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12/27/11

Glass Wine Bottles Lamps



Since Christmas fell on Sunday this year, Scott and I both had Monday off to do with as we pleased.  I love those days when you have nowhere to be and nothing pressing to do.  One of the things we absolutely love to do together is thrift store cruising.

There are certain items we consistently search for to finish our DIY projects.

We also search for little extras to spruce up our home. 

Or things we just don't want to pay retail for, especially if we can find them at a thrift store for pennies on the dollar. 

I try not to do much impulse buying

Sometimes I have this mental list of things to watch out for. My wish list.  Things to create my own version of something beautiful I've seen in a catalogue.  Something way out of my price range.  It's not everyday that I stumble upon something on that mental list...sometimes it can be months or even years! 

On this day we were done with our thrifting and just needed to check out.  It had been a successful stop.  We had several little items for our projects, plus a few other needed items like sheets to match our son's new bedroom colors.  Our drive home would be about an hour and a half, so I decided to make a break for the restrooms before checking out and hitting the road.  As I was walking down the hallway to the restrooms, I noticed a big metal cart with miscellaneous items headed out to the retail floor... 

Grabbing my full attention were these beauties:

I wish I knew how to make my own wine! 

But really, I have a whole different life planned for these beauties.

This smaller bottle was 2.99 and the other six were 3.99 each.
We stopped at the local department store and grabbed a couple of Bottle Lamp Kits.  They were $5 and some change each.  I also browsed the lamp shades, but didn't find any white drum shades that I liked within our budget.  That's okay...we'll go out thrifting again soon and see what we can find to tweak and make "perfect" for these.

The bottle lamp kit comes with several rubber "corks" that fit into the bottle opening....ours had to be shaved down with an exacto knife to get it to fit just right.  No biggie.  I added a lampshade just to see how it would look.  Not bad, but not quite what I want either.  This one is tapered and I want a drum shade.  This one is woven and I want white linen...maybe.

It looks pretty darn good for $9 and some change.  Lamps similar to these retail for $129 in the Ballard catalogue, and Pottery Barn has some for $99.  

We chose not to drill a hole into the bottle for the cord.  It can hang down behind the bottle where it shouldn't be too conspicuous.  We didn't want to risk drilling into the bottles AND this way we can remove the lamp fixings and use the bottles for something else later on.  Like wine.  ;)

I can't decide if I want to put our lamps next to the bed in our Master bedroom, or on end tables in the living room.  I guess I can figure all of that out once I find the perfect shades!

Not to mention, I still have four large bottles and one smaller bottle to play with. 

I just love a creative challenge. 

Although, I have to say that these bottles appeal to me just as they are.

Just look at them!!!






Sometimes Thrifting feels more like heading out on a Treasure Hunting Expedition!

Have you found any treasures at thrift stores recently?
Or maybe at yard sales or on Craigslist?

I would love to hear about them!

Thanks for stopping by to check out what we've been up to.  We are so glad you chose to visit.  Thanks so much if you are already a follower.  We are thrilled to have you here!  


Have a beautiful week.

Sherry

50 comments :

  1. Wow, you have a lot of lamps to make...LOL! I love the idea, and sooo cheap to make. Glad you shared with us, Lori

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  2. What a wonderful find! I was looking at the lamps in PB catalog and couldn't believe the prices for a lamp! I love yours! I'm also your newest follower too, stopped by from the newbie party!

    Rondell

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  3. Visiting from the newbie party! I love your wine bottles! And I've been on the lookout for a drum shade for a lamp I got on the cheap.

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  4. I love the wine bottles and the lamp!! What an awesome find!!!

    Happy New Year!!

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  5. Fantastic score! They look great as lamps, but I love the shape of the smallest one as a bottle.

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  6. these are awesome! would love to fund a couple of bootles to make lamps for my bedside tables!

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  7. I LOVE them! I need to keep my eye out for some awesome bottles. I would love one of those lamps :)

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  8. those bottles are absolutely lovely!

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  9. These are super cool! Gotta find me some big ol bottle jugs,Great Job!! Deidre~ http://simplysimplisticated4.blogspot.com

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  10. Cute and thrifty!! Visiting from Sunday's Best!!

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  11. wow really cute! I like the way they look too, but with the extra you could always pour paint into it, I love whenever I see that. Just found your blog, I'm going to become a follower!

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  12. The bottles are amazing! What a great idea to make lamps!
    Peggy (visiting from Sassy Sites)

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  13. fabulous! You are so lucky that you found those at the GW! I looked hard for some of those once and found none! Great project!

    Come on over and link it up at http://blah2beautiful.blogspot.com/2012/01/linky-party.html

    --Katie
    Creatively Living

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  14. LOVE these... I would've swiped these bottles in a heartbeat! Great idea!

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  15. What a find! Those bottles are beautiful, all by their beautiful selves!

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  16. LOVE the bottles - plain AND as a lamp! Great idea!

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  17. What a bargain on those bottles. We made one from a vintage demijohn with a lamp kit. I love it. So much cheaper than Pottery Barn's. Yours looks great.

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  18. Wow, these are so cool!

    I'd love for you to link up and share:
    http://tutusandteaparties.blogspot.com/2011/12/pinteresting-link-party-week-twenty.html

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  19. Wow these came out great! They look like high end lamps and all for a great price. I'm your newest follower, hope you will stop by and visit us, we would love to have you as a follower, Laura - Cottage and Broome
    PS love the sketch in your banner.

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  20. Wow Sherry, such great finds! I love the color of the bottles too! Such a neat idea to turn them into lamps!

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  21. I've been looking for wine bottles like that forever! Great find, and your lamp turned out fantastic!

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  22. The wine bottle lamps are adorable! I would love to have one of these for my kitchen! Thanks for sharing...I am one of your new followers and hope you will visit my blog and follow. I am having a giveaway soon, so make sure you stop by.

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  23. Love, love, love! I am a BIG GW fan and I love lamps! Great find and project! I would love to have you share this at my party! http://theshadyporch.blogspot.com

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  24. Wow! What a great score from GW! I love them as lamps ... your first one looks great! *Becca* (new follower by way of No Minimalist)

    www.adventuresindecorating1.blogspot.com

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  25. Fantastic look and a really great job.

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  26. Totally awesome and so lucky!!! Visiting here from Debbie Doo

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  27. Sherry,
    These were such an awesome deal...lucky YOU to find them. Hop over and share them at my NIFTY THRIFTY party.

    Blessings,
    Linda

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  28. love the wicked cool wine bottles you found!

    and $9 for a gorgeous new lamp?

    perfect

    thanks for sharing at Fridays Unfolded!

    alison

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  29. Oh I love your lamps project... I'm going to do that someday. I too love thrift shopping and flea markets during the warmer months. Thanks so much. I found you via French Country Cottage. Stop by and visit sometime at www.newengland-style.com

    Michelle

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  30. What a score! I am glad you showed the kit for the electricity parts, because I have a huge old bottle that I want to make a lamp out of, too. I found a nice (large) drum shade at Target for less than $15.

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  31. wow great find! love your bottles. i'd love to find some like that.
    new follower..cheryl x

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  32. Just found you! Lucky me! I've been looking for the bottles you found, I recently became a shopper at Goodwill. I'm a napkin and tablecloth horder and found beautiful things there.

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  33. What a great find. I would have swooped these up to. I have three vintage Italian wine bottles that I wouldn't be brave enough to turn in to lamps. But I don't know how to make wine either (smile).

    Happy thrifting!
    Bernadette @ www.b3hd.blogspot.com

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  34. Fab lamp!! Thanks for sharing at the Tuesday To Do Party!
    Smiles!
    Jami
    www.blackberryvine.blogspot.com

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  35. How beautiful those bottles all grouped together--awesome idea for lamps--I'm watchin' out now for big bottles for a project. Thank you for inspiring!

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  36. What a great idea! I have been working on some ideas for decor for a wine party and this is on my "must do" list now. Great idea! This post is featured at Savvy HomeMade Monday this week.

    http://www.homesavvyatoz.com/savvy-homemade-monday-23/

    Thanks for linking up!

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  37. Sherry, I love the wine bottles and the lamp you made. Great find! You'll have to show us what you do with the the other ones. Thanks for linking to the Open House Party.
    Hugs,
    Sherry

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  38. awesome finds for such a steal!!!

    come visit anytime.

    smiles.

    michele

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  39. What a great idea! The lamp turned out beautifully!

    Thanks SO much for linking up your awesome posts @ Feature Friday Free-for-All!

    ~Abbie (www.fivedaysfiveways.com)

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  40. These are gorgeous! Great find; I'll be on the lookout for some just like them. Thanks for sharing at Share the Love Wednesday. You're featured this week!
    Mary

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  41. Love your bottle finds and upcycled bottle lamps! I too love buying up cool bottles at thrift stores for use as decor. Please stop by and visit the Frugal Tree some time!

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  42. You inspired me to do this...http://ellenscreativepassage.blogspot.com/2012/01/bottle-lamp.html
    Thanks! Love those bottles!

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  43. Hi! I pinned this on Pinterest, posted on fb, and featured at Creative DIYers Club. Please feel free to grab the feature button and swing by at my Creative Bloggers' Party & Hop.

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  44. Looks awesome!!! Can't wait to find some cool bottles!

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    1. Happy bottle hunting! It's all about the hunt for us. :)

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  45. Nice looking bottles very good find for GW. I have been saving green bottles various shapes to make a display beside my shop. You start out with a wall "trellis" and wrap wire around the necks of the bottles different shapes *like butterflies, flowers etc. and you hang the bottles randomly on that trellis. You can put a flower in them in the Spring and let your imagination run during the other seasons.

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    1. Thanks ~ they are nice bottles, huh! We were so very lucky and I feel like I have already formed an attachment to these gorgeous bottles. I don't know if I will be able to let any of them go. I did leave a couple in the store for others. That trellis idea sounds really pretty. Might have to think about some outside bottle decor. Thanks for stopping by!

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  46. Very cool, I like that idea. I might have to go find me some bottle and try that out! Love your blog by the way.

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  47. I know this is an old post but I just seen it (from HomeTalk) and had to stop by and tell you how wonderful your bottle lamps look! Also what a GREAT score at GW, I only wish that I could run across great buys like this at ours.

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