Bottle Lamp Q & A

We are delighted to receive emails from our Bottle Lamp website visitors, Youtube channel viewers and Facebook readers at a regular basis and enjoy answering your questions.

But, after receiving the same questions several times now, we decided to publish our answers to make it a little easier for you and us as well.

Answers to your bottle lamp questions.
Answers to your bottle lamp questions.

Q: Does the drilled hole have sharp edges? If so, how can we polish the edges so they are no longer sharp?

A: The hole is usually not very sharp since it’s not a very big hole. You could always use a dremel tool or metal file to smooth out the edges if needed.


Q: I have tried to drill some wine bottles some was ok some not, the question is, the speed of the drill should be high or low?

A: You want to start out drilling at a low and steady speed. Once the drill bit is through the glass you can speed it up, but be sure to hold the drill tightly.


Q: Is it possible to cut the female end and re-attach the wires without blowing out all the mini-lites? Can’t seem to find a reasonable priced lite set anywhere. Hate to have to wait til the christmas selling season…

A: We made a video to explain the wire cutting. You can watch it here http://youtu.be/tBfvo3SLgeU


Q: I have the bits but would appreciate suggestions for a drill press for my work bench.

A: If you are planning on making Bottle Lamps to give away to your friends and family, or if you have your own business and are in need of signage, you should seriously consider buying a Bench Drill Press. I have been using a bench drill press to make our Bottle Lamps for a while now and it cuts the drill time down to a few minutes versus almost half an hour. We found this Trademark Tools drill press that is very reasonably priced at around $100.


Q: Where can I buy that cord with the switch on it for the Christmas lights?

A: Here is a link for a switch you can attach to your electrical cord: http://fave.co/SpsBdz


Q: How do you wire a wine bottle with the led lights inside and then put a socket on top?

A: Nick wrote an article on how to splice wire and attach a bottle lamp kit tutorial which includes a how to video.
Click on the link and take a look: https://www.bottle-lamp.com/diy-projects/how-to-splice-wire-and-attach-a-bottle-lamp-kit-tutorial/


Q: One more questions, can you do the same with a string of LED lights?

A: Yes, it’s the same principal.

Don’t see the answer to your bottle lamp making question?

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10 thoughts on “Bottle Lamp Q & A

  1. I’ve watched your wire splicing videos several times but I still have a few questions. Is the gage of the rocker switch white and the tree lights the same? With proper splicing is there any concern for overloading the tree lights and possibly catching fire? I want the ease of the on/off with out having to unplug from the wall every time. I do not plan on doing the top lamp segment.

    1. Keli,

      Great question! I have cut the plug end of the light string (regular Christmas lights) and spliced in my switch.

      Some LED strings will have a long cylindrical shaped part on the light string. If you see this Do Not cutt it off. It is the fuse that regulates the current to the lights.

      After wiring I always run the bottle lamp (monitored) for awhile to make sure things are working properly and the heat isn’t an issue. (i.e. too many lights in too small a container)

      Hope this helps and thanks for stopping by!

  2. Hi I was wondering if there is a way to wire a bottle lamp with the Christmas lights so that the above reading light stays on but not the Christmas lights inside the bottle?

    1. Jan, I have not figured out a way to do this yet. If I ever do figure out a way I will put together a whole post dedicated just to that question. Sorry.

      1. You could try a 3 way, 2-circuit switch at the top of the bottle instead of a standard switch. I have been planning on this but found the fuses of my Xmas lights are in the male end of the plug which is removed. I noticed you remove the male end as well. Do you have any safety concern removing the fuses?

  3. Where can i find wooden bases to put the bottles on? Or bases in general?

    Any links you have would be awesome as well, thank you!

  4. I have found that most 1 plug mini Xmas lights have built in 3A fuses in the male connector end. I was planning on removing this end to connect to a 3 way 2 circuit lamp switch (top bulb and nightlight style) but am now concerned that removing the male end of the plug will remove the fuses from the Xmas mini lights. Do you have any thoughts on this?

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