Reused Old Light Bulbs

LED lamps consume less energy and have become an alternative for lighting. Nowadays many countries are trying to restrict or ban incandescent light bulbs. Of course that is a good thing because it will reduce our expenses in general.

So we are left with a whole bunch of regular light bulbs which won’t be used anymore. As you know, throwing away any material hurts the environment. This means that either we have to recycle them or we have to upcycle them, so better find something useful to do with your old light bulbs. And reusing them instead of just recycling is faster and much more fun.

What to do with your old light bulbs ?

It’s a good idea for those who have some of them burnt or just left in the garage/attic or just want to do something fun and useful.
I found some pretty bright ideas for what to do with those bulbs:

• paint them and hang them for decoration
• use them for making a spice shakers
• make a small ship and place it inside the bulb
• make toys for the Christmas tree
• make beautiful mini-vases
• make a chandelier
• make a cloth hanger

There are other ideas too, pretty much anything you can think of. Ok lets talk about how to cut them and getting out the burnt wire.

WARNING: When working with glass it’s always a good idea to wear gloves. Even glasses, safety is always good, you never know what might happen.

So, first you need a thin cutter to remove the socket. Cut slowly and carefully and remove it when it gets loose. Then you wrap the socket around a old towel, break the glass and set apart the metal socket.
Clean any leftover glass shards from the socket and the bulb. A common technique is painting the bulb using acrylic paint. You can find it in any regular bookstore or paint shop.
Another main thing when making spice holders or the little ship model is to make a hole in the socket. Cut it with a sharp blade or a thin opener. Use caps of regular plastic soda bottles they fit into a regular bulb socket. Make a holes in the caps and that’s it. You’ve got a salt shaker.
When working with light bulbs silicone,wires and wire cutters are friends.

How to make a ship model from an old bulb

Use cork when making the little ship model. It’s very soft and easy to work with. You just need some wire or pins to do the job. See the video for how to. The idea in general is to make the masts of the ship decline. The rest is easy. First fill in the bottom bulb with silicone (using a silicone pistol) so you can attach the ship there. When you are done attach the whole bulb to another piece of cork using it as a footing.

Make your own decorations from old bulbs

This video shows how to make a decoration from those used bulbs. Its very easy, really nothing to explain here.

Make a cloth hanger using old light bulbs

Make a concrete cloth hanger using hollow light bulbs. Fill it with cement mixture and put a bolt inside. The socket has to be cut, so the bolt can go in it. Attach the bulb and socket together. Then wait it to dry and remove the glass from it. You only need to find a good spot to drill the hole for the hanger and to screw it there.