My daughter and I made light bulb vases for Christmas presents and everyone loved them! I even made a few for my co-workers and we have them hanging on our "dog bones" at work.
You will need just a few supplies for the project.
You will need a light bulb, pliers, wire, screw driver, and a nail (not pictured).
I didn't have any burned out light bulbs so I had to buy some at the dollar store. I found 4 bulbs for a dollar which makes this project pretty cheap.
The first thing you want to do is remove the tab on top of the bulb. The easiest way I found to do it is to take your thumb nail and push up the tab and then grab it with the pair of pliers and pull off the top.
Underneath the tab is the black (maybe purple) ceramic glass. You will need to break this glass with a hammer or pliers.
I cover the bulb with a plastic bag. This keeps the glass from flying (possibly in your eye) and since the bag is somewhat clear I can see where I am hitting the bulb. I also hold the bag around the bulb so I don't get cut if the bulb accidentally breaks.
After you have broken the glass and cleaned out the glass you will see the filament inside the bulb.
If you did not break this filament while trying to break the ceramic glass, you will need to use the screw driver (or something equally pointed and hard) to break it loose from the bulb.
The filament may be in more than one piece so be careful removing it. Shake out any excess glass into a trash can.
Next, I use a nail (and something to drive in the nail-hammer or pliers) to make a small hole in the bulb base on each side. This will be for the wire to hang the bulb. You can either clean out the bulb now or wait until you have the wire attached. I found that it's easier to clean without the wire. I think the hardest part of this entire project is getting the white film out of the bulb. I've used crushed ice, rice, beans and stuck pieces of paper towels inside. Use what works best for you.
This isn't an endorsement for the wire, it's just a picture of the wire that I am using. This wire is nice because it has a built in cutting system.
I cut off an eight to ten inch piece of wire and thread it through the hole, then twist to secure.
And now you are finished.
Fill the bulb with water and add a plant. This is a great starter for ivy plants. The picture below is a hosta plant.
Some options for the filling the bulb include the crystals for water arrangements, small lights, glow lights, etc.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
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