Kitchen Night Light

Recycled Bottles 

 Maybe you've seen something similar to the night-lights I made for my kitchen. My sister-in-law has one on her counter made from a wine bottle. But like with any project I see, I can't help but try to come up with my own twist on it. 

The typical wine bottle with lights in it is made by drilling a hole in the back of the bottom of the bottle and stuffing lights into the bottle. However, I read stories on the Internet about how many bottles crack when someone tries to drill the hole. So I decided to make mine even simpler. I stuffed the lights in the top of the bottle.

 

In my picture, the bottle on the left is a wine bottle. I put a few colored glass marbles into the bottom of the bottle. To keep the bottle from shattering when you bounce marbles into it, tilt the bottle on its side, and let the marbles gently slide down the side. 

Then I stuffed in the lights. I used a string of 20 which is the perfect size for this project. This is the time of year when the lights start coming out and right after Christmas, I stocked up on them last year when they were 75% off. I left the tail of the light string sticking out the top of the bottle and then pressed the cork in place to hold the light cord securely. Then I tied raffia around the neck and wired on a cluster of artificial grapes. 

The green bottle on the right is an olive oil bottle. I put clear lights in it and they glow green. A sparkling cider bottle would look cool and so would any kind of vintage bottle.


So, my twist on the project is two-fold: skipping the drilling and using something other than a wine bottle. Think about the bottles you have around. I have a cool one from 1883 coffee flavoring that would make a good bottle for lights. I have also saved some clear bottles with the plan to make frosted designs, so I tried one out today. 

First, I got out the painters tape and a snowflake punch (from my scrapbook supplies). 

 The painters tape is easier to remove later than other kinds of tape. With the adhesive side of the tape facing down, I pressed the tape through my snowflake punch. This could also be done with laser cut stickers in place of the tape shapes. 

Then I stuck the tape snowflakes randomly on my clear bottle. 

 Next, I got out my frosted glass spray paint. This is sold wherever you buy spray paint. I used it to create privacy glass on my bathroom window and this was left over. I sprayed all over the bottle and let it dry (dries quickly). 

Then I carefully peeled off the blue tape snowflakes to reveal the pattern Make sure your paint has cured a little before you peel off the tape. I was a little hasty in peeling mine and it peeled off a little of the paint I wanted left on. 

Here is a picture of my finished frosted glass with the lights stuffed inside. I haven't accessorized the bottle yet, but you get the idea. To get the lights distributed, use the skinny handle of a wooden spoon or a sturdy skewer. Although the green cords from the lights are noticeable as shadows in the picture, the camera picked up more than what really showed. Still, I'm planning to add some marbles when I have a chance to get some because they help diffuse the light. 

 Just think, you could do so much with the frosted method!

Have you tried a similar project? How did yours differ from my method? Share your ideas in the comments below.  

I'm linking up with these sites:
 

Reinvented's Trash to Treasure Tuesday

 

And at Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party 

 

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words 2nd Time Around Tuesday

    

DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land

 

 

    Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch  

   

The Thrifty Home Penny Pinching Party

   

Stop by these sites to see other great projects!