I recently stumbled upon this glass light fixture at a thrift store. What initially caught my attention was the beautiful and realistic-looking Earth scenery. Upon further research, I discovered that it was originally intended for a kids’ space-themed ceiling fan, which is truly remarkable!

Little Sustainably Amber would have been absolutely fascinated by this fan as a child. I’ve always been captivated by space, and I even had the privilege of attending space camp in 1996! As any good millennial, I also had the glow-in-the-dark stars adorning my bedroom ceiling growing up. Do you remember those?

Even as an adult, I still have a deep connection to space. I find immense joy in going camping, where I can gaze up at the vast, dark sky and witness the countless stars above. There’s something profound about being a mere speck in this universe that stimulates my thoughts. I’m also an avid movie buff, particularly when it comes to space-related films. My favorites include Interstellar and Gravity.

Regrettably, I never pursued a career in astronautics, but I’ve found solace in this thrifted Earth light fixture. It was priced at a mere $1.49, and I immediately recognized its potential for upcycling. It made its way home with me, and I had a few creative ideas in mind. Prepare to be amazed by the inner workings of my creative mind! I’ll guide you through these three upcycles, all of which involve incorporating the glass ceiling light fixture into my garden. You can easily recreate any of these ideas using a simple glass ceiling light fixture.

I’ve always wanted for an outdoor sink in my garden that combines style with eco-friendliness. It would be an ideal addition for assisting in the cleanup of potting plants.

Here’s what you’ll need for this project:

– Glass light fixture

– Pop-up drain

– Small table

– Garden hose

– Watering can

Step 1: Install the pop-up drain. 

The hole in the glass fixture is the perfect size for a pop-up drain! I had an old drain kit on hand that I never used, but it had an overflow. I ended up taping over that overflow. (However, the extra room from the overflow will be helpful in #3’s upcycle.) The pop-up drain allows you to hold water or easily empty it with a push of a button. I placed the rubber gasket (upside down) under the sink and didn’t use the nut because the overflow area wouldn’t allow me to secure it. Since I won’t be holding water for an extended period, I didn’t notice any leaks. But I know this isn’t a proper way to install a drain, so we’re using it in an outdoor area.

Step 2: Add the light fixture to a table.

I repurposed this small outdoor IKEA table to fit. I just removed a few of the wooden slots and nested it nicely in the gap. I reattached those wooden slots on the side of the ‘sink’. I can still technically take the sink out of the gap, but adding the wooden slots on the side helps keep it from moving around a lot.

Step 3: Add a watering can underneath.

You’ll want to be able to collect your runoff water. If you’re using a gray safe soap, you can safely water your plants with it. I like to reuse everything, even water!

Step 4: Add your garden hose as the faucet.

This is the easiest way to get access to water. All you need to do is set it over the sink. I’m resting mine between the wooden slots on the table. I tried adding a small faucet, but I still need to get some adapters to fit. If you decide to go that route, all you would need to do is connect your hose to the faucet fittings.

Step 5: Use it!

Now put your idea to work. Add some hand soap, a towel, and get your plant’s potting things together. Wash away and use that pop-up drain to either hold water or empty it when you want. 

This project is perfect for a small table because you can take it anywhere in your yard whenever you want. I also love how everything is removable, so if you don’t need it, you can easily take everything off and convert your table back to its original form.

This is the cutest hanging basket, even with an already-made drainage hole. You’ll get compliments on this one.

What you’ll need for this project:

– Glass light fixture

– Hanging plant chain

– Small padding (weather seal)

– Coco basket liner

– Scissors

– Soil/plant

Step 1: Add padding around the hole.

I’m using some weather seal tape that we had leftover from our windows. Be sure to add it on the inside and outside of the hole. This helps protect the glass from the next step.

Step 2: Add the hanging chain.

Using a hanging chain, clip the hooks around the bottom hole of the light fixture. Position each side of the chain to sit evenly around the light fixture.

Step 3: Add liner.

Using a coco basket liner, cut it to size to fit in your light fixture.

Step 4: Add plants

Now add your soil and preferred choice of plant. What I like about this is the hole on the bottom serves as the perfect drainage hole for the plants!

Step 5: Hang it up.

Hang your new upcycled hanging basket!

I love the chic look of this! I feel like this project describes my personality: upcycler, plant lover, and earth-caring person. 💚

For times when you want a customized bird bath, especially a tall one to keep the neighbor cats out of.

What you’ll need:

– Umbrella base

– 5-foot PVC pipe

– Umbrella base replacement parts

– Drill

– Spray paint (optional)

– Pop-up drain

– Rocks

– Solar water pump

Step 1: Cut the PVC pipe.

Decide on the height you want. I went with a 5-foot, but also take into consideration that it will stand a bit taller when it’s added to the umbrella base.

Step 2: Spray paint (optional)

I’m an aesthetic person, so I decided to paint my pipe to match my umbrella stand. First, place your PVC pipe into your umbrella stand. Then, cover the stand with a box to protect it from paint. Now, you can freely paint each side of the pipe.

Step 3: Secure the top of the pipe.

To secure the top of the pipe, use an umbrella base replacement part. Align the replacement part with the top of the pipe and drill a hole through the replacement part and just one side of the PVC pipe. Then, add the fastener that came with the replacement parts. I highly suggest using a small drill bit initially. You can gradually increase the size, but if the hole is too large, the fastener won’t work properly. On a side note the replacement parts are very hard to find in store. I think it may be due to planned obsolescence. Companies want us to spend more money to just replace the entire umbrella base, then to just get a replacement part. But with some searching I found the parts secondhand on EBAY. 

Step 4: Add the pop-up drain.

Remember how I mentioned the benefit of having extra room for overflow in project #1? This step will help lift your water pump. Otherwise, it would be too low for the pump to work properly. This step might be unconventional, but it worked for me! Start by removing the small rubber ring at the top of the drain, the larger rubber gasket on the top, and the securing nut. Then, reattach the larger rubber gasket to the drain. Insert the drain into the light fixture, ensuring that the screw threads are aligned with the bottom of the hole. Next, add the small rubber ring on the bottom of the drain, making sure it touches the bottom of the light fixture. Finally, secure the nut tightly, but be careful not to break the glass during this step.

Step 5: Test the water.

This is a good step to test if your light fixture is sealed. I haven’t had any trouble with mine leaking, but if you do, you could try tightening the nut or adding some caulking between the top and bottom. This should take care of any leaks.

Step 6: Attach the light fixture to the PVC pipe.

To secure the light fixture, you’ll need to attach the base of the drain to the top of the PVC pipe. The long neck of the drain allows it to fit snug inside the PVC pipe. Remember the hole we made in step 3? Screw the fastener into the drain pipe until it’s tight. Make sure to wiggle it a bit to ensure it doesn’t move. 

Step 7: Add rocks.

When researching bird baths, I read that they should be no deeper than 2 inches. This allows different sizes of birds to safely enter and exit the bath. Since our light fixture is deeper than 2 inches, I added a bunch of clean rocks around the base of the drain.

Step 8: Attach the solar water pump.

I found a pump with small suction cups on the bottom. I simply added those suction cups to the base of the drain. Note that by first attaching it, you’ll have the drain in an open position. Be sure to click back down on the drain so it seals. The string on the solar panel is a bit long, which helps you position it in a sunny spot. (I also added some small Christmas light suction cups to the inside of the bowl to allow me to ‘fold’ the plug in a bit more, mostly to keep it out of the bird’s way.) Note that this solar panel only works in full sun. If it’s a bit shady, the pump won’t work. So consider that when deciding between a solar or plug-in version. Since I don’t have access to a plug where I wanted my birdbath to go, this was my only choice. I don’t feel like it’s a big deal, though. Mosquitoes need 48 hours to hatch in water, and my pump will be working before that time frame. Plus, I plan on changing out the water daily. So use this information to determine what works best for your situation.

Step 9: Add the water. 

To make my pump work, the water needs to be completely submerged. As long as you remember to fill your bird bath daily, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Step 10: Watch for the birds!

Now, the fun part! I had birds within 10 minutes of completing this project! I placed it near their feeder, so they are usually in the same area.

It’s kind of funny how this project looks like a floor lamp, haha! I wanted to go high with this bird bath because we have some neighbor cats that roam our yard. Given the height of this, I’m comfortable that the birds will feel safe using it. I also really love the use of the pop-up drain here. It makes cleaning it easy! Just pop it off the base of the PVC pipe and click down on the drain. Since this drain is a bit higher, it won’t empty out all the water (but most of it). Just be sure not to click on the drain while it’s on the base, or you’ll have a PVC pipe full of water! Just a thought, but you could make a middle hole in the bottom of your umbrella holder. That way, you could slightly lift the whole thing and empty it while still attached.

I hope you found these three upcycles helpful! Next time you stumble upon a glass light fixture, you’ll have some ideas in mind for an upcycle. Happy creating!