Introduction: Booze Bottle Lamp

How to make a tacky yet super-cool lamp out of an empty bottle! Perfect for a College student on a budget!

If you are a college student like me, you probably have a whole mantle of "Trophys" that once happened to hold booze. Lets make use of those bottles...

Just a note.... I made this off of a whim without searching Instructables first.... I don't mean to steal anyone's thunder who made this before me, just thought I'd show you how I turned a tasty beverage into a lamp :)

Step 1: Gathering Materials

For this instructable, you will need:
1.) A bottle of booze that is near and dear to your heart (presumably empty, otherwise you would probably be drinking instead of reading this). If you are not 21, you can instead make a night-light out of a Capri-sun or something... I don't know.

2.) A drill

3.) A "Make a Lamp Kit" (or if you are mechanically/electrically inclined you can use a socket and a power cord). The "Kit" is nice because they often include washers and rubber stoppers that make this work perfect for bottles.

4.) Packing tape

5.) Paint/paintbrush

6.) Dremel tool and various bits

7.) Glass/tile drill bits

8.) Wood bases

9.) Epoxy

10.) Lampshade

Step 2: Drill Hole Into Glass

We need to drill a hole in the glass bottle for the power cord. This is actually pretty difficult because if you try to rush it, the bottle has a tendancy to crack, thus forcing you to drink a whole 'nother bottle, which can be bad news when power tools are involved.

First, lay down a layer or two of tape where you will drill. This helps with the whole cracking issue. At this point, there should probably be a warning or two about how broken glass is dangerous and how dumb people ruin things for other (more responsible) people. You have been warned (sort of).

Next pick a spot to drill your hole. I tried to drill the bottom of the bottle but it is a lot thicker glass than it looks and is really hard to do without cracking the whole thing. It is easier to make a hole on the back towards the bottom. Use a small glass drill bit and work your way up to the bigger sizes. Use the Dremel tool to smooth out any sharp edges on the bottle.

Step 3: Paint 'yer Board!!

Make it all nice and pretty-like. Try not to paint where the epoxy will hold the bottle to the board. I also drilled a hole in the base to run the cord through so that it would be somewhat hidden.

After the paint is dry, mix the epoxy tubes and carefully smear it on the bottle and press it on the board. Let dry.

Step 4: Light Assembly

Run the power cord through the hole in the bottle and out through the top. MAKE SURE IT IS NOT PLUGGED IN YET, you don't want 1.21 giggawatts running through your body. If you want to keep the bottle cap on, you will need to drill a hole in it as well. This is where you earn some artistic license. Since every bottle is different, it is up to you to figure out how to mount the light socket into the top of the bottle. I used one of the rubber bottle stoppers from the kit. You could also use glue or a bolt/ nut. Follow the directions on the "Lamp Kit" and wire the two wires into the socket and finish assembling it.

Step 5: Running the Cord

Here are a few ideas on how to run the cord. After it leaves the hole, it follows the contour of the bottle down through the hole in the base. I made a groove in the base from the hole to the edge using a high-speed cutter bit in my Dremel. This makes the cord look nice and fit snugly inside the base

Step 6: Almost Done...

Let things dry for a bit. Perhaps start working on another bottle for the lamp????

Step 7: Done-zo!

Enjoy the spoils of your tacky-ness!


Stay Tacky my friends :)