaves or other seasonal accents.

I love the way this Industrial Mason Jar Solar Lantern comes to life at night! The warm glow shines through the leaves and natural elements inside, creating beautiful patterns of light that dance across the surrounding surface.

4. DIY fall Solar Lantern Made with a Dollar Tree Solar Light

This pretty fall lantern transforms a simple Dollar Tree container into a warm, golden autumn decoration. Metallic gold paint, fall leaves, a flower, and beautiful fall ribbon create an elegant harvest look, while the solar light adds a warm glow at night.

5. DIY Clear Gem Fall Solar Lantern

For this easy fall lantern, I used clear decorative gems to create a beautiful sparkling effect around the solar light. Bronze-painted leaves, raffia, and fall flowers add warm autumn color, while the gems catch and reflect the light for a pretty nighttime display.

6. DIY Embellished Fall Leaf Solar Lantern

This fall solar lantern is all about the details! I used painted fall leaves and added a small bead along the vein of each leaf for extra dimension. The leaves are arranged around a clear vase with fall flowers and a painted solar light inside, creating a beautiful customized decoration that looks especially pretty when illuminated at night.

Tips for Making Your Own Solar Light Decorations

Choose Paint That Works for Your Project

Acrylic craft paint is an easy way to customize many decorative parts of a solar light. If your finished project will be exposed to the weather, consider using an appropriate outdoor sealer where needed.

Mod Podge Outdoor Finish is a perfect sealer for these solar lights.

Give the Paint Time to Dry

Don’t rush the drying process. Allow each layer of paint to dry before adding another color or detail.

Keep the Solar Panel Clear

Be careful not to cover the solar panel with paint or decorations. The panel needs access to sunlight so the light can charge during the day.

Think Beyond One Season

Dollar Tree Solar Lights Are More Than Just Lights

A basic Dollar Tree solar light can be a great starting point for a creative outdoor decoration.

With a little paint and imagination, you can turn inexpensive solar lights into decorations that look completely different from the original product.

My glowing sunflower solar lights are one of my favorite examples because they combine Dollar Tree DIY, fall decor, outdoor decorating, and solar lighting into one simple project.

If you enjoy inexpensive DIY decorating ideas, be sure to check back for more Dollar Tree solar light hacks and creative outdoor decorating projects.

Watch the DIY

Watch my video to see how I transformed Dollar Tree solar lights into glowing fall sunflowers and see what they look like both during the day and at night.

Final Thoughts

I love finding inexpensive items that can be transformed into something completely different, and Dollar Tree solar lights are perfect for this kind of DIY.

Affordable materials. Artistic vision. Unexpected design.

These glowing sunflower lights are especially fun because they look beautiful as fall decorations during the day and create a warm glow after dark.

If you’re looking for an easy Dollar Tree solar light hack or an inexpensive way to add fall outdoor decor to your porch or patio, this is definitely a project worth trying.