Glass is the golden child of the eco-movement. Well, another movement is brewing with glass too – upcycling! Specifically, upcycling old glass bottles into home décor is becoming more and more popular. And, the creative things people are coming up with are quite striking.
Glass bottles can have so many great uses around the house. We use them in the kitchen, as storage vessels, to display gorgeous flowers and to spruce up our living spaces. But they can become so much more with a little time and effort!
Upcycling glass into a lamp
Next time you’re redecorating a corner of your home, consider upcycling an old glass bottle into a lamp. All you need is a few simple supplies and you can transform an otherwise lifeless bottle into a beacon of light in your home.
If you don’t have a glass bottle on hand, head out to a few local thrift stores or flea markets to shop for a piece to upcycle. Sometimes you can score great finds at garage sales too. And it is garage sale season, so now is a great time to embark on this project!
To get started making your own upcycled glass bottle lamp, you’ll need to procure a few simple supplies:
- A glass bottle you want to upcycle
- Lamp kit (you can find kits at hardware stores)
- A lightbulb (LED is the best for our environment!)
- A lampshade that fits the style of the bottle
- Time, patience and dedication
Once you have gathered all of the necessary supplies, all you have to do is fit the lamp kit into the bottle’s opening, screw in the LED light bulb and attach the lampshade to the bottle. Of course, some glass bottles present some additional challenges that you might have to address with your DIY project, so we’re bringing you some more lamp making inspiration.
DIY lamp projects
Check out these DIY lamp projects made from old glass bottles. Some of them address unique lamp making challenges that you might face. And you just might find some ideas you want to emulate in your home!
Large water bottle lamp
In this beautiful project shown on The Inspired Room, Melissa makes a large glass lamp from an old glass water jug she found at a local flea market. The pretty blue color of the glass gives this DIY lamp a high-end look that goes perfectly with her home décor. She is honest that she’s not an avid DIYer, so if she can make a lamp on her own, so can you.
Large glass bottle lamp with drilled hole
If you’re not able to find a lamp kit that allows you to create your lamp without drilling a hole in the opening of the bottle, you’ll want to check out this tutorial over on Shades of Blue Interiors. She shows you how to create a lamp with a large glass bottle (by drilling a hole in the bottle to run the cord through the top and out of the opening in the bottom). You’ll still need a lamp kit, but you’ll be able to use the ones that are more readily available for purchase at local hardware stores.
Copycat Pottery Barn lamp
Jeannine over at The Concrete Cottage confesses that she has a Pottery Barn obsession, but not a Pottery Barn budget. That’s why she set out to make her own copycat Pottery Barn lamp. She chose a bottle with a larger opening than a lamp kit would fit. So if you find yourself in that same position she shows you how she made her own faux cork to fill the opening so she could create her own dream lamp.
DIY pendant lights made from alcohol bottles
If you have a bar in your home, this lamp project from DIY Joy may be just what you’re looking for. In this project, you’ll need to learn the skill of glass cutting. The tutorial gives you two methods for cutting glass, so if you want to make a pendant lamp from a glass bottle, be sure to check out these instructions for some extra guidance. This article on DIY Network gives yet another spin on turning wine bottles into beautiful pendant lights.
Upcycled glass decanter lamp
Glass decanters have a very elegant look to them, so it makes sense that they’d also make a gorgeous upcycled lamp. Miss Kris did just that over on Darling Magazine. She walks you through how you can turn a glass decanter into a small table lamp that’s a unique statement piece. She recommends picking up the decanter from a thrift store so you can keep a minimal budget for your project.
Mason jar rope light
[Editor’s note: This blog has been taken down since this story was published, but we’re keeping the craft here for inspiration anyway!] For years, mason jars have been a favorite of DIYers for many different types of projects. Now we can add another one to that list with this mason jar rope light tutorial over on Vintage Prairie Style. Unlike the other examples we’ve given, this one is for a smaller table lamp. It would be great in an office or den with a vintage style. The author of this article gives advice on buying your lamp kit at Ikea and shows you step by step how she creates this unique lamp from a mason jar – something most of us already have lying around.
Unique photoluminescent lamps
The Trap Light photoluminescent lamps showcased over on Core77 are truly unique. Mike Thompson and Gionata Gatto embed high temperature, photoluminescent pigments into Murano glass lampshades. This process allows the glass lampshades to emit captured light when the bulb is off, creating a very low ambient light for about 8 hours (after 30 minutes of charge). Of course, only the true DIY expert should try this one at home.
Inspired yet? How will you create your own upcycled glass bottle lamp?
Feature image credit: anuruk perai/ Shutterstock