Tuesday, March 17, 2009

MY-Kea Lanterns

Ikea's Solig lanterns




This is a Recycled post from my DIY blog- I thought I would share it since I am recycling/re-using #5PP in making these Lanterns! Technically I would suppose you could call it an Ikea Hack, but since nothing from Ikea was used in making them- I call it a MY-Kea Hack!
I was in Ikea yesterday- they had their summer stuff out- I walked by some neat little battery powered lanterns- The Solig Lantern , which looked like my mom's old tupperware tumblers with a light in them. Well when I got home from work, I got my creative freak on. I made two versions- 1 in the lantern holders I previously got from Ikea as-is, 1 without. For the lantern I used a Crystal Light container. These are a problem for me- I cant drink regular OJ in the morning (due to the diabetes) and I love OJ so I have to drink this powdered "Tang" rip-off unless I juice my own. But what to do with the packaging? It is #5 Poly Propylene, the only place I know that recycles it is Whole Foods of which there is not one near me, nor is there a Whole Foods in the state of Washington that is involved with the Gimme 5 program or i can send them in to Recycline- Both part of their Gimme 5 program-I looked at the tubes of #5PP and thought those look just like the solig lanterns. So I took a battery powered tea light put one in, put the lid back on and POW- a Solig lantern! I love the muted look the tea light gives. For the ones with no fancy lantern holder I will take some hefty wire (probably an old coat hanger) and make a hanger for them- just drill through the top, add a loop made from a hanger and done! Note the one in the holder loses it's #5PP Lid- I will take that and make a fridge magnet photo frame. I get a neat lantern for the porch, get a re-use on the #5PP Containers and didn't have to buy a thing- I have the tea lights (available at Michael's Crafts and JoAnn's- I got a pack of 28 at costco with 56 extra batteries for like $8)I Certainly have the wire hangers (one of my favorate things to make tools and such out of)! So the way I look at it I got my "Solig Lanterns" for nothing !
"My-Kea's" Lanterns

4 comments:

Lisa Nelsen-Woods said...

I like how yours look - better than the orginal.

Robj98168 said...

Aww thanks Condo!

Anonymous said...

i wish i had your talent for looking at something and seeing something completely different and useful.

Robj98168 said...

Blonde- It ain't so much talent as it is having a sick mind and too much time one my hands!