Sailboat Solar Light for the Garden

Today's project began with an amazing roadside find while on my morning walk. 

I've found some of my best treasures while on walks around my neighborhood. 

This find was very unusual and I knew just what I was going to do with it! 

If you love a pretty garden you're gonna love it!  

About a block down the road I walked past an overloaded trash can with an amazing brass sailboat on the top. 

The brass was completely green with green patina and rust. 

It used to be someone's weathervane!

As you scroll through this post please pay attention to the bold blue links for all the details on these projects!

Well now,  this baby was coming home with me! 

This is not the first time my morning walk has yielded me a treasure! 

I ran back, grabbed my car and got to work right away; exercise is overrated anyway! 

I thought this boat would look beautiful as garden art and I was right but while I stepped back I had another idea! 

Solar light! ... but not like this, it needed a little work! 

It's early spring around here so my garden is just starting out but eventually this area will be green with Hosta and flowers. 

After sizing it up in the garden, I brought the sailboat down to my shop to give it a few more details. 

First, I thought it needed a sail so I cut a piece of rebar wire and wrapped it tightly around the mast to create the boom. 

I tripled the wire so it would be nice and sturdy then attached it to a wire that was sticking out of the boat.  

Next, I cut a triangle of drop cloth fabric.

I hot glued the bottom of the sail around the wire boom and pulled the top of the triangle up to the top of the mast. 

At this point I decided I needed adjust my thoughts on the solar light. 

I cut a solar light stake from Dollar Tree to fit onto the top of the mast. 

I attached the light to the top of the mast and hot glued the top of the sail around the solar light. 

Fusion Mineral Paint makes a paint color called Brook that matched the light green patina perfectly. 

You can use this color paint to create a beautiful patina on anything! 

I used this paint to cover some of the rust and to paint the bottom of the solar light to blend it all together. 

All that was left to do now was to go stick it back in the garden. 

I have a couple of old windows on the side of my shed so a spot right in front of the windows will be perfect for my sailboat light.  

All that is left to do now is to wait for dark and try to get a good photo of the solar light at night. 

And like I hoped, it looks amazing! 

My morning walks are even more beneficial than I originally thought! 

I can't wait for the garden to fill in around it. 

On my way back in I snapped a photo of my deck with all the fun solar lights I've made recently.

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