{"id":1406,"date":"2026-05-10T19:41:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T19:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/?p=1406"},"modified":"2026-05-10T19:42:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T19:42:08","slug":"15-solar-lamp-planter-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/15-solar-lamp-planter-gift\/","title":{"rendered":"$15 Solar Lamp Planter Box Gift"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A simple solar lamp gift built from three fence boards, a Dollar Tree solar light, and a small planter box. The back panel can be customized with lettering to make it personal for gifts, holidays, or outdoor decor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Materials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 3 fence boards
\u2013 Dollar Tree solar light
\u2013 Wood glue
\u2013 Narrow crown staples, brad nails, nails, or screws
\u2013 Exterior stain, optional
\u2013 Custom lettering or paint on stencil<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Circular saw
\u2013 Speed square
\u2013 Tape measure
\u2013 Narrow crown stapler, brad nailer, or drill
\u2013 80-120 grit sandpaper + sander, optional<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Cut three fence board pieces to 42\u201d for the tall back structure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Attach the three 42\u201d boards together along their edges using wood glue and your fastener of choice to create a box-style back section.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Cut the top cap to 6 1\/2\u201d. Add angled cuts on the ends for a decorative look, then attach it to the top of the back structure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Cut the planter box pieces: two sides at 11\u201d and three pieces at 6 7\/8\u201d for the front and bottom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Attach the 11\u201d side pieces to one 6 7\/8\u201d front piece along the edges using glue and fasteners.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Add the 6 7\/8\u201d bottom pieces to complete the planter box.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Slide in and attach the planter box into the 42\u201d back portion, keeping it square and centered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Add the solar light near the top of the structure (I used a hook fastener for this)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Apply stain if desired and let it dry fully.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Add customized lettering to the back panel for a personalized finished look.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • This build assumes standard fence boards are used and ripped or arranged as needed to create the box-style back.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Pre-drill if using screws to help prevent splitting near the ends of the fence boards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Outdoor stain or sealer will help the wood hold up longer outside.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Keep the solar light exposed to direct sun so it charges properly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Difficulty: Easy
      Estimated Time: 1 hour<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Easy \u2022 30 mins \u2022 1 board<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1379,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-build-plans"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_1875-e.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1406","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1406"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1406\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1408,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1406\/revisions\/1408"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1406"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1406"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.buildtomade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1406"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}