DIY Solar-Powered Water Feature

Making a DIY water feature like this one for an outdoor space is as easy as gathering a few materials: a solar powered water pump, glass bowl, large planter, and rocks.

When I was growing up, having landscaping lights and water features in the yard was a sure sign of affluence that felt completely out of reach. That’s because in my day, (I’m so sorry), those things required built-in voltage and a water source. And if you, like me, also grew up in the 90s, you probably remember how unforgivably awful solar powered lights were. Blessedly, the faint, blueish light of those plastic POSs are a thing of the past. Today there are all kinds of solar powered items available that are incredibly affordable and functional, like landscaping lights, water pumps, and even candles.

I probably wouldn’t know about any of this if it weren’t for my partner— and while we’re on the subject, let me give full credit to him, since making a water feature this way was completely his idea.

This post was updated on September 9, 2023 with new information on feature upkeep.

What You’ll Need to make your own Fountain:

Something that can hold water

This can be a planter, or any vessel that’s big enough to contain the spray of a fountain. Some fountains are very small, so the vessel doesn’t even necessarily need to be big. You’ll see in some of the reviews of solar powered fountains that many people use them on bird baths to keep the water moving and fresh. I think a small vessel on a table would be super cool.

If the vessel is a planter, it will need any drainage holes to be plugged. We bought a plug to fill the drainage hole in our planter because it didn’t come with one.

A glass bowl, or something to stick the fountain to

This depends on how deep your vessel is– the fountain will need to be at a certain height to stick above the water at the right height. Many solar powered fountains have suction cups on the bottom. We used a glass bowl, which is easy to find and a great Goodwill buy. You could also stick the fountain to a rock.

(It’s hard to see, but in the photo here, the fountain is stuck to the glass bowl, which has been turned upside down.)

A solar-powered fountain

There are a ton of options out there. We picked this one because it has lots of different attachments for different spray patterns. Its been working awesomely so far. Keep in mind that solar powered items need sun. Some models, like ours, come wired to a panel that can be placed away from the fountain in the sunniest possible spot.

Rocks, or some kind of filler

This is optional, but it can create a cohesive look and cover the base of your DIY water feature. Rocks piled a little above the water can give birds and bugs a safe place to drink water from and cool off.
We got our river rocks at Lowes.

As you can see from this photo, we piled the river rocks up all the way to the edge of one side of the fountain to help cover the cord that runs to the solar panel. (And then we added this tiny bunny statue to disguise the top of the cord cause it’s cute.)
The solar panel is outside the fence for maximum sun exposure.

We’ve also considered tiling the inside of the planter instead of using rocks!

How to assemble your Solar-Powered Fountain/ DIY Water Feature:

• Fill the vessel about halfway with water.
• If using a glass bowl, dip in the water to fill it before placing it face down on the bottom of the vessel.
• Stick the fountain onto the bowl. If it’s sunny, it will start to work in minute or two.
• Fill the vessel up with rocks if using. That’s it!

DIY Water Feature Upkeep

Algae

Algae WILL grow, so keeping it in check is necessary. Here are two options for keeping your water feature’s water clean and clear:

Option 1: Vinegar
1 cap-full (about 1 Tablespoon) of white vinegar in the fountain each week will keep algae at bay, while keeping the water safe for plants,  animals, and insects. Algae is still likely to grow, but should stay minimal.

This option is best for water features that are small enough to be drained and rinsed about once a month, or that are in a shady spot.

Algae is more likely to grow with lots of sun exposure, so the less sun the fountain gets, the less algae will grow.
Aqueous plants like water Lillies can also help minimize and regulate algae, by offering shade and competing with algae for nutrients and sun.

Algae is also kept at bay with moving water, which the solar fountain will help with! 

It should be noted that when using vinegar, periodically our fountain pump did become clogged with algae, causing the the water pressure to go down or to not spout at all. However, the intake filter in the apparatus was easily removed and rinsed, and put the fountain in perfect working order again.

Option 2: Algae Control Additive (NEW!)

This method is best for features that are in full sun, or that are large or difficult to drain. (Like the one we made!)

After initially using the vinegar method successfully for about 3 months, we went through a very hot and sunny period and our feature became totally overgrown with algae. So, we tried another method: an algae control additive made for ponds. This is the one we use.

First, we drained the feature and sprayed everything down with a garden hose. We didn’t do a super thorough job, just sprayed! Then we filled the feature about halfway, added the algae control, and filled the rest of the way with the garden hose sprayer to make sure everything was mixed well. That’s it!

Only a VERY little is needed, so we use this [well-cleaned] syringe made for oral medication I had from an old cat medication (idk I thought it was cool and kept it) and it’s the perfect size. We add it about once a week, and the feature has been sparkling clear ever since.

It should be noted that birds no longer like to bathe or drink from the feature, even though the product says it’s animal friendly. This bummed me a bit, but to resolve this issue we plan to add a nice birdbath to the yard that’s easy to rinse and fill daily. Perfect!

Debris

Algae bits may clump and float in the water, and other debris like leaves may also fall into the fountain. You may also experience birds coming to use the water feature as their personal au jus dipping sauce, dipping and softening their foraged pizza crusts and leaving bits of bread behind.

For this, we purchased a fish tank net to keep things tidy.

That’s it! 

I hope you’ve got all kinds of ideas brewing for your own DIY water feature, and that a little trickling water sets you up for peace and enjoyment this summer.