DIY Mosaic Solar Light Project

We all love to light up our yards, gardens, driveways and patios with warm solar lighting. Why not illuminate your evenings with mosaic lighting that the sun has powered up for you all day!

The solar lights that I’ve chose for this project are typically $1 each in the USA. They’re approximately 5 inches high and 2 1/2 inches wide, but any solar light will do.

Materials Needed for DIY Mosaic Solar Lights

• 3 solar lights
• Scrap stained glass
• Glass cutter
• Mosaic cutter
• Running pliers
• Clear water resistant adhesive
• Black grout
• Latex additive
• Sponge, bowl and old rags
• Non-permanent marker
• Electrical Tape or painters tape
• Safety glasses
• Garden gloves

How to Make Your Very Own DIY Mosaic Solar Lights

Below you’ll find my step-by-step instructions on how to make you very own beautiful mosaic solar lights. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Gather Your Materials and Tools

Before you get started, make sure you have everything you’ll be needing for your project close at hand.

For this project, I’ll be using eight different colors of scrap glass to create three different mosaic designs on each of three lights.

*Tip 1: Before getting started, always take a look at your glass with light passing through it so that you know what it will look like when lit.

*Tip 2: Scrap stained glass is sold by the pound at all stained glass shops. Most craft stores also sell bags of scrap glass and Amazon has a variety of options for purchasing your glass.

Step 2: Cut Your Glass for Your First Solar Light

This first light design is going to consist of three different colored glass squares. So first, let’s cut our glass into those squares.

Score the glass with your glass cutter both vertically and horizontally to create your squares.

Line up the center of the tip of your running pliers with the scored line on the glass and apply just enough pressure to break the score. Repeat this until all the strips are broken out.

Take each strip and break out each square with your running pliers. If you’re new to mosaics and have never cut glass before, please check out my post on How to cut stained glass.

Repeat these steps with your green and amber glass.

Step 3: Glue on Your Glass Squares 

Glue on a row of green squares in an angled manner.

Glue on a row of blue squares next to it.

Glue on a row of amber squares next to the blue squares.

Continue gluing on individual rows of alternating colors.

Cut some triangles out of your squares with your mosaic cutters by simply cutting each square diagonally in half.

Glue on the triangles in the appropriate empty spaces left to complete your design.

Tip: Make sure that all of your pieces of glass lay flush on your surface so that after grouting you have a nice smooth surface around your cylindrical light.

Step 4: Cut Your Glass for Your Second Solar Light

Gather you materials together for your second solar light.

I’ve decided to use amber, green and plum translucent scrap glass.

This design will have a row of amber glass squares that roll around the cylindrical base to be covered with random nipped bits of two different colors of stained glass covering the remainder of the base.

Score your glass vertically with your glass cutter and then horizontally to achieve your amber squares.

Use your running pliers to break out the strips first and then to break out individual squares. Remember to line the center of the tip of your running pliers up with the scored line of the glass and apply just enough pressure to break the score.

Grab your other 2 colors of glass that will fill the rest of the space left on your base.

Cut irregular bits of stained glass with your mosaic cutters.

Step 5: Glue Your Glass on Your Second Solar Light

Begin gluing on your rolling row of amber squares around your solar light base.

Now there are four separate sections to cover with your plum and green glass.

Begin gluing on bits to cover your first section.

Complete the section intermixing both colors of glass.

Move on to cover your second, third and fourth section.

Second solar light complete covered.

Step 6: Cut Your Glass for Your Third Solar Light

Gather your materials for your third solar light.

This design is going to be composed of narrow strips of two different shades of brown glass that we will cut into thin strips and then cut pieces of the strips with our mosaic cutters.

Score the lighter brown glass with your glass cutter vertically in thin strips.

Line up the center of your running pliers with the scored lines and apply enough pressure to break each score.

Do the same with the darker brown glass.

Cut some pieces of glass with your mosaic cutters and glue them on your base rotating the colors.

Mark a piece to fit, cut it and then glue it in place.

Repeat this process of marking, cutting and gluing until you’ve covered the entire surface of your solar light.

Now, Time to Grout!

You’ve covered all three of your solar lights with glass. It’s now time to grout.

You’ll need to prepare your grout mixture, apply it to the surface of all three of your lights and then clean them thoroughly.

If you’ve never grouted before, check on my post how to grout your DIY mosaics here.

Step 7: Gather Your Grouting Materials

To grout, all you’ll need is your dry grout, latex additive, mixing bowl, sponge, garden gloves, old towels or rags and water. And of course, your three solar lights.

I recommend covering the surface that you’ll be grouting on with newspapers or old towels to prevent any of the grout from staining your surface.

Step 8: Prepare Your Solar Lights to Be Grouted

You want to make sure that you don’t scratch up the metal framing pieces on both the top and bottom of your solar light.

Grout is abrasive, so to avoid scratching the metal, cover it with electrical tape or painters tape prior to grouting.

Step 9: Mix, Apply and Clean Off Your Excess Grout

Now you’re ready for the actual grouting process. First, you’ll want to pour some dry grout in your bowl and then add enough latex additive to achieve the consistency of oily peanut butter.

Don’t worry if your mixture is too soupy. Simply add more dry grout to it until you achieve the proper consistency.

Cover the mosaic glass design with grout.

Begin cleaning the glass with a moistened sponge.

Clean completely with the sponge and then dry rags or towels

Repeat this process with the other two solar lights.

Reinsert your plastic stake and take them outside to charge for 9 hours. Place them in a nice sunny area.

Enjoy your lovely solar lights every evening in your garden!

*Tips regarding cleaning and detailing stained glass mosaic lit projects:

• Before ever grouting your piece, take a pair of tweezers and remove as much glue as you can from between the joints. This saves time having to do so after you grout your piece.
• Light your piece right after grouting so that you can see where there is glue blocking a joint where grout should be so that you can make your corrections by removing the glue with your tweezers and replacing grout in the joint.
• Even after grouting and cleaning with a moistened sponge and rag, go back to the piece a half hour later and clean with a both again as grout leaves a fine residue that needs to be removed.
• Make certain to create a nice grout line on the top and bottom edges of your piece. If need be, paint the edges to complete the piece with acrylic paint and a sealer.
• If you see the next day that you have left grout in place that you shouldn’t have, take a sharp edge or tweezers edge and remove the grout by scraping it off the glass pieces.
• It’s imperative that you use only latex additive mixed in to your grout when working with glass on glass mosaics. The latex additive allows the grout to adhere to the glass. Without it the grout would eventually pull away from the glass.
• It is also imperative that you use a clear water resistant adhesive. Attempt to cover each piece you glue on with full coverage on the underside. You will always get some seepage of grout under a few pieces of glass here and there but you can minimize this by making sure that you completely cover each piece prior to gluing it down.
• Select glass that isn’t overly textured as this will cause much work with the cleaning process after grouting. It’s also more difficult to score and break. For beginners, work with glass that is lovely but easy to score and break and clean after grouting.
• When cleaning up after the grouting process, make sure to place any left over grout in your mixing bowl in the garbage before rinsing your bowl. It’s always a good idea to rinse the least amount of grout down your drain. Just being environmentally conscious:)