Upcycle that Burned-out Bulb! 14 DIY Light Bulb Crafts

Incandescent light bulbs may be going the way of the dinosaur, but there are still plenty of them around. Next time you come across one (hopefully as you’re switching it out for an LED!), here are great crafts to help you divert it from  the waste stream.

Because one day, a craft project made from an incandescent light bulb is going to be a rare beast, indeed!

how to hollow out an incandescent light bulb. You’re going to need this trick for many of the light bulb crafts to follow. Many others, though, you can do without hollowing the bulb, so don’t despair if you don’t want to play with broken glass.

1. concrete light bulb wall hook. This is finally your chance to fill a light bulb with concrete.

2. decoupaged paper light bulb ornaments. Thinner paper works best for the decoupage here. Fortunately, much of the beautiful antique papers that you’ll find are on the thin side.

3. hollow light Christmas ornament. You can put anything that you like inside it! My tute also shows you a super-easy upcycling trick to create the all-important ornament’s cap and hanger.

4. light bulb hot air balloon. A light bulb is the base for the balloon in this decorative hot air balloon craft–cute for a kid’s room!

5. light bulb oil lamp. Turn a hollowed-out bulb into a real, working oil lamp.

6. glittered light bulb ornament. It’s simple to turn an old light bulb into a fine new ornament using this tutorial.

7. hanging light bulb planter. The clear glass of the bulb makes this hanging vase look just gorgeous.

8. light bulb penguin. This tutorial is presented as a holiday craft, but it doesn’t have to be. After all, wouldn’t YOU want a light bulb penguin hanging from a nail over your window all year round?

9. light bulb snow globe. This tutorial even includes a VERY eco-friendly idea for the snow!

10. light bulb snowman. This cute craft would be a great one for a children’s holiday party, since it’s simple (but cute!) and requires few supplies.

11. light bulb terrarium. Little plants can live happily in bulbs–who knew?

12. light bulb wreath. Got a whole slew of light bulbs that you’ve replaced? A wreath is a great way to use them all up at once.

13. lightening bug. My kids did this craft at sleep-away camp this year, and it’s super cute. If you hollow out the bulb first (and grind the glass edges down well), you have have the kid stick a glow stick inside for the cutest little lightening bug night light ever!

14. miniature bulb star ornaments. You can make these with any twinkle lights, although they’ll look best with lights similar to the ones shown in the tutorial. And they’d look good hung from your ceiling, near a sunny window, any time of year, not just Christmas!

Have you seen anything cool crafted from an old light bulb? Tell me about it in the Comments below!