Introduction: Wine Bottle Hanging Lantern
https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-a-wet-tile-saw-to-cut-glass-bottles/
https://www.instructables.com/id/Hanging-Liquor-Bottle-Candle-Lamp/
I've found that a regular tile sawblade in the wetsaw doesn't make a very clean cut but it does work. I tried several ideas for the wire and candle support before deciding on the one shown. Recycled used giant sparkler wire from New Years was ok but kind of overkill, the bottom of an aluminum can as a candle support worked but was to much work for the final result. But enough of what DIDN'T work.
Step 1: Materials and Tools
Materials:
recycled wine bottles, you can also use liqueur, beer or water(glass) bottles
found electrical wire
left over votive and tea-lite candles from Halloween
Tools:
I borrowed a wetsaw from a friend
SAFETY GOGGLES ! <<<< Cutting glass is dangerous to your eyes regardless of how you cut it
Pliers
Wire cutters
Needlenose pliers
Razorknife
Step 2: The Bottles
sorry, no pics of cutting the bottles, it's probably best to remove the labels before cutting, I didn't and paid the price, luckily it was just a cut glove! Cut a 1/2 inch or so off the bottom of the bottle, if you have emery paper or wet sanding paper, clean up your cut
Step 3: Forming the Wire
cut and strip approximately 3 feet of your wire.
Starting at one end of a single wire, form a coil approximately 1 1/2 inces across and then make a 90degree bend.
Measure up about 4inches from the coil and make another 90 degree bend towards the center of the coil.
Make another 90 degree bend pointing upwards from approximately the middle of the coil.
Eyeball where the shoulder of the bottle begins and make a couple of loops in your wire (this keeps the wire from pulling up to far.) I put another bend in the wire loop because I made it a little to wide.
Make any extra/decorative bends you may need to put the coil about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the bottle
Step 4: Wire Part 2
Remember that 90degree bend 4 inches above the coil? Place that bend at the bottom of the bottle with the wire extending through the neck of the bottle and make a 90degree bend, basically repeating what was done for the inside ( this keeps the bottle from moving up to high) and then form a hook at the very top. Sorry some of these pics didn't turn out.
The more observent may notice I started with a clear bottle and now Im using a green bottle, that's because I only had clear bottles left uncut !
Step 5: Hang and Light
You can use the wire hook to hang the lantern from a small branch or for a bigger branch use a rope or chain and attach the hook to that.
Slide the bottle up the wire and place either a votive sized candle or tea-lite candle on the coil and light it , then slide the bottle back down.
WARNING : Votive size candles make the bottle HOT to the touch, tea-lites only make the glass warm (experience typing here)
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22 Comments
6 years ago on Step 4
What kind of wire do you use? I tried some copper in the crafts but it was too soft.
Reply 6 years ago on Step 4
I
was using a piece of house electrical wire, commonly called coaxial, I
have several electrician friends who save me scraps and I find some at
building sites. I don't know if you can buy small amounts of it. There
are several wires inside a plastic sleeve, once you remove the sleeve,
one wire will be bare copper, you can strip the other wires or not. You
could also use coat hanger wire or any other stiff wire like baling or
fence wire
7 years ago on Introduction
These look great! Have you ever tried this guy's method for cutting bottles? https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sFXngPx3w3M
It seems like it works pretty well but I haven't had a chance to try it yet. Also, the bottle necks don't crack when the candles are lit? I've had problems with narrow-necked candle votives that crack or shatter internally when they get too hot.
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
I didn't c&p the link to the video, I feel that most amateur videographers are more amateur than videography gurus, I seldom watch the ones on here, I prefer to be able to skim the written instruction for the salient points and possibly delve closer if interested enough. All that being said, over the years I have tried many methods of cutting glass bottles all with mixed results and never get a really clean cut.
I haven't had any instances of the bottle breaking due to heat from the tealight candles or votive size candles with this design, although if the candle was too high in the bottle I could see it being possible
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
I didn't c&p the link to the video, I feel that most amateur videographers are more amateur than videography gurus, I seldom watch the ones on here, I prefer to be able to skim the written instruction for the salient points and possibly delve closer if interested enough. All that being said, over the years I have tried many methods of cutting glass bottles all with mixed results and never get a really clean cut.
I haven't had any instances of the bottle breaking due to heat from the tealight candles or votive size candles with this design, although if the candle was too high in the bottle I could see it being possible
7 years ago on Introduction
Did you try cutting a bottle with a string, acetone, and a lighter?
http://youtu.be/_vILNflmwFw
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
I have tried that method with mixed results
9 years ago on Step 5
Keep up the good work.
Reply 9 years ago on Step 5
thank you, I'll try
9 years ago on Introduction
Funny (odd): your reference links to other 'ibles seem to just jump back to yours (this one)...
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Hopefully it's working properly now
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
you are right ! that is odd ! Thank you for pointing it out, I'll try replacing the links
9 years ago on Introduction
I love bottles like this! Never got the hank of it.
sunshiine
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
I never had much luck cutting bottles either until I read about the wetsaw idea, you can buy fairly inexpensive ones...thank you for leaving a comment
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Hmm I will look into that. I have been wanting to make some to put candles or lights in. they are so beautiful.
sunshiine
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
it's also helpful to have an affinity for wine ( I don't ) or a friend who does ( I do )
When you beg,borrow,barter the saw cut 2-3x what you think you'll need because friends have a tendency to appropriate one or 2 for their trees... or in one case, windows.
9 years ago on Introduction
They look gorgeous, nicely done!
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Thank you, they are pretty at night, during the day its more like high falutin redneck = ) Clear bottles of course give more light but I like the colored glass.
Maybe if I frost/etch the clear bottles...hhhmmmm
Thank you for commenting
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Etched bottles would look really amazing. I wish I had a wetsaw.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
I borrowed one but you can get them fairly inexpensively, of course even at $50-60, you'd need to sell a lot of lanterns to get any return