Archives for August 2014

Hi there, recycled wine bottle decor lovers!  Today I am sharing a project that will add color to and illuminate any space.  Get your rainbow on with this wine bottle chandelier or match it to your style. You can make this light to go with your home decor using your favorite Mod Podge Sheer color, or use as many as you can get your hands on, like I did.  The project involves cutting wine bottles, which is easier than you may think, so let’s get started!

SUPPLIES:

 

Wine bottles cut to the size you want (I have showed you how to cut them HERE:  How to Cut Wine Bottles)

Mod Podge Sheer Colors

Wax paper or non stick craft mat

Craft Knife

Pendant light kits (I used these 12′ Hanging Lantern Cords I found on Amazon)

TUTORIAL:

Coloring the cut wine bottles

Squeeze a generous amount of Mod Podge Sheer Colors into the cut end of your bottle.

Twirl Bottle to disperse color all over the inside of the bottle.

If you are having a hard time getting it to flow, you can tap the bottle against your wrist as shown.

Let the excess Mod Podge drip into back into the product bottle to save as much as possible for your next project!

I placed my bottles on my kitchen table, on a non stick craft sheet, with the ceiling fan on.  Place them with the mouth down so they dry faster.  This will be an overnight process.

Wiring the lights

For this project I used a standard E27 base pendant light kit available at almost any Walmart or big DIY store.  The one I used actually had an in-line switch between the plug and the socket base.  I didn’t have a need for the switch or the plug since I was going to be direct wiring it to an existing switched circuit.

Step 1

I cut the wire using wire cutters at the socket side of the switch.  I left about 2 ft. of wire to the socket base but you should test and see what distance looks best in your application.

Step 2

Run the cut end up through bottle and out the neck of each of the six colored bottle shades.  The sockets will fit snuggly up in the taper of the neck of the shade.

Step 3

Bare the ends of each of the wires using your wire cutters to peel away the plastic coating (there will be 12 wires, hot and a neutral for each lamp or 18 if the kit is wired for a ground).

Step 4

I chose a room that already had a simple ceiling light on a wall switch. This made it easy to take down and I just used the existing junction box and cover plate from the old light.

Step 5

With wall switch OFF ( throw the service breaker for extra safety) take down the old ceiling light and find the white(neutral), black(hot), and green (ground) wires.  Pull them down out of the box and make sure you have enough room to go back with the new wire bundle you’re going to create.

Step 6

Combine all the neutral wires from the lamp kits together into one pigtail. DO the same for the hot and the ground if present. Use some electrical tape to help hold them all together while you get ready to connect them to the junction box.

Step 7

Using an appropriately sized wire nut, connect the white pigtail of the lamp kit to the white (neutral) wire from the ceiling. DO the same with the Black (hot) and ground( green, if present).

Step 8

Carefully push the wires up into the junction box and allow the weight of the lamps to be carried by the bundled lamp cords over the junction box support bar.

Step 9

Slide the fixture cover you used from the old light up into place to cover everything.

Step 10

Flip the breaker and the switch on. Put bulbs in the lamps. Let there be light !!!

***Extra tip: Use Mod Podge Rocks Adhesive Stencils and Glitter Spouncers to add your favorite pattern for added sparkly goodness, like I did with this Upcycled Bottle Lamp:

Not up for electrical wiring?  Use your colored bottles to create Upcycled Rainbow Lanterns: