DIY Solar Rechargeable Light Up Water Fountain

I'm back with another affordable and simple handmade water feature idea that is quick to assemble. What makes this one different from the others is that it is a DIY solar rechargeable light-up water fountain.



It's the perfect set and forget water feature that adds curb appeal to a front yard flower bed. This one lets the sun do the work to power the fountain both during the day and at night. Trust me, it'll become a conversation piece for passersby in the neighborhood!



How to add curb appeal to a front yard with this easy DIY light up rechargeable solar water fountain.

DIY Lighted Rechargeable Solar Water Fountain

The last solar plant pot water fountain I made was with a bird bath-style solar pump that floats on top of the water. It's super easy to make but the downside is that it doesn't function on a cloudy day or at night.



While my other stacked flower pot fountain operates both during the day and night, it has an electrical cord. Not convenient if you don't have an electrical outlet nearby or don't want to dig up your grass for a long trench to bury the conduit to protect and conceal the cord.



So this DIY resin whiskey barrel fountain is the best of both worlds.



A quick and easy DIY rechargeable solar fountain that works day and night.

How do you power a solar fountain?

To power this DIY solar fountain, we're using a battery-powered water pump with a rechargeable solar panel that you place in a sunny location nearby. At night the water pump operates on the stored power and it is also illuminated with white or multi-color LED lights.



Another feature of this particular solar pump is that it has an on/off switch on the solar panel so you can turn the fountain off while away on vacation. But it also has a function mode button that easily adjusts the height of the spray. Ours is on the lower setting so when the wind picks up, it doesn't blow the water spray over the pot.



What You'll Need To Make It

Pictured below are most of the supplies we used to make the rechargeable solar water fountain.



Supplies to make an easy rechargeable light up water fountain.

For the rechargeable solar water fountain basin, we used a resin whiskey barrel but a large flower pot with a wide opening would be fine as well.



How to make a DIY rechargeable solar fountain in resin whiskey barrel.

If you plan on using a cascading spray head nozzle, we recommend the diameter of the barrel or flower pot be a minimum of 20-inches. It's important you use a wider pot so the cascading water doesn't flow outside of the fountain.




Otherwise, you'll constantly be refilling the barrel in order for the pump to operate by recirculating water. If you plan on using a bubble spray head nozzle, then you can get away with using a smaller pot.



This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from any qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!


Supply List

20-inch Resin Whiskey Barrel
Rechargeable Light Up Solar Pump
Clear Flower Pot Saucer
PVC Pipe
Silicone
River Rocks



How To Make A Light Up Rechargeable Solar Fountain At Home

As mentioned earlier, this water fountain is very quick and easy to assemble and I'll show you how in the instructions below.



Level The Ground For Water Fountain

Find a spot in your flower bed for the water feature and level the ground. To protect the pot from corrosion you may want to set a small concrete block underneath like we did. Check to make sure the block is level before setting the water basin on top.



Levelling the ground in a flower bed for a DIY rechargeable solar fountain.

Riser For Inside Water Fountain Pot

Place something inside the water basin to raise the water pump so it is submerged but the stem of the spray nozzle is above water. We used a piece of PVC pipe but an inverted pail or smaller pot works fine too.



Set piece of PVC pipe inside a resin barrel planter to raise the solar rechargeable water fountain pump.

Set a saucer on top for the water pump to sit on. We used a clay saucer that we had on hand but there are clear plastic saucers available too that might not be so visible underwater.



Make sure the saucer you use is smaller than the diameter of the basin so the pump can recirculate the water that lies beneath the saucer.



Set a flower pot saucer on top of a piece of PVC pipe inside a barrel planter for rechargeable solar water fountain pump.

How To Keep Water Spray In The Center Of The Fountain

Assemble the solar rechargeable light-up water pump according to the manufacturer's instructions. At this point, you'll need to choose between white or multi-colored LED lights to illuminate the fountain before placing the cover on the pump.



The pump has suction cups on the bottom but they do not stick all that well. So to keep the pump centered in the fountain, secure the pump to the saucer with silicone and let it cure overnight.



To keep the LED light up solar fountain pump centered in the whiskey barrel, silicone the pump feet to a clay saucer.

Set Up Battery Backup Solar Panel

Find a sunny spot in your flower bed near the water fountain for the small battery backup solar panel. Attach the peg that comes with the solar panel and stick it firmly in the ground.



Protect the solar panel wires by digging a small piece of PVC pipe conduit next to the barrel planter and fish the cord through.



Plug the rechargeable water fountain pump into the solar panel. Adjust the solar panel accordingly so optimum sunlight hits the panel.



Connecting rechargeable solar panel to rechargeable DIY water fountain.

Fill the fountain with water. The water pump comes with several spray nozzle heads. Attach your favorite onto the water pump stem. Press the on/off switch on the bottom of the solar panel.



DIY solar rechargeable water fountain with cascade nozzle head.

Next press the mode button to adjust the height of the water spray. The LED lights will automatically light up your fountain at dusk. As long as there was enough sun during the day to recharge the solar panel, the fountain will run well into the night.



A rechargeable solar water fountain with function modes on the back of the solar panel.

Tip For Securing Spray Nozzle Head

We discovered that the crows and magpies love to pull the spray head nozzle off the pump. Thankfully they dropped it in the flower bed and didn't fly off with it. Our suggestion is that once you pick your favorite spray nozzle, silicone it onto the stem of the pump.



Conceal the clay saucer by filling it with small river rocks. Alternatively, you could use a clear plastic saucer that wouldn't be as visible under the water.



Rechargeable solar fountain with decorative river rocks.

Water Level Maintenance

It's important that you get in the habit of checking the water level a few times per week and topping it as necessary. Especially during hot weather as the water will evaporate much quicker.



Enjoy your new solar water fountain!



We get so many compliments from people walking by about how much they enjoy our water fountain.



A quick and easy DIY solar water fountain with rechargeable battery backup.

...especially when it is lit up at night.



A handmade light up rechargeable solar fountain to add curb appeal to your flower beds at night.

Now if you want the mother of all DIY water fountains, then you will love our large DIY outdoor water wall idea. This is a water fountain that can double as a deck or patio privacy screen!



Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by this DIY solar rechargeable light-up water fountain idea.



Almost all of our DIY ideas have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also find us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.



If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!



If you enjoyed this small light-up solar water fountain idea, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your favorite board on Pinterest.



Add curb appeal to your home both day or night with this simple to make DIY solar rechargeable light up water fountain for a front yard flower bed. #diywaterfeature #diywaterfountain #diysolarfountain

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.



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Comments

  1. Wow, Marie! This is absolutely amazing! I've seen diy outdoor fountains - including one we made (and didn't last) - but none compares to yours! Beautiful and well done!

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    1. You're very kind, thank you so much, Gail! I'm sorry to hear your DIY fountain didn't last. The only problem with this one is that the dang magpies are determined to rip the spray nozzle head off, despite it being siliconed on. Grrrrr

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  2. I love this, Marie! We have a pond on one side of the yard and want to add another, simple fountain to the other side. This may be just what we're looking for!

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    1. Thanks Kim 😊 I'm thrilled to hear our DIY fountain idea may be the inspiration you needed to make a fountain for your backyard. We are really enjoying our front yard water feature, and so are the neighbours!

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  3. This is so cool. Love it Marie. xoxo Kris

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    1. Thank you Kris, besides our patio water wall, this fountain has become a favorite! Have a wonderful summer my friend. xoxo

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  4. I love your fountain Marie, and I love it even more because it's solar. It looks absolutely amazing at night. So pretty!

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    1. Thank you so much Tuula! I love that the sun is powering the fountain too. But when I saw the pump was illuminated with LED lights, I had to have it for our front yard. We love it!

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  5. Marie, I love this. I am so going to make one of these in the next few days. Thank you so much!

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    1. Music to my ears, Shawn! Enjoy your solar water fountain. If you have any questions when making it, don't hesitate to drop me an email (see contact me tab at the top), I'd be happy to help.

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  6. Oh my goodness, that's curb appeal on a whole new level. It's gorgeous!!!! I want one too.

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    1. Thank you so much my friend! We sure are enjoying our new fountain, especially at night. Now if only the dang magpies would stop being so curious. They are still trying to pull the spray head nozzle off despite it being glued on.

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  7. This is absolutely FABULOUS my friend! Thanks for the diy tutorial. I want to do this!!! XOXO

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    1. Music to my ears Denise, I'm thrilled to hear our solar fountain has inspired you to make one for your yard! xoxo

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  8. This is such a fun idea Marie! We have pond in our backyard but I want to add a small one to our front yard - near our front porch. This would be the perfect solution! BTW, I just subscribed to your YouTube channel - I'm excited to watch your videos!

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    1. I'm so glad to hear my solar fountain provide a solution for your front yard. Enjoy!

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  9. Once again you nailed it Marie! What a great summer project! Your tutorials are always so easy to follow and your ideas never cease to amaze me. Thanks for all the inspiration! Pinned!

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    1. You are so kind, Denise, thank you 🤗 It's music to my ears to hear that you find my tutorials easy to follow and that you're enjoying the project ideas shared here on the blog. Happy 4th of July! xo

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  10. Marie, you have the best garden ideas! Don't you wish our winters were shorter? 😳😄

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    1. Thank you, I'm so glad to hear you enjoy them! I've got a few new ones coming soon as we undergo some big projects in our backyard. Regarding your second comment - the older I get the more I dream of shorter winters. Thank goodness, for the first time in two years, we can escape to a warmer climate this coming winter.

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  11. This is gorgeous, Marie! I may have to modify this for my balcony! You are so clever! I'm excited to be sharing this with our readers at Tuesday Turn About this week! Pinned!

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    1. It's music to my ears Julie to hear that our fountain has inspired a smaller version for your balcony. We love it! In fact, as I'm typing this it is raining outside and the fountain is still going. Thank you so much for featuring and sharing it with your readers, and for the pin! xoxo

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  12. Oh Marie, this is wonderful! My husband and I have been talking about adding a fountain in our yard. I'll be featuring it at Thursday Favorite Things today. :)

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    1. Thank you so much for the feature, Pam! I'm happy to hear our solar water fountain may have provided the inspiration for adding a fountain in your yard. As I type this it is cloudy and raining but the fountain is still going strong!

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    1. Thank you so much, Rita, I'm glad you like it and I appreciate the pin! I've been thinking about you and your gorgeous yard as I've been working in my flower beds. I wish I had your expertise.

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  14. Marie, this is fantastic! My MIL has a small fountain in her garden and she contemplated changing it a bit, so I am going to show this to her! Thank you so much for sharing!

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    1. You're most welcome! I hope our fountain idea is just the inspiration your MIL needed for her fountain.

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  15. I've always wanted a water feature. Living in Florida, solar lights are perfect. Pinned for a project next year.

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    1. I'm so glad you like our DIY solar fountain idea and plan to make one for yourself. Enjoy!

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  16. Everytime I read one of your water features you inspire me to want one and to be very impressed with how nice your yard is in this nasty climate. Gorgeous as always. I will pin this in the hopes that this year I get busy and create one. The new blog layout is fabulous as well.

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    1. Thank you so much Leanna! I hope our solar lighted fountain inspired you to build a water feature for your yard this spring. We love how our DIY fountain adds curb appeal to our front yard both day and night and often passersby will stop to get a closer look.

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