How To Make A Bottle Lamp DIY Tutorial

making a bottle lamp how to video

Here is a complete step by step process for creating your own bottle lamp.

  1. Step One: Collect the items that you will need for the project – An empty glass container, A light bulb and a lamp shade, A lamp kit, A Glass drilling bit, A small rubber grommet, and filler for the bottle to hide the electrical cord (optional).
  2. Step Two: Get the tools that you will need to make the craft – A screw driver and a corded or cordless drill, a pair of heavy duty gloves and a pair of safety glasses.
  3. Step Three: Begin by finding the spot on your glass container that you want the cord to come out from.
  4. Step Four: Using the glass drill bit, slowly begin the drilling the glass. By drilling at a slow and steady speed you will prevent the glass from over heating which can cause your bottle to break.
  5. Step Five: Follow the instructions on the lamp kit to wire your bottle. Put the rubber grommet on your electrical cord before you run it through the hole. Once you have the bottle wired up, press the rubber grommet into place on the hole that you drilled. The grommet will hide the edges of your drilled hole and give the lamp a more finished look. With your grommet in place you can now add the filler. This part is optional but by adding a filler you will hide the electrical cord and give the lamp stability.
  6. Step Six: Place the lamp shade on and insert the light bulb.

Want to have the visual experience to help you with the bottle lamp making process?

Click on our how to video below:

Now that you’ve created your own bottle lamp you will want to share your project with the world.

Simply take a picture or two of your newly created masterpiece and submit it to the Bottle-Lamp website’s DIY Show Off pageIt’s easy to be featured… complete a short form and hit SUBMIT. That’s it!

If you have any questions about the lamp making process or tips for drilling glass, be sure to leave us a comment below.

13 thoughts on “How To Make A Bottle Lamp DIY Tutorial

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  1. I’ve heard that if you keep running water on the bottle where you are drilling the hole, it keeps it from getting hot and prevents the bottle from breaking.

    1. Candace,
      Correct. If you put a ring of plumbers putty over the area that you want to drill, you will be able to hold there. Not only will it help keep the heat down but will also collect the glass dust. Thanks for the feedback.

  2. Great post! I am debating on what type of filler to use in the bottle. The idea that the bottle will be less ‘tipsy’ with the extra weight is a really good point.

      1. I used broken pieces of glass from several beer bottles that I carefully crushed myself. The lamp turned out pretty cool if I might say so myself. Thank you for all the tips and ideas!

  3. Finally got around to putting one of these together. It was intended to be a birthday gift for my friend Len. The trouble is that I set it up in the house and started using it thinking that I had to store it some place until his actual birthday. It wasn’t until the Mrs. asked if I was going to gift wrap it that I realized I had actually grown fond of it. Option A) Make another one or B) Buy him a gift card to T.G.I.F.

  4. Hello, just watched the “Cutty Sark” bottle lamp video. The gentlemen used a 1/2 drill bit (?), then a 1/2 grommet. Being that all bottles are different in thickness, my question is, the 1/2 grommet, what was the groove width of the grommet, so that the glass could fit between it? I’ve buying all the wrong things and I’m getting frustrated. Thank you.

    1. Kevin,

      The different glass thicknesses can make this whole process rather tedious. The dimensions for a regular grommet (see image below) should give you a base line to work from.
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      This size will vary on the hole that you drilled and the thickness of the glass.

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