How to recycle light bulb

Did you know that you do not have to spend huge sums of money buying materials to make fantastic crafts? Believe it or not, light bulbs can be excellent and cheap materials that you can use to make amazing crafts. This article takes you through the various crafts that you can come up using recycled light bulbs.

1)    Recycling light bulb to make hot air balloon

Materials:

-Light bulb – should be one that is already burned out

-Fabric scraps

-All purpose glue

-Pair of scissors

-Glitter

-Acrylic paint

-Ribbon

-String

-Bottle cap – preferably from a plastic water bottle

-Wide-mouthed container

-An awl

-Bamboo skewer

Steps:

-Pour about one tablespoon of all purpose glue in a flat plate. Then add one teaspoon of water to thin it out

-Measure the length of your light bulb from the base where the glass and the metal meet up to the top.

-Using your pair of scissors, cut 8 pieces of fabric to the length of your bulb that you have measured above. Make the fabrics petal shaped

-Apply glue to several portions of the bulb where you wish to place the fabrics

-Place the bulb in a wide mouthed container and leave it to dry for about 30 minutes

-Poke four holes on plastic cap using a sharp tool or an awl.  You can do this while waiting the bulb to dry

-Run a bamboo skewer through the holes so that they become wider

-Paint both the inside and outside of the cap using acrylic paint. Leave it to dry

-Brush both the outside and inside of cap with glue. Then dust both inside and outside of the cap with glitter and leave it to dry

-Cut two pieces of string and then pick one of them and tie a loop

-Firmly glue the loop at the center top of the bulb

-Pick the second string and tie it around the knot of the first string

-Direct the remaining parts of the strings to go round the bulb up to the point where the bulb and the metal base meet. Then glue them along those lines

-Leave the set up to dry

-Color the metal base using acrylic paint. Allow it to dry

-Tie the plastic cap such that it hangs below the metal base and then trim off any excess string

2) Terrarium

Requirements:

-Goggles/eye glasses

-Pair of scissors

-Long tweezers

-Pair of pliers – needle nose

-Flathead screwdriver

-Used light bulb

Steps:

-Carefully take off the metal tip found at the bottom of the light bulb. Use your pliers to get this job done

-The next step is to twist the black glass and remove it

-You are now in a position to view the interior components of the bulb

-Use the screwdriver to remove the interior tube

-Take away any wires that remain inside the bulb using your pliers

-The light bulb is now empty!

-Place your terrarium inside the bulb. Terrarium can be bought from a garden store

3) Making homemade vase

-Using pliers remove the metal tip located at the bottom of the bulb

-Then remove the black metal cover

-Using your screw driver and pliers, take away all inside parts such as wires so as to leave the bulb completely empty

-Wrap some wire around the top of the bulb so as to make a secure loop for hanging

-Place pretty flowers into the vase. You can also place sea shells or even add some bamboo

4) Making oil lamps

-Hollow the light bulb

-Use the hollowed light bulb as a tin for holding kerosene oil

-Insert a wick

Other crafts that can be made from recycled light bulbs:

Artichokes

Ship in light bulb

Necklace

Centerpiece