What you need
Light Bulbs
Wire
Suction cup
pliers
Instructions
You simply twist the wire around the rim of the bulbs into whatever design you want. You can use 1 bulb, 2 bulbs or however many bulbs you want. Keep in mind your suction cup must hold the weight.
You could also make these to hang onto a wall hook if you wanted.
To hollow out the light bulbs: (sorry no pictures, I tried but they only made it more confusing so I will use the power of WORDS!)
1. Find a light bulb, burnt out or not doesn’t matter really.
2. Use a set of pliers to take of the little silver part at the end. Once you get the ends bent up a bit just give it a little wiggle with the pliers and it should come out.
3. Hold the black (which turns out to actually be purple) part over a candle or some sort of flame. Promptly run cold water over the glass part, if it makes a cracking noise don’t freak out, its the black part not the glass (usually).
4. Find something, I use a steak knife, to break the black part. It’s usually just a matter of gouging at it to get it to break and come out. Pliers will also come in handy. remember: grip the light bulb by the metal part NOT THE BULB.
5. Now there’s the glass part that’s up inside the bulb, use the tip of your knife or whatever you find most useful to break this. Usually a few good solid, but not too hard taps will do it. after its broken use the pliers to take it out. remember you might have to break it into a few pieces to get it to come out.
6. Now you have a hollow light bulb. this is the best time to clean up the hole part and get any stray pieces of glass.
7. Rinse out the white powdery stuff with some water for those bulbs with the white frosted stuff in them. To get any of that persistent white stuff out fill a little bit of the bulb up with salt, sugar, I’ve used rice before and shake it around. fill with water and shake it around, then just rinse them out.
8. Let it dry
9. Make something wicked cool
This project was contributed by Nafety
I think the same idea as a humming bird feeder would be awesome 🙂
Actually, for all the people who think otherwise, light globes /are/ usually filled with a gas. But it’s an inert gas, like argon. The filaments get rather hot and having things like oxygen in there would greatly shorten their life. Notice how they’re completely sealed?
But unless you decide to inhale nothing but argon it doesn’t pose any harm. An heck, even enough straight oxygen will kill you.
Also – some clear grow gel in the bottom (or even just water with nutrients added) and a small cutting and you can actually grow things in them too. One of my friends had some form of vine like thing (no idea what it was, sorry!) growing from several that were suspended by wire from the curtain rail above her kitchen window. It looked rather good.
love this, love this, how wicked cool !!! nice job!! I’m going to try and I may even try and paint the bottom half !!
Most cool, can’t get over this !!
great and practible, i use smakk bottles and wire with a suction cup to hang in windows for rooting!
this project is great fun. it works if you want to keep it basic just like the sample in the photo, but you can definitely add a lot more on if you want. the issue of preparing the light bulbs is not as complicated as it may seem to some, but definitely consider your ability to handle some of the tools needed. afterward, though, the light bulbs are insanely easy to work with.
that IS wicked cool.
Looks cute but light bulbs are hard to work with.
excdellent idea
I’ve been wondering what to do with like bulbs instead of throwing them out since they can’t be recycled. I like the vase idea although I’d want to take the metal skew part off for a cleaner look. I like this idea a lot though.
really nice!!! 😀
i”ve been looking for something to make for 3 days now, and I really like this project very creative I think I will make it and also try to make a candle one with the lights.
Im 13 and i never no what to make for my dad. He loves plants and homemade things. in the past i made him thing he dosent really use i bet he will use this! THANKS ALOT!
I just can’t get the silver part out.
this one worked!
i could use it…as a salt shaker!!
hah.
well great idea
light bulds vase has many safety questions.But the idea is creative.
LOVE this! incredibly unique and astheticly pleasing! My favorite Recycled craft I’ve seen so far. Enough to make me offer up my first comment on the site! haha
Love the idea! We are doing this as a class project in summer day care!! thanks a bunch!
They look lovely and AT LAST, a REAL recycling tip!
I LOVE this idea!
poisonous gas in lightbulbs hahaha Make me laugh!! maybe if it was florcent
this idea frm you saved me alot of time spent of finding ideas
how would u decorate the bulbs?
As the root of an Idea, it is inspired. There is no end of design ideas that go with this when it comes to applying Sculpey or Fimo polymer clay. A wonderful way to recycle.
u could also put jewellery in them + put them n yur dressing table, -what a trendy idea!
How much wind do you get inside your home? It’s amazing how mean people can be.
I think this is a cute project. Thanks for the tutorial!
i think it looks stupid you better hope a little wind don,t blow or there goes allll ….your “HARD” WORK.
You know, if you don’t like the idea of hanging them on the window, you could find one of those lamp shades that clamps onto the bulb and stand it up upside down and put the bulb in it…decorate the shade, of course.
couldn’t see the pic it was too dark but I got the jest of how to make it thanks I usually paint them but this is a unique idea I have about 3-400 bulbs just lying around I will try your idea
Tabetha tabscorner2@yahoo.com
Crafty and creative!
I think these are very fun and cute. I made them with my 9 year old son. It was easier than expected and nat as scary.
LOVE this!!! 🙂
These also look great painted with transparent glass paint.
POOR
What an awesome idea, I’m going to try it
What an awesome idea, I’m going to try it
Neat idea! Amazing what you can do with a little imagination and a burnt out light bulb. Love it!!
who ever is afraid of the posinous gas maybe should get a horse and buggy,,,what with all the posinous exhaust fumes from just starting a car not to mention driving it. just an idle thought…please keep the great ideas coming!!!remember to wear gloves!!!
Another excellent craft for recycling light bulbs. I will definitly be making this one.
uh… flouresent lights have the gas in them… not these ones, they are perfectly safe….. . I think its a great idea!
Awesome idea! Can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
actually just the other day, at the hospital, a lady’s husband added tiny colored rocks water and a lucky bambo plant with a plastic gold stand that holds it up! Tks for directions
for removing the wires! I’ll have to try it!!! 🙂
Poisonous gas??? Oh please!!! Thanks for posting this fun project. Can’t wait to try it!
This is next atfter the other 3 billion things I want to make.
Thanks for posting
i think i’d rather go to au’ naturalle in town amd get some vases for about 70p each than risk getting my fingers chopped of with wire/glass!!
Posionus Gas, umm yeah thats why they made it a craft project , so you would die. Don’t u think they checked ???????
I would be worried about the poisonous gas in lightbulbs
I think this is really cute and you could even dress up the bulbs with paint or beads, I would imagine. I’ll have to make this! =)
Maybe you don’t get the point of making your own things…. It’s suppose to be fun looking while saving money, and this does just that.
I can’t wait for some bulbs to burn out also! I think it’s rather inventive and just like with ANY art project…subjective. So…if you don’t like it…don’t make it. Happy crafting!
you’re just a snob lol
it looks cool, but it seems dangerous.
the lightbulb vase is cool, fun to make.
This is one idea I will try.
I had a go at this craft using E27 lightbulbs & hanging them from a wooden stand.The metal on screw bulbs is soft enough to cut with a stanley knife,you can carefully cut just round the black bit.It makes the project much easier & less messy. Fab idea.