Tips For Using Different Fillers For Your Bottle Lamp.
Most fillers for bottle lamps are used to hide the electrical cord that runs up the bottle from the base to the neck, where the mechanics of the lamp kit are set. The reality of this is that almost anything (within reason) can be used to give your lamp stability or it’s own unique look.
For example, if your bottle is a bit top-heavy then you will want to add a heavy filler like lava rocks or glass marbles. If your bottle lamp is stable on the other hand, with a nice wide base, then you can use a lightweight filler like confetti or strips of foil.
We’ve experimented with everything from marbles in a Mason Jar to coffee beans in a Caribou growler, as you can see in the picture above.
How about a lamp filled with different corks that give it a style all it’s own?
Fill a bottle lamp with odds and ends like screws left lying around the garage floor to give your work bench in the basement it’s own personalized work light. Using strips of tinfoil can give your bottle lights more pizzazz and allows a more reflective glow to come from within.
The crystal fill that we’ve used in our wine bottles have given stability as well as a cooler feel to the lights inside. Vase filler used for floral arrangements have worked great to give a few of our liquor bottles a more ‘realistic’ look.
Remember to keep an open mind when looking for fillers for your bottle lamps.
Whether you’re personalizing a lamp to make a connection to it’s end user or you’re simply experimenting with different items that you think will make the ordinary extraordinary.
What items have you used as bottle filler for your bottle lamp projects? Feel free to leave us a comment below.
Have you ever considered filling your bottles with a clear urethane casting resin mixed with diamond dust? I love the idea of lighted bottles and my kids were filling vases with pot pourri and lights since they were little but one of the things I really dislike about this project is I do not like to see the wires of the lights. I’ve been trying to figure out how to disguise the wires and I was thinking that if you used casting resin tinted to whatever color you like it might hide the wires. at least in my brain it works that way lol. the downside to using casting resin is that it’s costly and once the light strand went out you would have to toss the entire thing because you wouldn’t be able to get the lights back out plus I’m not sure if the lights would continue to work once they were set in resin…sorry to ramble, just some thoughts.
I have made 3 Lamps out of whiskey bottles, filling each one with something different. The first bottle was filled with common ordinary SAND. The second bottle was filled with SMALL WHITE ROCKS. The third bottle was filled with a protective filling that was taken from a gift box, and the filling was very narrow (about 1/4″ wide) bits of beige “crinkled” paper. I am also collecting Pistachio Peanut Shells to use as a filler. Anything that can go through the top bottle opening would make a good “filler” for a bottle lamp. The Lamps are fun to make and are a good “conversation” piece. I suggested to my Niece, who is in real estate, to leave one of these Lamps in a house that she sells, as a Welcome Gift. On the back of the bottle would be a small label with her name and phone number. The purchasers of the house would think it was such a cute and unusual gesture they would tell their family and friends about it. Good advertising for my Niece.
Jean,
Very clever! One of the things we’ve mentioned in the bottle lamp book is that your imagination is you’re only boundary. I’m glad you’re experimenting with different types of fillers. I just did a follow up to an earlier post that had to do with it being hard to find crystal fill. You’ve found a way around the whole problem by looking for alternatives.
The advertising angle is perfect. It’s nice to receive a hand made gift and have that association with it’s intended recipient. I’m sure they’ll always refer to their Real Estate Agent who gave them ‘the really neat gift’.
Thanks for leaving us this wonderful comment!
Glow in the dark pebbles for fish tanks also work great!
Joh,
That’s an awesome idea! Thanks for the share.