Wine Light

Wine Lights: 

At a craft fair a couple of years ago I feel in love with a lady that was recycling (or upcycling..making trash better!) wine bottles by making them lights, adding glass for mosaic looks, etc.  I got inspired from her (and her $50 a bottle price tag) to make on of my own.  I have made a few and really like the look of them.

Here is an example of what I am talking about:  

from Cathy Richmond, at No Limit, Inc.
 This is just an example of what I originally saw... she is not the lady I was referencing above... 

 I went to my craft store, got a glue gun, a bunch of glass pebbles, sea glass, and some cheap Christmas lights.

After cleaning my wine bottles thoroughly, I sawed off the bottoms of them, which was not an easy feat.  Then I sanded that down, scoured the bottle itself so the glue and pebbles would stay, I put my lights inside, hot glued my charms on the outside, and put a piece of cork on the bottom to hold the lights inside.  Here are my results.  

These were colored pebbles with red hearts...lights inside turned on 

See the big hearts.... 

Need the cork to keep the lights in...

 I really like the light aspect... it would be great for a baby room night light. 

I didn't feel like sawing off a chunk for the light cord to go through for the next  one so I just sawed off the bottom, glued on the colored pebbles, and sat it on a shelf.

The shelf where it sits.  

Here's how it is with a candle in it... I like the stained glass look it gives off! 

The first one I made was a clear bottle, and the second one was a green bottle.  Finding different shapes and sizes also make it fun.  You could also just glue pebbles to a regular bottle and then you wouldn't have to worry about cutting off the bottom or glass.

Any other tips?  How you recycled or upcycled anything lately?