Easy Solar Lights from Old Lamps

Day 6 of the Twelve DIYs of Christmas 2025

Every Sunday, my local Goodwill has a special sale. One colored tag is marked down 50%. This is good. The real magic, though, is that another colored tag is reduced to just 39 cents. Why 39 cents? Nobody knows. There's no rhyme or reason to this ridiculously low price-point, but I'm all for it.

One such Sunday, I bought two old lamps tagged with the special color for a whopping total of 78 cents. (You're smart and could have calculated this on your own, but seventy-eight cents? That warrants putting in writing.) My plan was to turn these outdated indoor lamps into modern outdoor solar lamps.

After bringing the lamps home and wiping them down, the real fun began with disassembly. I cut the plugs off the cords and tugged the cord lengths through the hollows of the lamps to remove them. Then I removed the lampshade harps and twisted off the base sockets so the lamp bases were the desired height. Finally, I spray painted the bases two light coats of matte black spray paint.

In the hollows where the cords had run, I inserted a narrow dowel rod, making sure that it protruded an inch at the top. Then, I used a strong glue to attach the top of a solar lamp to each of the exposed dowel rods.

I love the finished product! Unlike a standard solar light, which is typically designed to stake into the ground with a plastic post, these solar lights capitalize on the height and sturdiness of the original lamp bases.

I stationed the solar lamps on my front porch, which added both a decorative touch and functional lighting each evening when the sun set. Since the solar lantern tops are attached to the dowel rods inserted into the lamp bases, they'll be easy to replace if the need ever arises by pulling the dowel words out.
 

Since solar lights can be purchased inexpensively, this whole project rang in at under $12. If you ever find some old lamps that look past their prime, look at them afresh. Maybe they simply need a new purpose. With some simple steps, old indoor lamps can have new life as outdoor lights.

May your DIYs be merry and bright!
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