17 DIY Solar Water Fountain Ideas – How to Make a Solar Water Fountain

Are you looking for a solar water fountain but don’t have a lot of money to spend? In this article, we’re going to show you how to make one at home with items that are easy and affordable to get.

A solar water fountain uses its main power source from the sun and does not have electrical cords.  There are some that use a simple water pump that connects to a solar panel and there are others that require a battery to power it during cloudy days.  Here are 17 ideas you can use to make a functional and beautiful DIY solar water fountain.

1. DIY Solar Water Fountain with Garden Planter

You can make a multi-level water fountain and incorporate a garden planter at the same time.  The base should be larger than the container you are using for the water fountain portion.

Also, the middle part of the garden planter should include wooden or concrete blocks to make sure the top part doesn’t sink into the dirt.  Once the structure is assembled, you can include plants in the outside portion of the base so they grow around the fountain.

Click here for additional steps.

 

2. DIY Solar Water Fountain with a Solar Battery

There is no pump involved with this design because it is a homemade invention.  But this video will explain how to make it yourself.  There are basic household items that are used along with two solar panels and a battery that powers the fountain.

 

3. Solar Water Fountain with DIY Planter

This guide to building a water fountain with a planter is fairly easy to follow and uses items already at home or easily found at the plant store.  You can use clay pots or to save money, purchase plastic pots.  If you don’t want to use flowering plants, you can also use plants that are just green like moss or other flat growing plants.

For more of this process, click here

 

4. DIY Solar Water Fountain- Bird Bath

A simple functional take on the traditional solar water fountain is to make it a birdbath.  This one requires simple items that can be bought from your local nursery.  The important thing to remember is to place your base on level ground.  If it’s not level, either place it on a flat piece of rock or you can level the ground first.

 

5. DIY Solar Fountain for less than $30

This solar water fountain is surrounded by some beautiful plants.  The author gives you a guided step by step instruction but also allows you to be creative with the types of flowers you want to use.  Because there is also dirt in the planter, it’s important to be extra careful to make sure the pot with the water remains soil-free.

Read more about this process here.

 

6. DIY $10 Solar Water Fountain

This gardener uses multiple birdbaths and solar water fountains to attract wild birds to her garden. They like to splash in the water and eat the insects which keep their plants pest-free.  The fountain pump is very basic and does not have a fountain tip.  She shows how to keep the solar panel away from the water and directly in the sun.

 

7. 15 minutes for DIY Solar Water Fountain

This double-tier flower pot solar water fountain looks so pretty it’s hard to believe it only takes 15 minutes to make.  Items needed are 2 flower pots, flower pot saucer, plastic pail, river rocks and solar water fountain.  The bucket is going to support the top pot so make sure you use one that is not going to buckle under the weight of the water and the pot.

To read more, click here.

 

8. Cheap and Easy DIY Solar Water Fountain

This is a very simplified process of creating a Solar Water fountain as there are really only 3 components to this project; the pump, fountain container and decorative rock.  The author of this site does suggest purchasing some silicone if there is a hole in the container and also some tubing to increase the vertical height of the fountain tip of the solar water fountain.

For a step by step guide, click here.

 

9. DIY Solar Water Fountain – Floating Tap Design

This project will definitely impress your neighbors and houseguests.  This is not your traditional style of solar water fountain but it is still very easy to put together.  This vlogger used an old milk jug, solar panel with a battery back up, PVC pipe, a pump with LED lights.  You will definitely be impressed with how this DIY comes together.

 

10. Bubbling Garden – DIY Solar Water Fountain

This one is probably my favorite.  But don’t expect to make this in a few hours.  This is handmade and the concrete definitely needs to dry completely before this can be made into a garden fountain, let alone even be handled.  Although the process is time-consuming, the style is very unique and definitely a conversation starter.

Click here for the process to make this orb.

 

11. DIY Solar Water Fountains as Waterfall

To create a waterfall element, you can still use your standard fountain pump but with the fountain attachment removed.  Instead, attach the rubber tube to the pump itself and plug it into the solar panel.  By the positioning of the hose, you can control the speed and angle that the waterfall cascades.

 

12. DIY Solar Water Fountain – Ground installation

This in-ground birdbath installation is from the Audubon society.  They are a society that protects the livelihood of birds so it’s pretty obvious they would have the best suggestion on how to create a DIY birdbath.  The one highlighted is one that goes into the ground and sits level with other plants in the area.

For more on how to do a ground installation, click here.

 

13. DIY Solar Water Fountain – Cheap and Easy

The end result of this video makes it seem like hours were spent making this visually appealing solar water fountain, but the creator of this video makes it looks so easy.  An old planter, some cage mesh and aquarium rocks really elevate this DIY and make it look amazing.

 

14. DIY Solar Water Fountain – Small Spaces

It’s hard to believe a lot of these items were purchased at the dollar store which makes this small space Solar Water Fountain super affordable.  If you don’t have an outdoor garden, this is a great way to make this and place it on your patio, porch or even apartment balcony.  It’s super easy and has a great design too.

 

15. DIY Solar Water Fountain – Tipsy design

Although this is quite a precarious design, with the right items, it’s fairly easy to construct.  If you are looking for a weekend project, this might be the one you decide on.  If you do use old buckets and watering cans, make sure they don’t have holes and leaks otherwise this will not be a successful project.

For more information about this, click here.

 

16. DIY Solar Water Fountain – Water Spitter Style

Water spitters are kind of like a fountain but more relaxed.  The water doesn’t shoot up in the air so you probably don’t need to have the fountain attachment or head to go with this project.  If you want the water to come out a little bit faster, use a tube that has a little bit of a wider hole otherwise, you can use the one the person in the video used to replicate the look of water pouring out of the jug.

 

17. DIY Solar Water Fountains – Home Waterfalls

Just like a home needs an accent wall, sometimes a garden needs the same but in the form of a waterfall.  This project is not for the faint of heart, but if you enjoy being outdoors and know the basic construction of a waterfall, this should be an exciting project.

The first step is to know the styles of waterfalls, then you have to know where the best placement is for the pump.  Also, make sure you purchase a panel that is going to accommodate the size and intensity of the waterfall you are looking to create.  And finally, make sure it is in a strategic place for the optimal sun to hit it.

 

Lots of budget-friendly and unique ideas

This list of 17 ideas shows that there are so many options when building a DIY Solar Water Fountain, ranging from single tier, double tier, with flower, waterfalls, etc. The options are endless.  We hope this article helped pique your creative side and you will attempt at least one of these projects in the near future.

If you are looking for a way to relax around your garden or just do some bird watching, these 17 ideas are a great way to save money and harness the power of the sun.