There is nothing like a quiet scroll through Pinterest looking for inspiration (if you follow my Make board on Pinterest you’ll see what projects I’m thinking about making). I had a spare solar powered outdoor string light but wanted a hanging light for our new pergola. Pin inspired idea: make a hanging light with hanging baskets! Here’s my how to.

Sugru Outdoor upcycled light

You’ll need:

  • 2 identical hanging baskets. I got mine from Wilko – I can’t find them online but they are available in store – they were £1.50 each, black and had a round bottom (this isn’t common as I guess people want to be able to put them on a surface and easily fill them with plants but for making a sphere it’s important).
  • a packet of black sugru
  • masking tape
  • a string or curtain of solar powered lights
  • twist ties – I used the ones which come with the Wilko baskets securing the chain to the basket. I cut them into 3cm lengths.

I unpacked the hanging baskets and didn’t attach the chain to hang them with. I opened my sugru – which is a mouldable glue – and split it into 4 balls. I stuck the balls of sugru to the top rim of one of the hanging baskets at about equally spaced points.

Sugru Outdoor upcycled light Sugru Outdoor upcycled light

I then pressed the two baskets together. As the sugru is mouldable, you can work it to connect the two frames together. I then wrapped them with masking tape to secure them together whilst the glue hardened. I left it overnight to dry. In the morning I removed the masking tape.

Sugru Outdoor upcycled light Sugru Outdoor upcycled light

Using the twist ties – if you don’t have them you can use string – I secured my solar powered light to the sphere. The ones I had were a curtain design so a long line across the top with strands hanging down so I secured the long line with the twist ties and then just weaved the strands through the baskets.

Sugru Outdoor upcycled light

I then hung it with the chain provided and positioned the solar charger on the roof of the pergola.

Sugru Outdoor upcycled light

And here it is lit up at night!

Sugru Outdoor upcycled lightSugru Outdoor upcycled light

Happy making!

Small print: The Sugru used in this post was kindly gifted by Sugru.