Introduction: Recycled Bottle Lamps (Multiple)
I would like to share one of my favorite projects how to make a bottle lamp. You do have to invest about $15 for a diamond bit, but the bottle lamps can be made for less than $10 and they make amazing gifts or sold for a profit at craft shows and Etsy shops.
Before we start i made this instructables to thank my first 100 subscribers i got featured twice and won a contest i couldn't have done it with out you guys thanks so much now enjoy your instructable
Step 1: Overview
Theres lots of ways to make that special lamp of yours. heres a few ideas of what can be accomplished with a little creativity and a well explained instructables like this one ;)
Step 2: Lamp Type #1
STYLE #1 Recycled Lamp
Tools And Supplies
- Old Lamp (Working)
- Empty Bottle
- Drill or drill press
- Diamond glass bits
- Heat shrink tubbing
- Needle nose pliers or tweezers
- Electrical tape
- Liquid nails
- Filler (what ever you want to put in your bottle)
- Hack saw or something to take apart lamp
- Lighter or heat gun to heat upbeat shrink tubbing
1.) Find an old lamp you can use
2.) Find a bottle you want to use and clean it out good (I Used A Jack Daniels Bottle )
Step 3: Lamp #1- Step 2
STEP 2
- remove lamp shade
- flip lamp over mine add a paper thing covering the cord so i took it out to revel the cord
- uses the hack saw if needed to cut an incision in lamp to remove cord
- use the hack saw again to open the remainder part of the lamp so you can pull the cord all the way out
- cut the wire so we will be able to thread it and rewire it into the lamp later
- after your done gutting it you should have the lamp guts
Step 4: Lamp #1- Step 3
STEP 3
- Drill hole with diamond bits in the back side of the bottle near the bar code start with the smallest diamond bit then go to the largest one or just the one that can fit the wire snuggly through
- then you want to thread the wire through the top of the drink into the hole that you drilled your going to need pliers or tweezers for this step
- TIPS- rotate the bottle as your threading the wire though the hole while pliers are in the bottle trying to fish it out
Step 5: Lamp #1- Step 4
STEP 4
- now your going to need to separate the wire you can do this by cutting down the center of the wire and pulling the wrest apart with your hands not to much though i do this so its easier to work with as were re wiring it your also going to need to strip the wires i used scissors but you should uses wire strippers
- next you want to twist the wires back together (you can use solder but you do not need to) if you lost track of which wire goes where DO NOT GUESS you can cause some serious damage if you do so sense its an old lamp it polarized unlike the kits you buy at home depot it matters which wire goes where so if you lost track there should be white writing on one of the wires connect this wire to the other wire with white writing then connect the two together without writing on it
- make sure you have the heat shrink tubbing on before you connect the widest together
- now heat up the heat shrink tubbing with your lighter, heat gun, or soldering iron
Step 6: Lamp #1- Step 5
STEP 5
- now put it back together by using the liquid nails and applying pressure then wrap it up with electrical tape to make it look better and hold the liquid nail glue in place while its hardening add a light bulb and your lamp shade and enjoy your new lamp
Step 7: Lamp #2
this lamp requires a little bit of soldering skills
Tools And Supplies
- Solder
- Soldering iron
- old lamp or lamp parts
- heat shrink tubbing
- 12 volt charger or cord of some sort i found one in my junk box
- LED'S (Light emitting diodes)
- And all the tools you needed in the first Lamp i should you how to make
Step 1-
Get your bottle and clean it out really good
Step 8: Lamp #2 Step- 2
Step 2-
- Solder LED'S TO The Diagram Below this is going to take awhile don't forget the resistors
- you can use this calculator here if your using different LEDS and power supply http://led.linear1.org/led.wiz
Step 9: Lamp #2 Step- 3
Step 3-
- Drill hole in bottle just like the first lamp we made on the bottom near the barcode
- thread wire through bottle and attach the 12 volt charger to your LEDS you just made FOLLOW THE DIAGRAM
- re wire the cord together just like we did in the first lamp don't forget the heat shrink tubing
- now slowly and carefully compress your led circuit into the bottle towards the middle
- then add your filler make sure its glass of some sort so you can see the light i used clear glass beads from Michael's
- now enjoy!!!!!!
Step 10: Lamp Type #3
For this style of lamp all i did was get a small bottle of jack (1 pint)
Drilled a groove in the bottom of bottle so the led would fit but not be wet by the lubricant i used for the filler in the bottle
wired the Rainbow cycling led to a toggle switch and a 4 AA Battery holder mounted it through a base i got at Michael's for 2 bucks put the battery and wires in the base
drilled a hole through the base
glued led in place allied with bottle
glued bottle to base with epoxy
and your done a color changing night light lamp
i used garage door lube for the filler because it was thick and cool looking you can also used 2 part resin but obviously only put 1 part resin in not the second or it will harden
ENJOY THE LAMPS!
DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE
AND VOTE FOR ME IN FUTURE CONTESTS IT MAKES ME MOTIVATED TO KEEP THE PROJECTS GOING THANKS TO EVERY ONE FOR HELPING ME OUT
SPECIAL THANKS TO MY FIRST 100 SUBSCRIBERS
you guys helped me get featured twice and win a contest thanks again it means a lot
Step 11: Heres a Few of My Instagram Videos to Help You Guys Out
Heres a few of my instagram videos to help you guys out it was filmed and posted on my instagram so there not to detailed nut it should help

Participated in the
Spring's Coming Contest

Participated in the
Makerlympics Contest
45 Comments
8 years ago on Introduction
Excellent ible!!! At what speed should you run the drill press?
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
I put the drill press on the highest speed but I would check the chart I posted below
http://www.diamondsure.com/Techniques.shtml
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for your response! , and your instructable !! Looking forward to this one.
6 years ago
Strange question but what liquid are you using in the 3 example, garage door lube doesn't say me too much...
7 years ago
I've got a Chateau Petrus 1952 bottle which will make a great lamp. THX
8 years ago on Introduction
I would like to make lamp style number three but I cant find the LED base. Can you tell me where you got it at or how you made that part?
8 years ago
Thanks! This really helps. + it is super cool. I have been looking into night lights for a while.
8 years ago on Introduction
This is definitely really cool but I think a short strand of Christmas lights and some glass beads will work instead of the LEDs and soldering. Wish I was on your level though!
8 years ago on Introduction
Looking at this again for the socket where the lightbulb goes into is that just resting ontop or did you glue it to stay straight?
8 years ago on Introduction
It looks like it might be above my pay grade, but it looks really cool! I voted for you on both items. Good Luck! :)
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
thank you so much!
8 years ago
awesome
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
thanks! don't forget to vote for me :)
8 years ago on Introduction
You don't need 4 batteries to run one LED in the base of the bottle. Use a simple Joule thief circuit to run one or 2 3 volt bright LED's
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131115025121?ssPageName=ST...
The chip can use up to 5 volts and double the voltage to the LED's
To calculate LED's with wall wart supplies, divide 3 volts into the DC voltage and run that many in series. Each LED should pull about 20 ma current and you may not need any resistors.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
You should never run an LED without resistors - you *need* to limit current - setting the voltage can't do that.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
I used resistors I will check my post again but almost positive I said I used resistors if not then I apologies but I completely agree with you
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Yes, you put them in the circuit diagram. Good practice. Some LED's have an internal resistor but unless you know this for sure, you need to limit the current.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Go here: http://www.hebeiltd.com.cn/?p=zz.led.resistor.calc...
In the series LED section enter 6 power supply volts , 3 LED volts and 20 ma current. Zero resistance! This is a page from a manufacturing site. The other calculator site always adds at least a one ohm resistor, which could be a real wattage headache if you are using a lot of power. It is wrong.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
So where's the other 3 volts being dropped?
From the site you list: "Voltage drop is usually 1.9~2.1V" - the change in "resistance" for the 0.2V band can be huge, and nothing like the the same as would be expected for a purely resistive load. LED's are semi-conductors, current needs to be restricted.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Series means more than one LED in sequence in a circuit. Put 2 in and the second one drops the other 3 volts. Put in more and you get negative resistances because you are cutting current more. Eventually the LED's will not conduct at all. Next closest resistor = 1 ohm, but that's just a technicality as there are no negative resistors.
Using V = IR a resistor or an LED must drop the rest of the voltage in excess of the voltage of the first LED. Since the second LED can drop all 3 volts there is no need for a resistor..