An update to our popular Instagram account. The Bottle Lamp Community is growing and the #BLCproject continues to be popular as well.
Tag: bottle lamp
Which Bottle Lamp Kit is right for you?
There are a lot of bottle lamp kits on the market that offer the straightforward parts to help construct your next DIY project. But if too many choices seems to only confuse you rather then offer constructive ideas, we will offer you a more simplistic approach.
The Wine Bottle Cork lamp
This bottle lamp will have you up and running in no time at all. You simply attach the cork to your empty wine bottle and plug it in. The only downside that some might see to this is that the electrical cord simply flows down the back of the bottle. This may make the lamp a little unsteady but a bottle filler should help remedy this problem.
The GE Bottle Lamp Kit
This standard bottle lamp kit has proven to be the most reliable. All the components that you need are in this kit. A slight modification to the rubber ring in the bottle neck may be needed. Unlike the previous bottle lamp kit, glass drilling may be required to allow the electrical cord to run through to the bottom of the bottle. If the thought of drilling glass intimidates you the you can always run the cord out of the socket and run it down the back of the bottle.
Drilling the bottle will require the proper tools to drill glass. You will be adding an additional step to your bottle lamp making but the end result will be well worth the effort, A rubber grommet for the electrical cord that runs out of the bottle will give your lamp a nice finished look.
The Harp Lamp bottle kit
Our last bottle lamp kit is similar to the previous one with the exception of the lamp shade holder. If your lamp has a harp, you will need a shade with a spider fitter. The spider fitter sits on top of the harp, is secured by a finial, and is integrated in the lampshade. If you have picked out a lamp shade then this will help you decide which bottle lamp kit will work best for you.
Instagram BLCproject Update II
Seasons greetings! I can’t believe another year is winding down. It’s been amazing to see everyone’s bottle craft pictures on social media. One of the highlights that we’ve seen is the Instagram page for the Bottle Lamp Community. The #BLCproject currently has over 700 posts. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and please keep them coming.
If your new to the BLCproject (Bottle Lamp Community project) then let me bring you up to speed. The Instagram page that we set up to curate bottle art pictures became overwhelmed with contributions from our readers. So to simplify the whole process we created the hash tag that would allow everyone to submit their pictures without the hassle of waiting for us to re-post them. Voila, the project has taken off and daily submissions are happening.
Both Silke and I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers for making this web-site possible. We enjoy your spirit of creativity and your comforting words of encouragement.
Season’s Greetings,
Nick Jager
Bottle-Lamp.com
Amazon Handmade Bottle Lamp Round-Up
If you are ever in need of a truly unique gift for that special someone than the hand crafted items on Amazon Handmade should be your shopping destination.
I’ve always enjoyed checking out what’s available from all the talented crafters that put their time and talent into all of their projects. If you want something that is hand crafted and not assembled on a factory line then check out all that these craft fairs and stores have to offer.
We found several bottle crafts on Amazon Handmade that we wanted to share with you. Uniquely designed and perfect to accent any room in your house.
Sugar Skull Silhouette Wine Bottle Lamp by Infinity Baskets and Gifts
Night Light Recycle Bottle Lamp by Emerald Dreams Gift
Jack Daniels Bottle Lamp by Simply Treasures & More
Wine Bottle With Twinkle Fairy Lights by Wine Wicks and Gifts
The Warehouser Industry Recycled Whiskey Bottle by Moonshine Lamp Company
These are just of a few of the many bottle lamps that you can find in the Amazon Handmade Store. Be sure to check out the other items that these crafters sell. These unique bottle crafts make the perfect gift idea for your loved ones.
Do you have a favorite bottle craft on Amazon Handmade? Share it with us in the comments below.
Instagram BLCproject Update
It’s been over a year already since we started the #BLCproject on Instagram.
I’m happy to report that it has continued to grow! There are a lot of bottle art pictures to share and to date the tag has garnered 350 posts. From bottle lamps to bottles with lights, there is something for everyone on the page. Some of the recent additions have been the hand painted bottles. The amount of detail that goes into these designs is truly amazing and definitely worth checking out.
The Instagram Bottle Lamp Community is growing! It’s also exciting to announce that the Instagram page for the Bottle-Lamp site has just reached 1,000 followers. If you want to promote your own art work then just tag your picture to feature it. The social media aspect as always been made dynamic by our fellow contributors.
Whether your business is already on Instagram, or you’re completely new to the app, be sure to connect with us so that we can share your favorite projects and art pieces with an ever growing community!
Do you have a DIY project you would like to show off?
Submit your entry – include your picture(s), your name and a description and or any tips you would like to share with us and our readers. If you have a blog you can also include the web address and we will link back to you.
Favorite Bottle Craft Projects On Bottle Lamp
We have compiled a list of some of our most popular bottle crafts from the Bottle-Lamp website.
Over the years we have had the chance to showcase many beautiful bottles right here. We compiled this list from our most viewed pages and put them all together. If you need a little inspiration or just want to take a trip down memory lane then let this be your ticket.
UV Cake Bottle Lamp by Kathy
This post was published on April 24, 2012. It showcases our first contributors attempt at bottle light making. This post might lack content but it is one of our most popular Pinterest pins to date!
Lighted Bottles by Sterling, Fish and Twins
One of our very first e-book readers! Published on May 22, 2012, this post showcases some of the many bottle lamps that Charles and Naomi created. The Jack Daniels night light he made for his daughter is still a favorite.
Jack Daniels Bottle Lamp by Sutton
Published on July 13, 2012. If you search for “Jack Daniels Bottle Lamp” you will most likely come across this image. This bottle was given as a birthday present. I wonder if the recipient knows just how famous his bottle lamp really is?
Absolut Vodka and Jack Daniel’s Lighted Bottles by Julie
Published on August 20, 2012. If you look at this post you will notice on the share media tabs in the upper left corner that the Pinterest logo has “2k+” on it. In the words of Stan Lee – “Nuff said.”
Liquid Filled Bottle Lamps by Steve
Published on September 7, 2012. The pool table. The countless bottle lamps that sat on top of it! The image is so perfect that you almost feel like you’ve hit bottle lamp nirvana! Each bottle lamp has a great looking base.
Bottle lamp by Meghan
Published on November 28, 2012. This was one of the first bottles that I had seen that was both a bottle with lights and a bottle lamp all at the same time!
Rex-Goliath Bottle Lamp by Patty
Published on December 18, 2012. The Rex-Goliath bottle has always been one of my favorite bottles to work with. The bottle and lamp shade are paired perfectly for this bottle lamp. Patty is also one of our Bottle Crafts DIY contributors on Facebook.
Lighted Bottles by Jessie
Published on March 2nd, 2013. Jessie took bottle crafting to a whole new level when she accented her bottles with these glass beads. Jessie sells her lamps at her Bottle Be Glowing shop, on Etsy.
His and Her Bottle Lamps
Published on June 3rd, 2013. This was the bottle lamp that really kicked off the whole idea of using a filler. Jason had placed bottle caps in his lamps. The different types of fillers that have been used since this post have been numerous.
Mosaic Bottle Lamp by Deborah
Published on June 20th, 2013. This bottle offer a mosaic design that got a lot of reader’s attention. This was another Pinterest favorite.
Caleb’s Lighted Wine Bottles
Published on July 8th, 2013. A great collection of lighted bottles. It also features a clear bottle with a John Deere sticker on it! Caleb has also contributed to our Facebook page.
Glass Bottle Lamps, Lights, and Blocks by Jim
Published on August 7th, 2013. Jim shared his bottle lamp creations with us and also shared his up-cycled glass block. Used in partitions, shower walls, curtain walls and room dividers, Jim glass blocks found a whole new purpose.
FlipFlop Bottle Lamp By Carol
Published on December 12, 2013. Flip Flops won the day on this one. From the lamp shade to the titled bottle itself, the whole lamp came together quite nicely.
Bottle Lamps by Stephen
Published on October 30th, 2013. The Corona bottle lamp always stood out to me because Stephen had made the filler in this one look like the original contents. The netting on the lamp’s shades was also a nice touch.
Corona Shine Lamp by Steve
Published on January 15th, 2014. Not only is this a cool bottle lamp but the display that Steve built to coincide with the seagulls is really clever. You have to appreciate the attention to detail with the bird droppings on the post.
Bottle Art Wind Chimes By Lisa
Published on March 7th, 2014. Lisa shared her hummingbird feeders and wind chimes from recycled bottles with us. Re-purposing never looked better!
Beer Bottle Lamps By Sean
Published on March 17th 2014. Sean took bottle crafting to a whole new level with these beer bottles with lights. The whole collection that he shared with us is very impressive. Each colored bottle received a different colored light.
CIROC Bottle Lamp By Sharon
Published on April 16th, 2016. It was easy to commiserate with a fellow bottle crafter about the time it took to drill the hole through her bottle. The drill press was already in the works!
The Minnesota Wild Bottle With Lights By Jessie
Published May 16th 2014. I was so enthralled with this one that I had to let Jessie know right away that I wanted to buy it for myself. It was a keeper!
Gran Gala Bottle Lamp
Published on September 30th, 2014. Have bottle lamp will travel! This lamp works wonderfully in Barry’s RV and is the perfect conversation starter at their camp sites.
Lighted Bottles By Christopher
Published on November 9th, 2014. Another one of our e-book readers that submitted his finished bottle with lights project. Another great question asked and answered about the lights giving off heat.
Beer Bottle Party Lights
Published on December 23, 2014. Bob made this really cool bottle string light set with his Creator’s Bottle Cutter. I was so inspired by this creative project that it inspired me to make my own Rolling Rock Party Light String.
Tuaca Bottle With Lights
Published on January 5th, 2015. One of our YouTube videos help Tressa with her bottle with light project. It’s always nice to know that the information we put together is both inspiring and helpful.
Multi Use Liquor Bottle Lamps
Published on January 16th, 2015. In a world full of a electronic gadgets that constantly need to be re-charged, this bottle lamp was the coolest charging station in town. If Cole ever started re-creating these he would be sitting on a gold mine.
Lighted Wine Bottle Lamp
Published on February 10th, 2015. This was Keli’s first bottle lamp ever. She was so enthused with the whole creative process that she vowed to make twenty more for her up-coming wedding. It might be worth asking if she has any photos of those lamps from the wedding that she would like to share.
This collection from The Bottle Lamp Community would not have been possible if it weren’t for contributing members like you. Thank you all for the pictures, stories, and sharing your corner of the world with us.
Happy Crafting,
Nick and Silke
How To Make Bottle Lamps At Home
The most rewarding and important type of learning is through experience, creating something with our own hands.
I have put together several articles and numerous videos explaining the bottle lamp making process. If you are looking for those instructions then you can visit our post titled; Turn a Jack Daniels Bottle into a Lamp. Today I wanted to delve into why you benefit from making a bottle lamp at home.
What really makes creating something at home more rewarding as opposed to simply purchasing an item is the sense of accomplishment that you get when the project is completed. Whether you’re re-painting a room or decorating you always have the satisfaction of knowing that you were able to see the endeavor through to the end. I get the same satisfaction from mowing the lawn. Simple, easy to do but sitting up on the deck and looking at this small accomplishment is almost the equivalent of getting an ‘atta boy‘ from a colleague. “You did it“, “You made it“, job well done.
If you really want to get the most enjoyment out of making a bottle lamp at home then you should try including someone else in your artwork. If it’s your kids, spouse, or friend, having something tangible to show at the end of your collaboration will undoubtedly be one of the most rewarding things you will have. It isn’t too hard to imagine a conversation that starts out; “Hey remember that time we made that bottle lamp together . . . . . ”
That moment is never lost or forgotten. You will remember it with more clarity than purchased gifts exchanged at a party. In the end which one holds the most value will easily be determined.
Now that you have your sense of accomplishment and a memorable moment in check let’s look a little deeper at what’s happening on a more subconscious level.
“Accomplishments and know-how can’t be handed out or downloaded into someone’s brain like they are for the characters in The Matrix. They must be earned through individual effort. It is the endeavor that generates a sense of pride and inward esteem.”
Courtesy of Richard E. Cytowic, M.D., M.F.A., Psychology Today
Building on your ‘sense of accomplishment’ as now laid out the foundation for a new level of things that you can achieve. Those hungry little endorphin are always looking for more of that feel good that you have just accomplished and will likely open up the idea that you will feel empowered to move onto something bigger or more elaborate.
It was that small building block that moved us toward larger goals and achievements. Just because I’ve wired a bottle lamp doesn’t mean I’m going to rewire our house anytime soon. My ambitions are always geared up but will remain in check.
If you can relate then please leave a comment below. Share your experience or moment with our readers.
DIY Bedside Lamp
Creating your own personalized DIY bedside lamps is easier than you think.
With a simple glass drill bit and a lamp kit you to can create your own bedside lamp. Warning – If you want to keep balance in your bedroom it is highly suggested that you plan to make two of these lamps. Of course having matching lamps on a homemade night stand on both sides of the bed will offer a more lucid look. Check out the article on the 9 benefits of DIY Furniture on our lifestyle blog.
How To Make DIY Beside Lamps
Step One – Find your favorite decanter. Now remember that this will be the last thing you look at before your head hits the pillow at night. With that thought in mind, you might want to go with a lamp base a little more neutral looking than the one we used. I could have simply removed the label on the bottle in the picture and still gotten that cool blue feel. The label matched our decor so I opted to keep it. The look you hope to achieve with your own DIY bedside lamps should help you decide on your chosen design.
Step Two – Collect the tools. Here is a list of tools and supplies you will need to make your DIY bedside lamps. They are… two empty glass bottles or decanters, glass drill bits, lamp kits, lamp shades, and (optional) rubber grommets, and bottle filler. Once you’ve collected all your materials you can begin your glass bottle transformation. Check out our resources page if you need any of these supplies.
Step Three – Drill the glass bottle. Find a spot on the backside of your bottles, preferably the lower section, for your electrical cord hole. I go into more depth on drilling glass with my post ‘Tips For Drilling A Glass Bottle‘. For the purposes of this post I’ll stick to the steps needed to make the bedside lamp.
Step Four – Start the wiring process. Before you run the cord through the holes you drilled be sure to put on the rubber grommets. Once you have lamp kits wired together you can push the grommets up to the edge of the drilled glass section. This gives your DIY bedside lamps a more finished look and covers up any disparages that might have occurred during the drilling process.
The optional filler that was mentioned above is something that you can add to your bottles before you put the top of the lamp kits on the bottle necks. Color filler can pretty much be anything that you want, provided that you can still get it through the neck of the bottle. Adding filler will hide your electrical cord and give your lamp added stability, unlike an empty bottle, keeping it from tipping over.
Step Five – Attach your lamp shade. Matching lamp shades to the different shapes and sizes of bottles or decanters is one thing, but you will also want to match the feel and colors of the room. If your lampshades are too big then you’ll be top heavy, go too small and it will have a bowling pin look to it. Find your happy medium on size and color and you’ll be ready to put the icing on the project. Check out the article ‘How Can We Make The Ideal Lampshade For A Bottle Lamp?‘ for more tips.
Step Six – Enjoy your DIY Bottle Lamps! Not only have you created very unique, one of a kind lamps but you can also fall asleep with the satisfaction of knowing that, “Yes, I made that!”
Are you hungry for more? Be sure to check out our DIY Show Off pages for more inspirational bottle crafts. With so many different types of lamps to choose from, you just might find yourself making different variations of the same bottle.
Have we inspired you to make your own DIY bedside lamps? Leave us a comment below.
Happy Crafting!
Nick and Silke
Outer Space Vodka Bottle Lamp
A bottle lamp that is truly out of this world.
From the Bottle Crafts DIY Facebook page:
“A lamp that I made for my brother’s friend’s children made out of a bottle of outer space vodka. I think that the green led bulb is a nice touch.”
Jonathan B.
The silver lamp shade and base give this bottle lamp a nice edge!
The bottles green tinting in combination with the LED light have given this bottle lamp an ominous feel.
A little bit about the bottle itself – is vodka that has been filtered through actual meteorites (five times) and then bottled in a glass alien head. The vodka itself hails from Iowa, and is made from good ol’ Iowan corn, according to its maker.
Source: Slash Gear
We would like to thank Jonathan for sharing his Outer Space Vodka bottle lamp with us.
Do you have a DIY project you would like to show off?
Submit your entry – include your picture(s), your name and a description and or any tips you would like to share with us and our readers. If you have a blog you can also include the web address and we will link back to you.
Mead Bottle From Poland
Rare bottles can make bottle crafting more enticing because of their unique shape and style.
Our good friend Jonathan B. has sent us his latest creative projects on our FaceBook page. He writes;
“Two lamps that I made using mead (honey wine) bottles imported from Poland.”
The bottles base adds stability to the lamp.
Mead is one of the traditional Polish alcohols. It is produced by fermentation of lime honey. Meads are sometimes made with various juices to improve the taste, as well as with herbs and spices. Mead made from pure lime honey was peculiarly valued. This drink is manufactured and drunk in Poland since the Middle Ages – in the early history of the state ruled by Piast dynasty, wine was not cultivated. Hence, Poles needed some more easily available alcoholic beverages. In this way a tradition of brewing beer and production of the mead rose.
Meads were pleased with a great renown, but were drunk rarely, most oftentimes during important celebrations like the wedding. It was a luxury and expensive alcohol. With time mead lost on meaning, because of cheaper and easy to produce vodka. It kept the popularity longer in Podhale region and in Lithuania. However, in the scale of the entire country at the end of 18th century, mead was already a real rarity. In today’s Poland mead came back to respect due to it, but its popularity stays (and probably will) significantly smaller than popularity of the beer and vodka.
Source: Tasting Poland
We would like to thank Jonathan for sharing his Mead bottle lamps with us.
Do you have a DIY project you would like to show off?
Submit your entry – include your picture(s), your name and a description and or any tips you would like to share with us and our readers. If you have a blog you can also include the web address and we will link back to you.