How to Turn a Demijohn Glass Bottle Into a Lamp

Just this once, a tutorial that does not involve paint! Yep, I can do that as well. Today, we will learn how to turn a demijohn glass bottle into a lamp. It’s a pretty easy DIY, it does not involve any special tool and will not generate dust in your living room.

Table of Contents

Step 1- Find the perfect demijohn bottle

I would suggest you go to your favorite thrift store. You may also find some demijohn glass bottles on Amazon, prices vary according to the size of the bottle. You may also have a look at Etsy, which offers a variety of carboys, including antiques. If you want a big table lamp, chose a big demijohn bottle.

My demijohn bottle, stored in the attic for decades

Step 2 – Clean your perfect demijohn bottle

If you bought your demijohn bottle second hand, chances are you will need to clean it.

I found mine at my grandparent’s house. It was stored in the attic for decades so it was really dirty. I didn’t have a brush big enough to scrub the sides of the bottle. So I tried to figure out how to clean the bottle using whatever I had on hand.

First I filled the carboy with hot water and some sand. Then I gently shake the carboy. The sand should help remove any grime that had developed on the sides. After I dumped the water, the inside of the bottle was still dirty. So I wrapped a long stick with a cloth and cleaned the inside of the demijohn. In order to rinse the demijohn, I filled it about halfway with warm water, shaked it and then dumped the water down the drain.

I was pretty satisfied with the result. After that, the demijohn bottle was very clean. I was ready to make the perfect lamp with this demijohn.

Step 3 – Purchase a bottle lamp kit

Simply purchase a bottle lamp kit. You can order one directly on Amazon.

Step 4 – Add the kit to the bottle

That’s the key part! I simply followed the instructions on the package. The only tricky part was the plastic cork provided with my kit was too small for the demijohn bottle. So I decided to attach the kit to the original cork.

I placed the cork in a vise and drilled a hole using my dad’s new Dewalt cordless drill. That’s really a great tool!

Then I fixed the lamp holder through the drilled hole. Easy!

After that, you just need to wrap the wires around the screws on the bulb socket and put the socket shell over the bulb socket. I think this is the most technical part of this DIY.

Step 5 – Choose a nice lamp shade and enjoy your new DIY demijohn lamp

Last but not least, place your lampshade on top of the harp and screw a lightbulb into the socket.

I chose a rattan lamp shade for this project. I can’t find it anymore online but you may also choose a linen lamp shade. It goes very nicely with demijohn lamp bottle as well. Select the size of your lampe shade according to the size of your demijohn.

If you’re fan of vintage style, you should follow Domaine de Ronsard’s Instagram account. It was my inspiration for this DIY. By the way this place is a gorgeous wedding venue located in France. If you’re not ready to get married in Europe, you can still check out their thousands of pictures for inspiration.