TRY IT THURSDAY....SOLAR LANTERNS

I ORIGINALLY saw this idea here http://shantyinsanity.blogspot.com/2013/06/garden-lights.html last fall and KNEW I was going to make my own version....knowing I could get the shades for cheap at the thrift store. LOW and behold a few days AFTER I saw this blog post I was at Shop and Swap and found 4 lamp shade covers for FREE!!!! They sat in my garage all winter long....I gathered my supplies

EVERYTHING (EXCEPT the shades) was purchased at Dollar Tree...The hooks I got back in the beginning of March (I KNEW this was one of those items that ya better get when ya see it because they would sell out quickly).

Per the instructions the neck wires should be 10" and the handle would be 12" BUT I found it easier for the neck wire to be 12" and the handles 15" (this was AFTER I cut all the wires first).

AGAIN, here is another handy tip....I bent it in half so I had one end to loop the wire thru (see the left side of the photo)

And the right side I twisted together and made my own closed end for a loop

 Here is the finished wired product.....

I wired the remaining 3 lanterns...

I put my hooks in the ground, popped the tops off the solar lights (AFTER removing the tabs) and hung on the hooks! VIOLA!!! A custom look for a GRAND TOTAL of $9.00 (and I have plenty of wire to use on other projects!!). THIS could've been a THRIFTY TUESDAY post!! 

If YOU try this, let me know and we can have a link-up party!!