Solar Powered Japanese Garden Lantern - Using Dollar Store Items As Molds
Introduction: Solar Powered Japanese Garden Lantern - Using Dollar Store Items As Molds
I have always loved the look of Japanese Garden Lanterns. Even though I live near a very large city in the US, no one in the vicinity makes or sells these. And unfortunately because of their size and weight they can be expensive to order online. So in true maker fashion I decided to try my hand at making one.
I had a rough idea of what I wanted and I figured I could find some materials at the dollar store to use as molds and while I was at the dollar store I saw that they had solar garden lights which would allow me to light up the lantern at night. Originally I didn't even think about lighting it I just liked it for its ornamental value. After wandering around the store I purchased several items as potential candidates for the different sections. I wasn't sure what was going to work so I gave my self several options since everything is one dollar it was easy to splurge. However I did stick to buying larger plastic pieces that could possibly work as the different sections of the lantern. I ended up going to 2 different dollar stores for supplies.
Step 1:
These are a few of the items I purchased at the dollar store. After mocking up a few of the pieces and trying different pieces together in different configurations I decided on the look and shape I was going to try and make. At this point I am thinking I am only making 4 pieces, this will change as I get deeper in to the build.
Disclaimer, the red step stool was $2 at the dollar store the dollar store I went to also sells items for more than $1.
Step 2: Prepping the Molds
Unfortunately the underside of the step stool was not perfectly flat and there were some tabs that protruded from the base so I used a Dremel tool fitted with a cut off disk to remove the offending tabs.
Step 3: Making a Pattern
Since I will be pouring concrete in to the step stool I had to make sure it would be flat, as this would become the top of the lantern base. So I first traced the top of the step stool on to some thick corrugated carboard and cut it out with a utility knife. I checked the fit and it was not good; it had a lot of gaps around the edge and corners so I cut a few scrap pieces of cardboard and taped those pieces to the carboard to fill the gaps. Next I traced this modified template on to some a fresh piece of cardboard and cut it out. I checked the fit again and it was nice and snug all the way around. 215
I wanted to limit the gap as much as possible so it wouldn't fill those areas with concrete.
Step 4: Sealing Off Holes
I needed to seal off the holes in the step stool so I used some packing tape and taped off the inside and outside of the holes in the stool. I wanted it to be fairly strong so it could withstand the weight of the concrete. I also hot glued a piece of scrap PVC pipe to the cardboard that will create a hole in the base and allow the solar light to shine through.
Step 5: More Mold Prep
This box was made of paper so I thought it would be a good idea to clear coat it in the hopes that it would help waterproof the mold. This didn't work, the water in the concrete soaked in to the paper. The shape of the box held up but I would have to consider these a one time use as they will not survive the concrete curing process.
Step 6: Window Section Prep
In order to make the center part of the lantern, I'm calling this part the window section, I used a hexagon shaped gift box from the dollar store. To make the windows I used some small wooden blocks that I cut from some scrap plywood and screwed them to the inside of the box. I centered the wood pieces on each side to create a negative in the mold. I also screwed a small wood scrap to the bottom to act as a depth stop for the vessel I would use to create the void in the center of the mold. The plastic vessel, which was from a kids science kit is touching the wooden blocks on all sides. My plan here was that this would create the window effect and allow for a gap to create the window. I would have to make the holes larger post concrete curing but I was up for that challenge.
Step 7: All the Molds
Here are a few pics of the molds. The cardboard tube was a last minute addition as I needed a spacer that would go in between the window section and the top. The clear plastic piece is the top I did no prep for it. Also I decided that I would use the hexagon box top as another mold. I thought I could use it as a top for the window section. 254