I have been holding onto this Clase Azul bottle for years because I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it: turn it into a lamp.
Did I actually turn it into a lamp at any point during those 2+ years? No. But I’m trying to downsize my stuff and that means either finish the project or get rid of the supplies.
So – here’s how to make a lamp out of a tequila bottle, or any bottle really.
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What You’ll Need
- An empty bottle you want to turn into a lamp
- Lamp Kit
- Hole Saw Drill Bit Kit
- A cordless drill
- Safety glasses + Hearing protection
- Water
- A lightbulb
- A lampshade
Step 1: Drill a Hole in Your Bottle
This is the part that makes the project look significantly more intimidating than it actually is.
You’ll need to drill a hole near the bottom of your bottle large enough for your electrical cord to pass through. Use a diamond hole saw designed for glass or ceramic and make sure the bottle is secure and cannot roll or shift while you’re drilling.
Glass also needs to stay wet while you’re drilling so the bit and material don’t overheat. Exactly how you do this is going to depend on the shape of whatever you’re drilling and the instructions for your particular drill bit.
Because the Clase Azul bottle is oddly shaped, curved and generally committed to making everything more difficult, I couldn’t simply lay it flat in a shallow container of water. I worked with running water to keep the drilling area wet while using a cordless drill.
Take your time and don’t force the bit through the glass or ceramic. A curved surface is especially annoying because the bit wants to move when you first start drilling. Get the bottle stabilized, let the drill bit do the work and eventually you’ll get through it.
Also: this hole saw kit is not exclusively a tequila-bottle-lamp purchase. You can use the same type of bits for other glass and ceramic projects, including drilling drainage holes into decorative pots so they can become actual functional planters.
Step 2: Feed the Lamp Cord Through the Bottle
Once you’ve successfully put a hole in your bottle without destroying it, congratulations!
Now you need to get the electrical cord from the hole you just drilled, through the inside of the bottle and out through the neck. This may require some improvisation.
There was a plug on one end of my cord, my bottle is about a foot and a half tall, the inside isn’t smooth and the bottle isn’t see-through.
I ended up feeding a shoelace down through the mouth of the bottle, getting it out through the hole I drilled, attaching the lamp wire to it and then using the shoelace to pull the wire back up through the bottle.
Stupid problem. Stupid solution. Worked perfectly.
Depending on your bottle, you could accomplish the same thing with string, fishing line, wire or whatever else you can successfully feed through it.
Step 3: Wire the Lamp
For the actual electrical portion, follow the directions that come with your lamp kit.
I’m serious. I’m telling you how I made mine, but the instructions included with your specific kit be followed to the letter or you are risking an electrical fire.
Mine was extremely simple: essentially one knot, two wires and attaching everything to the socket according to the directions.
The lamp kit also included the hardware that sits in the neck of the bottle and holds the socket in place, so once the wiring was finished, the entire thing actually started looking like a lamp surprisingly quickly.
Step 4: Add a Bulb and Lampshade
Scrounge up a lightbulb, add your lampshade (I’m gonna get one at At Home!) and plug her in.
That’s it! We made lamps!!
The bottle I saved for years because I was convinced it would make a cool lamp is now, in fact, a cool lamp.
And while I used a Clase Azul bottle because I’ve always wanted this exact lamp, you can use the same basic process on wine bottles, liquor bottles and other decorative glass or ceramic vessels you don’t want to throw away. Like I said earlier, you can also use the hole saw bits to turn almost anything into a planter by creating drainage holes!
Just make sure whatever you’re using is structurally sound, use the right tools for the material you’re drilling, keep the drilling area properly cooled with water, and follow the instructions that come with your electrical kit.
I know you’ve been wanting to save that cool bottle instead of recycling it – go for it now that you know how!
