Cheap Lights/Laterns
I was able to pick up these $39 lights at Lowes for $4 each. They are designed for candles but I decided to go ahead and make them electric.
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I started by drilling a hole in the bottom of the fixture and feeding a extention cord that I had cut the female end off of up through the bottom of the light and through a 6" piece of 1 1/2 PVC.
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I them added a candelabra base to the end of the wire. I had to build up the area around the base so if would bit semi-snuggly into the PVC pipe so after covering all of the wiring I wrapped the base in a folded up paper towel and duct tape.
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After sliding the base down inside the PVC, I secured it with a generous amount of glue from a hot glue gun. This also gave it a candle apperance. I then secured the candle like fixture back into the light fixture with more glue from the glue gun.
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After about 15 minutes of work, a completed light! I figure each light cost me about $7.50!
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I have 14 more of these to put together. I had given some thought to adding a flicker affect but 15 of these lights flickering all around me would drive me nuts. I also may make the electrical cord go out through the top of some of them but that still questionable. I hole in the top would allow water in as well if not sealed 100%.
I started by drilling a hole in the bottom of the fixture and feeding a extention cord that I had cut the female end off of up through the bottom of the light and through a 6" piece of 1 1/2 PVC.
I them added a candelabra base to the end of the wire. I had to build up the area around the base so if would bit semi-snuggly into the PVC pipe so after covering all of the wiring I wrapped the base in a folded up paper towel and duct tape.
After sliding the base down inside the PVC, I secured it with a generous amount of glue from a hot glue gun. This also gave it a candle apperance. I then secured the candle like fixture back into the light fixture with more glue from the glue gun.
After about 15 minutes of work, a completed light! I figure each light cost me about $7.50!
I have 14 more of these to put together. I had given some thought to adding a flicker affect but 15 of these lights flickering all around me would drive me nuts. I also may make the electrical cord go out through the top of some of them but that still questionable. I hole in the top would allow water in as well if not sealed 100%.
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Awesome job. I saw some lamps at Big Lots the other day thinking, hmmm...I could make those into...
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Awesome!!! What a score -- heck they must have sold them at cost. Thanks for sharing; noce job on the pics.
-Doc
-Doc
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The problem I have with the flicker bulbs is that they are only 3Ws....
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Working there helps. There was a pile of them that were on clearance so I asked the Str Mgr how much if I bought them all.....he said $4.00ea. I bought them last fall and have had them sitting around not sure what I wanted to do with them.
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Nice job on the lanterns. The candle looks good too. So what are your plans for the 15 lanterns? With that number you could end up with a really cool set up with lots of atmosphere.
Before I would add a flicker circuit to all of them I would try out those flicker candelabra bulbs first someone else mentioned. I know you said they were only 3W but depending on your haunt set up with that number of lanterns and any other accent lighting it could be enough.
Before I would add a flicker circuit to all of them I would try out those flicker candelabra bulbs first someone else mentioned. I know you said they were only 3W but depending on your haunt set up with that number of lanterns and any other accent lighting it could be enough.
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Right now I am going to use 8 of the lanterns/lights betwen my cemetery fence panels. My fence panels are 12' long and will have a 2' space between each panel. I am planning or running a chain from panel to panel and hang a lantern in the center of the chain. That still leaves 7 of these things that I will need to place around my haunt for either general lighting or for atmosphere. Adding a flicker curcuit or bulb is a pretty simple change if it comes to that.
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