DIY: Clay Pot Lighthouse with Solar Light

Do you love lighthouses? Do you like to make coastal decor for your home? Here is a really cool project that is fairly simple that produces a masterpiece that will surely catch your neighbors’ eyes!

Supplies needed:

Clay flower pots of different sizes: I bought mine at Michaels. I bought 3 different size pots and made sure they stacked upon each other nicely. I also bought a small saucer for the top and a large saucer for the bottom (this is optional).

Solar Light: I found mine at a store called This and That! Many stores sell solar lights, the trick is finding one that you can glue onto your lighthouse, but that has a removable top in case you need to change out the battery or not permanently gluing it down so you can change out the solar light completely if needed.

Paint: I used white spray paint to completely cover the pots then black patio paint for the trim. Spray paint is easiest for all over color. Patio paint is good if you plan to put your lighthouse outdoors, but acrylic paint is also fine if you coat with a sealant.

Glue: I used E6000 industrial strength adhesive which I bought at Michaels.

Clear Sealant Spray: I used a Matte sealant spray I bought from Lowes. I didn’t want my lighthouse to look shiny/glossy so I chose a Matte spray. This will help protect your lighthouse from the outdoor elements and from the paint chipping.

Embellishments: For my lighthouse, I made windows using my Cricut. I found window shapes on Cricut Design Space, then sized them accordingly, then cut them out on black matte vinyl. The vinyl I used is permanent vinyl and can be used outdoors. I also glued on some small rocks around the base of my lighthouse. You could also add rope or twine, or any other decorations you’d like.

How-to-make-a-lighthouse:

 

First, you want to create a workspace, a place you can lay out all your clay pots and saucers, leaving space in between. I just cut open a big cardboard box I had on hand and used that. My workspace was in my garage. I opened the garage doors so the area would be well ventilated.  A couple of notes below before moving on:

• One of my pots (see in the first pic) was already painted. I was going to use it for another project, but it cracked. Thankfully I didn’t throw it away because it was the perfect size for this project and because the next smaller size pot would be placed on top, the cracks would be covered. Waste not, want not … right.
• Notice I didn’t take the stickers off the bottom of the pots. That part is going to be covered up so it’s up to you, but why waste time scraping them off when you don’t have to … save yourself the time:)

Second, time to paint! I used a Rust-oleum brand paint I already had on hand. I like the spray paints that are primer and paint because they go on smoothly and you can generally do just one or two coats. I did two coats for this project. Remember, you can use any paint color you want and you can mix it up even and paint the pots different colors. Use your imagination and make it your own.

 

In the top left photo above, you can get an idea where we are going with this project. Stacked pots and saucers and solar light on top. Seems so easy, right?

Third, get ready to paint the edges on the clay pots. I chose to paint the edges on the 3 pots black. I like the look of black and white together. You can paint your lighthouse however you want. You can even go up higher than the edge and make more even layers.   When adding another color, the best way to separate is to use painter’s tape to make your lines. Place the tape all the way around just above where you want the color to stop.

Fourth, carefully paint the edges or layer. I used a black Patio Paint (from Michaels) for my trim. I used a paintbrush to paint all the way around. Once dry, I painted a second coat, then carefully removed the tape before it was all the way dry. If your paint peels a little or seeps through a little, no worries, you can go back with a tiny paintbrush and make necessary touch-ups later.

 

Fifth, once the paint is dry, you can add on windows and if you’d like a door. I chose to cut mine using my Cricut. The windows are made out of black permanent vinyl. Another option would be to paint the windows/door on either by freehand or using a stencil. You could even make a stencil using your Cricut and stencil vinyl. To find the correct placement for the windows, I recommend stacking the pots first, then it’s easier to line up the windows and make sure you don’t put them in a spot that will be covered.

Sixth, take your pots and saucers back to the outdoor workspace to spray them with a clear sealant. You can see the one I used above in the photo (Rust-oleum matte clear enamel). I sprayed just one coat (for now).

Seventh, time to glue the pieces together! You want to use a strong glue that will hold over time. I like to use E6000 glue. Starting with the big saucer facing down, I put glue on the inside rim of my biggest pot and carefully laid it upon the saucer. I held it in place for about a minute. Then I put glue on the inside rim of the next pot and lined up the windows and placed it on top of the big pot. Then I did the same with the smallest pot. Finally, I glued the little saucer facing up on top of the smallest pot. I let this dry overnight but it doesn’t need that long. (I did not glue on the solar light yet).

 

Eighth, add your other embellishments … glue on rocks (I used E6000 glue). You can add rope or twine for trim, whatever you choose. On the first lighthouse, I used some rope but over time outside, it got a little weathered. So keep that in mind.

Ninth, take your lighthouse back outside and spray your rocks with the clear enamel spray and you can also spray lighthouse again, especially if you did any touch ups or added any other embellishments.

Tenth, glue or adhere your solar light to the top. It really depends on what you use. The light I bought comes apart. I was able to glue on the round part because the top part unscrews and comes off, in case I ever need to change the rechargeable solar battery. There is also an on and off switch which I like. The first lighthouse I made had a regular solar light and over time it stopped working.

Below is a photo of my completed lighthouse sitting on my coffee table and a photo of it lit up at night. You can see what it looks like out in my garden on the featured image up top. I like it both ways so I haven’t decided where it will stay yet. I hope you enjoyed reading about this project. Please share a photo with me of your finished lighthouses on My Pinterest Page. Follow my Blog and/or Facebook page to see more fun and easy DIY projects. Until next time, keep on craftin’!  ~Kristina~