Make Your Own Solar-Collector Night Lights
Whether you have a kid, or you’re tired of encountering your darkened hallway walls at midnight, or you simply like the ambience of soft lighting and you don’t want to leave a beacon burning all through the night… an energy-saving night light is a must have.
It’s true that you can get a perky nocturnal hamster and make a hamster-powered night light, but a somewhat simpler project with equally impressive results is a self-crafted Sun Jar…
Invented by Tobias Wong, the Sun Jar is essentially a Mason jar containing a solar cell, a rechargeable battery, and an energy-saving LED lamp. Placed in a sunlit area by day, the solar cell inside the Sun Jar charges the battery with solar energy and uses that energy at night to power the LED lamp.
At night the frosted jar gives off a warm, soft glow, making it perfect to use as a nightlight. Several Sun Jars grouped together are also a wonderful natural lighting alternative for the garden, as the Mason jar is airtight.
A Sun Jar is not difficult to make, and is a wonderful project to do with children. They also make great energy-saving, earth-friendly gifts.
- You can make your own by following directions on the Instructables’ Web site.
- Dress them up by covering the outside with patterned a light paper or fabric, or by selecting a colored jar or a colored LED lamp for the inside.
- If you’re not feeling especially crafty, you can always find premade Sun Jars online in several places, including Uncommon Goods.
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