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You will need:
- Pencil compass
- Power drill and Jigsaw
- Table saw
- Exterior wood glue
- Nails and brass roundhead wood screws
- Carpenter's square
- Nail set
- Sandpaper
- Exterior varnish
- Wood filler
- Low-voltage light set
- Timber as per diagram
Build the surrounds of weather-resistant wood such as meranti, kiaat or cedar. The plans use standard cedar-fencing panels to construct covers that beautify the ordinary lights, transforming them into a decorative asset. If you don't feel up to the task of building the surrounds, hire a carpenter to make them for you.
The low-voltage light set you purchase will determine the number of surrounds you'll need.
Here's how:
1. Download the free pattern for this project [PDF]
2. Cut all the wood pieces to size. Mark a 2-1/2-inch-diameter hole centered on each lamp support (C) to fit the plastic fixture base. Cut the hole with a jigsaw.
3. To build the chamfer-style unit shown at far left in plan detail, first connect the wiring and lights, following instructions in your light set. Slide a stake and fixture through the hole in part C. Attach the fixture base to the lamp support using two brass screws (pre-drill holes through each fixture base). Add the plastic cover to the light base.
4. Then construct the covered surrounds, by gluing and nailing one side (A) and one rail (D) between two uprights (B), keeping the surfaces and the ends flush.
5. Repeat to create a second panel, then nail and glue these two preassembled panels to the lamp support. Glue and nail the remaining two sides (A) and two rails (D) between the existing panels to complete the surround.
6. Check the corners for a 90-degree angle. Use a nail set to countersink nails slightly.
7. Build the tops last; Cut chamfered tops using a table saw.
8. Sand the surrounds and their tops until smooth. Allow them to weather naturally or apply an exterior finish such as spar varnish. If you use a finish, apply one coat and allow it to dry.
9. Fill in the nail holes using wood putty matching the wood finish. Apply a second coat of finish.
10. When installing the lanterns, bury the bottom 2 or 3 inches of the surrounds for stability, or secure them to a wooden stake hidden inside or on the back side of each surround.
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