If you’re going camping and you’re interested in making one of those fun-looking bucket lights that your friends have told you about, or you saw on television, this article is for you.
The bucket serves as a shield from natural and human elements that could damage the light. The bucket light can also be modeled to serve as an aesthetic piece and provide additional beauty to an open-air camp party.
Keep reading to learn how to make a camping bucket light if you don’t have a LED camping lantern. You’d be surprised at how easy the process is.
How to Make a DIY Camp Light Using a Bucket Lantern
So how to make a bucket camp light? A good bucket light will help you keep bugs away when camping. To make your own, there are a couple of things you would need like a plain-white bucket, a drop cord, some colored lights, and other stuff.
Just follow our comprehensive steps on how to make a camping bucket light and have some fun building one for yourself.
1. Get a Junction Box
First, you need to get a junction box and remove both plugs at its end. Make use of a screwdriver to achieve this. You need to upturn the bucket’s lid and still keep it on top of the bucket.
2. Mark the Holes
With the junction box placed at the lid’s center, transfer the circular shape of one of the box’s holes unto the bucket lid. Transfer the other tiny holes in the junction box unto the lid. Use a black marker to achieve this.
3. Drill the Smaller Holes
You will need a hand-drill at this point with 15/64-inch and 1/2-inch specifications. Use it to drill into the earlier marked holes on the bucket lid.
4. Insert Bolts
Next, you need to attach the junction box to the bucket lid with the aid of ¼-by-1 ¼-inch bolts. The bolts will be driven into the smaller holes while the larger hole has to be perfectly centered over the transferred hole on the bucket lid.
5. Peel the Insulation
Taking one terminal of a 6-foot drop cord, cut and peel the insulation around the wires. Fit each wire ending with terminals and push the drop cord into the large hole on the lid. Allow about 4-inches chord-length to stick out of the lid.
6. Attach Wire Terminals
Using the appropriate color code, attach each terminal to the fixtures on the box. The white-colored wire goes to the silver box fixture while black goes to brass. Deploy 1-inch screws and a screwdriver to attach the light fixture together with the box.
7. Put a Fluorescent Light Bulb to the Light Fixture
Lastly, fix the lights you want to the fixture and properly cover the bucket with its lid. Use some waterproof caulk to protect the bucket light or your flashlight for camping from water and moisture.
DIY Camping Bucket Light Warnings
- Certain light fixtures can help you stay warm camping and feature a terminal that you can connect your green-colored ground wire to – others do not. Make sure to check if yours does and ground the earth terminal to the light fixture.
- You need to be conscious of how much heat is given off by the light bulb you use in your bucket light. It’s best if you make use of incandescent light bulbs.
- Make sure that you don’t use the bucket light for camping when you’re in the rain. This will save you from potentially getting electrocuted.
Useful Tips
- For those who are afraid of working with electricity, call for professional assistance.
- Get an extension cord if you want to hang your bucket light from a tree. It will help you reach the nearest power supply regardless of the bucket’s height.
- You can use your bucket light camping anywhere as long as there’s a power supply available.
- Don’t leave the power cords lying about carelessly so that it doesn’t trip anyone over.
Final Thoughts
With all the instructions that we have provided you with on how to make a camping bucket light, you shouldn’t have a difficult time making one. Bucket lights for camping will prove useful in a good number of ways when you’re out camping.
The bucket protects the lights from external damage and makes the bucket light more efficient than normal lights in some situations. The bucket light can be decorated and hung from a tree to add aesthetic effects to open-air events like a camp party or other camping activities.
Purchase the materials you need and have some fun putting together your own camping bucket light, the same as you would do with a DIY portable camping toilet.
Feel free to ask for some professional assistance if you’re having any difficulty.