Julie finally got smart after years of denial. Julie bought 12 Dollar Store Solar Lights, for yep, you guessed it, $12.00 dollars. Julie is happy now. Be like Julie. Here’s the scoop…
About 10 years ago I (I am Julie) spent a small fortune on expensive solar lights for our garden. After about 3 years of use, they began to look faded, cracked, old. I brought them in like little babies every Fall and kept them warm and cozy in our garage, but still…they looked horrible after only 3 years! After about 5 years I gave up, and left them out during the Winter because I just lost all hope for them. I was in pure denial. They still worked, but looked like something out of a horror flick. Okay, maybe that’s not the best way to describe worn out solar lights, but honestly they looked bad. Luckily, I sold them to a really energetic lady at our garage sale who said she was going to spray paint them. I wished her luck and took the cash as quickly as possible 😆
So here we are in my garden today. I took the plunge and bought a whopping $12.00’s worth of dollar store solar lights and scattered them in our front garden beds. I knew immediately that this was a wise decision. Here’s why:
First, just look at how cute they are…
Second, I can buy as many as I want of these babies and scatter them all over the place without spending my daughter’s college funds.
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Third, when they begin to fade…I can just buy replacements and I still won’t need to tap into my daughter’s college funds. Heck, I can buy fresh one’s ever single year for the rest of my life and I still will have spent less than I would on those expensive ones you see.
Fourth, and here’s the best reason…
they work just as good as expensive ones. BOOM.
Before I go, I also wanted to tell you that we planted those Hydrangea bushes Mother’s Day weekend and they are doing fabulous. I found the bushes at Home Depot, but I saw some at Costco last night. All you have to do is dig a hole, and plop them in some rich soil. I also watered them with a little bit of this starting solution so they wouldn’t go into shock. It worked great.
You may have also noticed that our Hostas are thriving. They require part shade and a lot of water. We also happen to have a lot of deer, so I spray my Hostas weekly with this deer repellant. It also keeps rabbits away.
If you’re wondering what the purple hanging plant is, it’s called Lobelia and it’s my all time favorite pick for hanging pots. It requires part shade and watering regularly.
Lastly today, I thought I had a gladiola popping up out of our garden, but it is an iris. This is the first year it has bloomed!
Tags: dollar store, garden, hydrangea, solar lights, Spring
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I like it, Dad in NY
Thanks, Dad!
Your garden is looking lovely and you’ve made me think I should put hostas in my front garden too, thanks for sharing
Thank you, Trina! Have a great weekend!
I took those very DOLLAR STORE solar lights pulled them apart & used clear silicone,to glue them into a black Dorsey painted chandelir( was yucky brass) it hangs in my iron gazebo & lights up @ night,so pretty w the various purple clematis vines on the supports & crawling over the top…… spiritual for me…. I have been using Quick start for yearssssss. I trust it,love it…then I use fish emulsion & compost juice I buy @a local nursery. No chemicals in my butterfly backyard……
Great tips, Marburke! Keep them coming please 😉
Great tip, I didn’t know they sold them! Thanks!
You’re kidding! Omg, so happy I posted this. I think i go there too much so I think everyone knows. Thanks, girl!
I love those. I also put them in my potted flower pots
What a great idea!!!!
I always see those Dollar Store solar lights but hesitated to buy them. After reading this my head is spinning from thinking of all the ways I can use them. I’m heading to my DS as soon as it opens this morning…LOL
Hi Cheryl, that is hilarious. The dollar store really owes me!! Ha ha let me know if you find some!
Beautiful! Love the lights and your yard. Thanks for the tip about the dollar store. 🙂
You could also … paint the old ones!:))))
I really like Marburke’s idea too
Keep the great ideas coming!!
Hi Christina! Thank you! I mentioned in my post about painting them, ha ha I rather spend the $12 but it probably could work. I’m getting lazy lol
Oh I read about you not wanting to paint… just had to tease you! 🙂 Periwinkle blue lights next to your hydrangea. 🙂
Christine! I am easy to tease and I am extremely gullable! You got me!! Actually you know what!? Rainbow ones would be so cute! ?
There ya go rainbow! 🙂 Or… how about mirror paint! ;>D
Great tip, going today to eat some!
That’s great!! Good luck and let me know if they still had them.
Hi Julie:
Just spent $50.00 on a set of 10 solar lights. They look good, but as you said after a couple of years they start to fade. Will keep your idea in mind for future. Also, just love hydrangeas, I have a pink one and might give it a shot of epsom salts to try to get it to turn blue.
Love your site.
That sounds like a great plan, Bette. I had no idea about the salt! I will have to try that!
Hi Julie,
I love the Dollar Store, my go to place for everything. I have used those solar lights for so many things. I’ actually in the process of a DIY today. Found an old chandelier that I spray painted with 5 spaces for candles. Instead of using the candles, I took the posts off the solar lights and am hot glueing the tops to the chandelier where the candles would go. I also use these in my beds too, not worth the extra $ for the expensive ones. They even have adorable 4th of July ones. Thanks for sharing and your flower beds look awesome.
Hi there Ann! I wish I could see your chandelier!! It sounds so cute!! I need to try that one day. So smart!!
–loooooookin’ good !! A MUST DO !!
?Linda of No.Cal.
Linda, you are too good to me! I look forward to your comments ? -Julie
gosh, girlfriend, I’ve used these for years..and at Walmart, they are 97 cents…:)
You mean i could have saved 36 cents??? Darnit!!
Yep. The same ones! Though I noticed this year the solar lights at the dollar store are fancier and the bulb is a bit bigger. It would be awesome if they came in warm white light also. The new design is very pretty throwing off light in an interesting pattern.
I’ve been begging my hubs for outdoor lighting now that our landscaping is finished. Guess I’ll have to buy some of the solar lights until he caves in! They really look nice at night! Your garden is gorgeous! It looks like you and I like the same things! Lobelia is my favorite, along with the Hostas and Hydrangeas. I love spending time outside!
Hi Nancie! I’m outside right now and its so nice. Thanks for stopping over!
Lights look amazing sprinkled among your Hostas. Love the look of smaller ones … gotta have! Your flower beds are so pretty and just get bigger and better as they grow.
Hi Darlene! Sometimes I feel like a hosta might eat the house ? They really get huge.
Girl, I’ve been using the dollar store solar lights for years! Love them and like you said you can buy new ones every year if needed and not have a fortune in them! Your landscaping looks great! Seems like we have a lot in common on that, we have Hostas, Blue Hydgranga and Iris, along with many others. I love flower gardens! You have to be dedicated to keep them looking good. Watering, feeding, dead heading, weeding….is hard work, but the outcome, for me, is worth it! Love your Blog, look forward to each post! And, by the way, my Mom’s a redhead!! They are the best!!!
Hi there, Pam! You are so right! Gardens do take a lot of dedication. I find it so peaceful out there. Sounds like we do have a lot in common!! I am so happy when folks tell me they look forward to my posts because it’s hard to know sometimes!! So thank you for that 🙂 Have a great week, I’ll be posting my rainbow garden markers on Wed.!
Fabulous! I love it all. I am halfway done creating my flower garden. I too, places solar lights throughout my garden and walkway once in the garden. So far, it’s looking great. As Always, you nailed it again.
Thank you so much, Ivory!
Love the lights placed around the hostas.. you gave me an idea .I have some of the same rocks..I usually have them in a vignette but I think for the summer I will put them in my garden as well.I did buy the solar lights at Walmart..they were different colors..I thought..SCORE!!but when they came on at nite, they were blinking .fast blinking ..oh my word..the peacefulness of my garden was gone..pull them out so fast, gave them to a friend..went back to see if they had just white ones for 97 cents..no luck
Oh my goodness, Lorri! That is so funny, but I bet at the time it was annoying. I wonder why they flash, that is so odd! Have a great Sunday friend!
I passed by those at the dollar store, and saw them at Walmart too. I think I will finally go get some.
Oh, how pretty. Such a lovely addition to your beautiful hosta and Hydrangea bed .
Wish I could grow hostas here but with no shade, the poor things would get burned up with this Texas heat as I have no shad ; only except for later afternoon when the back of the house starts to receive shade.
I have always repainted and changed the batteries in my (2) solar lights.
Apologize for not commenting sooner. Hubby on vacation all last week and have been busy; between he and myself in getting my 16×24 ‘she’ barn shed built. (even worked on our 48th anniversary day) We have to call in reinforcements on getting the rafters and metal roof put on.
Until next time; enjoy your day
Good morning, Colleen! Thanks so much for stopping by! You sound very busy, but it all sounds very exciting!!
Exciting; Yes :} Sunburned and exhausted along with many sore muscles; very much so.
Your posts are always enjoyable, sometimes downright funny, always informative.
Excuse me for bringing this up but there are some of us who struggle financially, I never feel funny about that reading your posts altho am aware you are better off than hubs and I.
Am very conscious of our situation since our daughter in law lets us know we’re not as good as her family because we don’t have their kind of money.. There are some bloggers who don’t mean to maybe but I sure get the drift they don’t hurt for cash. Sometimes it’s hard to read posts which are all about how much people have, it’s just a fact of life. Not crying poor, life is just what it is. We do ok, have good life, been married for over 48 yrs. have 4 grown kids. with 5 grand kids, feel like we have it all. .
Just thought it was funny about you getting solar lights at $tree, good for you, appreciating a bargain when you find it. $tree has sure helped us when we needed it.
Was admiring your hosta plants, we had several when we lived in KY but hard to grow here in western CO due to dry heat . Hard to grow several plants plus we have great deal of alkali in our soil out here, live few miles west of Grand Junction.
Enjoy rest of week and your Summer
Hi JaneEllen! Thank you for being so open and honest with me. I am very happy I don’t come across as snooty! I am a laid back chick for sure. Here’s a little history on us. My husband and I both grew up in families that struggled financially. My husband (Rick ?) is a really sweet man who I met in college and confessed his dream of being a lawyer one day. I of course encouraged him and he ended up starting a painting co. which was fine and all, but he hated it (I was a substitute teacher and nanny). He went back to school at night to finally get that law degree. We struggled for years during that time, but his career and my support has helped us become more stable. We aren’t the type of people that boast or believe in designer everything. We just want to enjoy our home and make it as cozy as we can without spending a lot. I shop at all the thrift stores, the dollar store, k mart, Target and I just feel comfortable there. I could care less about brand names, etc. I am sorry your DIL makes you feel the way you mentioned. Maybe when she gets older and wiser she will learn. Mean while you and I can enjoy our bargains and dollar store ideas!!! By the way, I have a cool piece coming out tomorrow about a night stand I found at the thrift store. Can’t wait for you to see what I did to it! Have a great weekend ?
Hi JaneEllen,
We don’t know each other, but i had to comment on your post. i hope its ok to do this. Julie and I never met, except for me finding her wonderful site, and through post and comments this has been it for our communicating. I said all that to say this, I’ve been following her site for less than a year. Julie always takes a cheap find, (ugly duckling) and show her followers how to turn it into a swan. a swan that looks like it cost a million dollars. She always let her readers/followers know, (step by step) how to make something she post. She takes a dime budget, and without spending $$$ we might not have, look as if we spent a million dollars. She appears to be a down to earth woman, one who love her family and always wanting to do what she can to help others. I feel if I was in her neighborhood and told her who I was, she and her family would welcome me with open arms, as my family and I would do likewise. Just as I and so many other followers, you have found a site you will always be happy, and with excitement can’t wait to open each email you get from her, because, 1. It will be great. 2. It will not cost you an arm, leg and your first born, LOL! And 3. It will be fabulous, classy, breathtaking, and let’s not forget very-very reasonable. I hope this help you to appreciate finding this site, as this site have done so much for me. Save $$$ to. ???
Ivory…You are the best!! Thank you!!!
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Lovely comments by all. I just wish my Goodwill and other thrifts, I could find these good finds you are able to turn around and make beautiful. I’ll just keep looking.
Keep these ideas coming and thank you!
Carmen