I'm back with another affordable and simple handmade water feature idea that is quick to assemble. What makes this one different from the others is that it is a DIY solar rechargeable light-up water fountain.

It's the perfect set and forget water feature that adds curb appeal to a front yard flower bed. This one lets the sun do the work to power the fountain both during the day and at night. Trust me, it'll become a conversation piece for passersby in the neighborhood!

DIY Lighted Rechargeable Solar Water Fountain

The last solar plant pot water fountain I made was with a bird bath-style solar pump that floats on top of the water. It's super easy to make but the downside is that it doesn't function on a cloudy day or at night.

While my other stacked flower pot fountain operates both during the day and night, it has an electrical cord. Not convenient if you don't have an electrical outlet nearby or don't want to dig up your grass for a long trench to bury the conduit to protect and conceal the cord.

So this DIY resin whiskey barrel fountain is the best of both worlds.

How do you power a solar fountain?

To power this DIY solar fountain, we're using a battery-powered water pump with a rechargeable solar panel that you place in a sunny location nearby. At night the water pump operates on the stored power and it is also illuminated with white or multi-color LED lights.

Another feature of this particular solar pump is that it has an on/off switch on the solar panel so you can turn the fountain off while away on vacation. But it also has a function mode button that easily adjusts the height of the spray. Ours is on the lower setting so when the wind picks up, it doesn't blow the water spray over the pot.

What You'll Need To Make It

Pictured below are most of the supplies we used to make the rechargeable solar water fountain.

For the rechargeable solar water fountain basin, we used a resin whiskey barrel but a large flower pot with a wide opening would be fine as well.

If you plan on using a cascading spray head nozzle, we recommend the diameter of the barrel or flower pot be a minimum of 20-inches. It's important you use a wider pot so the cascading water doesn't flow outside of the fountain.

Otherwise, you'll constantly be refilling the barrel in order for the pump to operate by recirculating water. If you plan on using a bubble spray head nozzle, then you can get away with using a smaller pot.

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from any qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Supply List

20-inch Resin Whiskey Barrel
Rechargeable Light Up Solar Pump
Clear Flower Pot Saucer
PVC Pipe
Silicone
River Rocks

How To Make A Light Up Rechargeable Solar Fountain At Home

As mentioned earlier, this water fountain is very quick and easy to assemble and I'll show you how in the instructions below.

Level The Ground For Water Fountain

Find a spot in your flower bed for the water feature and level the ground. To protect the pot from corrosion you may want to set a small concrete block underneath like we did. Check to make sure the block is level before setting the water basin on top.

Riser For Inside Water Fountain Pot

Place something inside the water basin to raise the water pump so it is submerged but the stem of the spray nozzle is above water. We used a piece of PVC pipe but an inverted pail or smaller pot works fine too.

Set a saucer on top for the water pump to sit on. We used a clay saucer that we had on hand but there are clear plastic saucers available too that might not be so visible underwater.

Make sure the saucer you use is smaller than the diameter of the basin so the pump can recirculate the water that lies beneath the saucer.

How To Keep Water Spray In The Center Of The Fountain

Assemble the solar rechargeable light-up water pump according to the manufacturer's instructions. At this point, you'll need to choose between white or multi-colored LED lights to illuminate the fountain before placing the cover on the pump.

The pump has suction cups on the bottom but they do not stick all that well. So to keep the pump centered in the fountain, secure the pump to the saucer with silicone and let it cure overnight.

Set Up Battery Backup Solar Panel

Find a sunny spot in your flower bed near the water fountain for the small battery backup solar panel. Attach the peg that comes with the solar panel and stick it firmly in the ground.

Protect the solar panel wires by digging a small piece of PVC pipe conduit next to the barrel planter and fish the cord through.

Plug the rechargeable water fountain pump into the solar panel. Adjust the solar panel accordingly so optimum sunlight hits the panel.

Fill the fountain with water. The water pump comes with several spray nozzle heads. Attach your favorite onto the water pump stem. Press the on/off switch on the bottom of the solar panel.

Next press the mode button to adjust the height of the water spray. The LED lights will automatically light up your fountain at dusk. As long as there was enough sun during the day to recharge the solar panel, the fountain will run well into the night.

Tip For Securing Spray Nozzle Head

We discovered that the crows and magpies love to pull the spray head nozzle off the pump. Thankfully they dropped it in the flower bed and didn't fly off with it. Our suggestion is that once you pick your favorite spray nozzle, silicone it onto the stem of the pump.

Conceal the clay saucer by filling it with small river rocks. Alternatively, you could use a clear plastic saucer that wouldn't be as visible under the water.

Water Level Maintenance

It's important that you get in the habit of checking the water level a few times per week and topping it as necessary. Especially during hot weather as the water will evaporate much quicker.

Enjoy your new solar water fountain!

We get so many compliments from people walking by about how much they enjoy our water fountain.

...especially when it is lit up at night.

Now if you want the mother of all DIY water fountains, then you will love our large DIY outdoor water wall idea. This is a water fountain that can double as a deck or patio privacy screen!

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by this DIY solar rechargeable light-up water fountain idea.

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