DIY Garden Lights - on a Budget

I wanted some pretty, soft, garden lights. And i'm broke, so...

Also, i didnt want 'mains' 240v and armoured cable, so i went with 12/24 DC (because kids, pets, gardening)

Supplies

i wanted to make a long run of lights. the websites i read online were full of calculations and complicated advise - so i looked at what i could get, the cost, and decided to work backwards. 24v gives more distance and lights, and just the same cost as 12v.

So in the car section of online shop, i found W5W LED T10 car lights, waterproof and clear 190Lumens, only 0.4W, and cheap as chips! i was planning maybe 24 lights - a total of only 10W.

I got an old HP Laptop power supply: mains 240v down to 19V (about 3A i think)

And of course some wire (2x1mm), the case/lantern, some rebar. Oh, and mustnt forget the bulb holders.

Step 1: Testing

What about voltage drop...?

i needed 24 lights, running 40meters... And i had 80meters of cable. So i just added lights to the end of the cable to see if it worked. Yes it did. Even at 30 there was no drop of anything.

Step 2: Make the Lantern

i had a bunch of ikea tealight Lanterns. poked the bulb holder through the side, & used some hot glue to secure cable. i found a sponge from old packaging and cut little pointy "candle" for the light to reflect off. glued that in.

Step 3: Choose the Colour

Yeah, white was a bit harsh. luckily i bought assorted colours, and reckoned amber was best.

i bent the rebar around a tree to make a hook, jammed that in the ground. Ran some cable around garden, and just spliced in the lamps.

Step 4: All Done

i like it. wife likes it. (bummer, Ikea dont sell those lanterns anymore - at least i got one wall done).