Chandelier Solar Light | Hanging Solar Light

I have always loved finding a tired old chandelier at a thrift store and turning it into something useful again. In this project, I show you how to take an old thrift store chandelier, remove all the old wiring, and turn it into a charming outdoor solar chandelier that lights up your patio or garden with zero electricity cost. If you love repurposing and adding outdoor ambiance without spending a fortune, this solar chandelier is one of those simple projects you will want to try.

Thrift Store Chandelier

I picked up the chandelier on the left for $2 at a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. These old brass chandeliers are so plentiful at thrift stores.

Ready to Make Your Own Solar Chandelier?

Scroll through the step-by-step photos in this post to learn exactly how to prep, paint, and install the solar lights. Then click Pin It to save the project for later. If you make one yourself, share a photo with #myrepurposedlife so we can all see your version!

Gut The Chandelier

This is not the first chandelier I’ve taken apart. I’m getting much better at it. The most important thing to remember is how it comes apart so you can put it back together. I unscrewed the pieces and started snipping wires and pulling them out.

Test Various Solar Light Options for Your Project

After removing all the wires, I removed one of the bobeches to see if my solar light would fit on the arm. It did! Perfectly! NOTE: See the big brass piece to the right. I decided to leave it off.

Reuse Original Nuts From The Chandelier

TIP: The arm threads are a funny size, so I always reuse the original nuts that came with the candle tubes. The one on the right is original, and the one on the left is after I bent it back and forth several times until it snapped off. Voila! I have the perfect nut to hold my original bobeche on the threaded arm.

Spray Paint is The Best Option

For this repurposed chandelier, I used Krylon Dual Paint+Primer in Oil Rubbed Bronze on all of the pieces. I did a little sanding on the bobeches because they were gross.

After letting the pieces cure, I got busy figuring out exactly how I wanted the finished repurposed chandelier project to look. Isn’t the finish of the Krylon ORB gorgeous?

Hang the Repurposed Chandelier on a Shepherd’s Hook

I tried it with the solar lights directly on the arms without any bobeches or candle tubes. The lights fit very snugly on their own.

I replaced the bobeches and tested whether the candle tubes that come with the solar lights would fit. They sort of do, but MY oh MY, they are TALL.

Compare Options For The Best Look

See? I sort of felt like Goldilocks. These are too small; these are too tall.

I cut the candle tubes with my compound miter saw, making each tube have a short and a long piece.

New Solar Light Fixture Made From a Chandelier

For now, it has the bobeches and the shorter candle tubes. But it is totally customizable to the new owner. The solar lights could be removed if the new owner would like to use them as a candelabra.

Whether you hang it on a shepherd’s hook, under a tree, or on your patio, this repurposed solar chandelier is an unexpected outdoor light that brings personality to your space. You can customize it with the paint color you love and swap in different solar lights as styles change. I hope this project inspires you to rethink old things and put them to use in new ways. If you try it, tag me on social so I can see how yours turned out.

Have you bought solar lights lately? They have come a long way. These will charge in the sun or shade. How cool is that!? How about wrapping a chandelier with rope and using it as a candelabra?

gail

Sharing at Serving Up Southern Homestyle Gathering

I think you will love these solar light projects:

Floor Lamps and Solar Lights

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Dollar Store Solar Lights on Reclaimed Landscape Timbers (five tall landscape timbers)

Easy Reclaimed Landscape Timber Solar Lights (three short landscape timbers)

Glass Globe Solar Lights (ceiling fan globes)

Floor Lamp Solar Chandelier