A simple lamp using an old win bottle and a string of Christmas lights. A great gift idea.

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Step 1: Acquire Materials

You will need:

A WINE BOTTLE
This is one of the more fun building materials to acquire. I used a dark brown bottle of Prosecco. I'd suggest using a bottle with little or no tint if you would like the lamp to be bright. Tinted bottles, like the one I've used create a cool effect but are not that bright.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
I used a ten foot string of 50 small blue bulbs. I would suggest using strings at most ten feet long. This is where you can get really creative with light color and bulb tight. I imagine LED strings would look especially dynamic.

GLASS CUTTING BIT
You'll need a 1/2 inch glass cutting bit that you can find at your local hardware store, Loews, or Home Depot.

STONE COASTER
...or another way to add weight to the base.

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Step 2: Drill the Bottle

Be sure to leave a label on the wine bottle (you can remove it later) to provide a little resistance in getting you hole started, otherwise use a strip of masking tape. Be sure to wear long sleeves, gloves, eye protection, and a dust mask. You'll be grinding out glass dust so take all safety measures seriously, its some pretty nasty stuff.

Start your drill hole about 1-2 inches above its base. Start slow and allow the label to provide a pseudo template for your hole. Drilling is slow going as it is more of a slow grinding process. Be patient and do not force the drill with too much pressure. It took me over an hour to drill the hole through this bottle. Pay attention when you are nearing breakthrough so as to not punch the other side of the bottle.

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Step 3: Insert Light String

You will need to double over the light string to begin inserting the bulbs while keeping both the male and female plugs outside the bottle. I used the eraser end of a pencil to help with the process. I also used a wire hanger bent into a fish hook from the top of the bottle to adjust the string inside of the bottle as well as to keep the bulbs moving up and evenly distributed within the bottle.

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Step 4: Add Some Weight

The bottle will be light and easy to tip over, so its a good idea to add some weight to the base for lateral stability. The bottle will likely get hot if the lights have been used for a long time so you won't want it tipping over. I used a marble coaster to add weight. I simply used Gorilla Glue on the under side of the bottle so that it would expand into the concave bottom of the bottle to connect the coaster.

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Step 5: Plug It In

I used a dimmer switch to provide an on/off to the light as well as the opportunity for variable lighting.

Given as a gift, this lamp has been named the "bottle of pixies".

Again, the light will get hot and it should be used as an asthetic accent rather than a permanent light source and it should not be left on for long periods of time.

Total Cost: ~$10 for light strings and coaster

Enjoy!

Check out my other projects at Reclaimagination