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 the sun as its main power source and does not have electrical cords. Some use a water pump connected to a solar panel, while others require a battery for power 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 incorporate a garden planter while making a multi-level water fountain. The base should be larger than the container you are using for the water fountain portion.
Additionally, place wooden or concrete blocks in the middle part of the garden planter to ensure the top 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 opt for green plants like moss or other flat-growing varieties.
For more about 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 beautiful plants. The author gives you guided step-by-step instructions but also allows you to be creative with the types of flowers you want to use. Since the planter contains dirt, ensure the water pot remains free of soil.
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 keeps 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.
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 suggests using silicone to seal any holes in the container and tubing to increase the height of the fountain’s water spout.
For a step by step guide, click here.
9. DIY Solar Water Fountain – Floating Tap Design
This project will 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 backup, PVC pipe, and a pump with LED lights. You will be impressed with how this DIY comes together.
10. Bubbling Garden – DIY Solar Water Fountain
This one stands out as a unique design. But don’t expect to make this in a few hours. This is handmade and the concrete 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 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 at the waterfall cascades.
12. DIY Solar Water Fountain – Ground installation
This in-ground birdbath installation is recommended by the Audubon Society, an organization dedicated to protecting birds, making their suggestions for DIY birdbaths highly credible. 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 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 look so easy. An old planter, some cage mesh and aquarium rocks 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 resemble fountains but produce a gentler flow of water. 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 as a home may have an accent wall, a garden can feature a waterfall as its focal point. 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 flowers, waterfalls, etc. The options are endless. We hope this article helped pique your creative side and that you will attempt at least one of these projects shortly.
These 17 ideas offer budget-friendly ways to enhance your garden, allowing relaxation, bird watching, and harnessing the power of the sun.
