Introduction: Solar Rechargeable Decor

About: I have a degree in Electronics Engineering and various certifications in all kinds of internet programming languages. Professionally, I have over 20 years of experience in various roles including an electronic…

Phoenix Fire Lily: Solar rechargeable battery connected to a flickering LED inside an artificial lily flower residing in a hand-crafted wooden vase.

Step 1: Discount Hackables!

I don’t know about you, but I rarely have money to spend on projects and whenever possible reusing and re-purposing junk is ideal. Many of my projects contain parts I’ve purchased at local dollar stores and items found through eBay.

Step 2: Parts and Pistils

Parts:

  • Artificial Lily Flower
  • Flickering LED
  • Thermostat Wire
  • 100-330ohm Resistor
  • Mini switch
  • Solar-panel ~ 5vDC
  • Rechargeable Li-ion Coin-cell Battery
  • Rechargeable Li-ion Coin-cell Battery charger = TP4056 Mini USB 1A Lithium Battery Charger Module
  • USB to mini USB ~ 5ft. cord
  • Optional ~ hand-crafted vase station

Step 3: Remove the Wire

Cut the end of the stem and remove the wire.

Gut the Artificial Lily Flower by removing its pistil.

Using a 8-10″ length of Thermostat Wire that extends just beyond the end of the lily’s stem, solder a 100-330ohm resistor to flickering LED and/or later near the mini switch inside the recycled case.

Do I really need a resistor?

  • Clear LED without resistor = 30mA @ 3vDC
  • Flickering Yellow LED ~ 6mA @ 3vDC
  • salvaged 10 LED string of lights = 6mA @ 3vDC

Carefully thread the wired LED through the lily and down her stem.

Step 4: Rechargeable Battery Pack

Add a piece of heat-shrink tubing, solder jumper wires, and attach connector header.

Solder a set of short jumper wires to the Rechargeable Li-ion Coin-cell Battery charger output.

Solder the Rechargeable Li-ion Coin-cell Battery charger output short jumper wires, resistor, to the mini switch and recycled case ( two “AA” batteries ).

Solder the coin-cell battery holder to the Rechargeable Li-ion Coin-cell Battery charger

Insert the Rechargeable Li-ion Coin-cell Battery into the Rechargeable Li-ion Coin-cell Battery charger.

Step 5: Making a Case

A look inside the inexpensive battery case.


Gut everything from the case! Drill a few holes.

  • One for the solar panel wires, and the other for USB connector.

Step 6: Solder the Solar Panel

Solder a simple switching diode, such as 1N4148, to the positive side.Using short jumper wires, solder the Rechargeable Li-ion Coin-cell Battery charger input to the solar panel ~ 5vDC.

Insert the switch and wrap wires so they lay flat inside the case.

Test the output.

Optionally, attach USB to mini USB cord to the charger

Step 7: Store Inside a Hand-crafted Vase Station.

Store inside a hand-crafted vase station.

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