Recycle Reminder Lamp From Upcycled Water Bottle

This I'ble will show you how to craft a neat and simple portable lamp from a recycled water bottle. Not only will it shed its light for hours on end it will create a talking piece to prompt others to join in our fight to save the globe.

Save these valuable bottles and recycle/upcycle them any way you can!

Lets build our LED lamp.

This is a entry to the "Keep the bottle" contest. Please take the time to vote if you think the idea, is worth me getting a prize for it. I would really enjoy the prize, so please vote.

Step 1: What You Will Need

We will only need a few items for this prject. They include

~ Two water bottles.

~ Scissors.

~ One High powered LED . (Preferably out of some old electronics)

~ An applicable battery for your LED (If you can not obtain a battery to suit, purchase some resistors from your local electronics store.).

~ One rocker switch (purchase one from your local electronics store or salvage it from old electronics)

~ Glue.

~ 240 grit sand paper.

Step 2: Cutting the Bottles

Cut the top off one of your bottles.

Make the cut below the neck where the bottle neck meets the flat sides.
Trim the cut flush.

This will be the top of our lamp.


Cut the bottom off your other bottle.

Make the cut about 12 mm / 1/2 inch from the bottom.
Trim the cut flush

This will be our base of the lamp.


We now need to cut the hole for the switch.
Trace out the required hole and cut where you feel appropriate. I chose the back, yet the side would still be fine.

Step 3: Sanding the Bottles.

In order to make the bottle seem less like a bottle, we shall sand the plastic to an opaque finish. This will still allow light to transfer yet diffuse it to a certain extent.

Take your sand paper and with circular motions abraid the inside and outside of the top/bottom.

Step 4: Building the Circuit

The circuit is a very basic.

It is simply a

LED connected on one terminal to a

Battery (Mine are 3x rechargable 1.5v) then the other battery terminal is connected to a

Switch then the switch is connected back to other terminal of the LED.

My circuit does not require resistors, as the value of the LED equals the power output of my batteries. the batteries ar housed within the LED module. Practice making your own basic lighting circuits. They are great for simple projects like this.

Step 5: Glue the Circuit and Switch in Place

Apply some of your adhesive to the center of the base, then to the LED.

Allow to dry.

Cut out a hole to insert your switch.
Insert the switch with a little adhesive to hold.

Step 6: Bring the Base and Top Together

I would suggest you not glue the base and top together, as when the battery finally dies you may wish to chnage it. Provided you get the base correct you should find the fit very snug and adequate to function.
You may also wish to apply a mains power tranformer unit, if you intend on this device running for extended periods of time.

Step 7: Your Finished

Your LED Water Bottle lamp shall provide you with hours of illuminated delight and will transform any darkened room into a aesthetical wonderland.
Not only is it pleasing to the eye, it also provides ample light for any home DIY project.
The fully shrouded exterior means no worries when it comes to bumps and knocks.


I hoped you enjoyed this project and bare in mind that the possibilities are endless when it comes to recycling.
No valuable bottle reaches my recycling at home. They are immediately washed/labels removed and stacked according to size.
They are then harvested for the raw materials.
They are an excellent medium to exploit for a variety of ingenious projects.

I hope you are all inspired to create your own bottle piece of ingenuity. Good Luck!!




This is a entry to the "Keep the bottle" contest. Please take the time to vote if you think the idea, is worth me getting a prize for it. I would really enjoy the prize, so please vote.