This lamp got a modern makeover with nearly 90 upcycled pill bottles. A friend of mine with a few health conditions unexpectedly left a bag full of empty pill bottles she had been saving for me (over time) on my doorstep and asked me to turn them into something useful. As an upcycler I took on the challenge. I’ve seen many different upcycles for pill bottles, but after seeing Jean Shin’s “Chemical Balance III” I knew I wanted to create some form of lantern… but without a connection to their previous use. The beautiful orange color and cylindrical shapes without the labels/caps give these bottles a new beauty.
How many of these bottles do you throw away every year?
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Before: an old lamp and a pile of empty pill bottles (all donated… none of these were my drugs!)
After: a warm glow and geometric shadow
Looking up
Top view
Read below to see the process
By removing the fabric of the original shade I was able to keep the top metal ring alone
By using fishing line I was able to suspend each bottle from the metal ring through a tiny drilled hole in the bottom of each
To keep the bottles from slipping I used tiny glass beads that held them in place
This also helped to hang them in a pattern
In person the bottle pattern layers act as a magnifying glass giving multiple colors and dimension
Swirling around the base
Yes, they do move when you touch them and make fun noises. Watch the video below
32Kviews
Share on FacebookSaving energy by using as is! Very cool. Is it wrong I was thinking how much a cat would like this?
Interesting idea, was a little worried when I read "...90 Empty Pill Bottles", but gladly they were donated! Nonetheless, it's a very creative way of giving an old lamp new life! Well done :)
Thank you, yes they were donated lol xD I wasn't expecting to do anything with pill bottles this year but had fun with it nonetheless! :)
Load More Replies...I like this. The pill bottles don't look like that where I come from, so I can never recreate this.
Hmmm are there any other types of clear plastic bottles similar you could use? It wouldn't have to be pill bottles! :)
Load More Replies...None actually. XD they were all donated haha
Load More Replies...Clever girl, love all of it but the ones by the base because by themselves you can automatically tell they're pill bottles. I like clever people and it didn't cost you anything, right?
I agree with you! When I hung them lower I hadn't considered they wouldn't be illuminated like the rest. Considering putting small LEDs in them to mimic the look of the rest. Now I know! lol and yes, it was entirely cost free, even the original lamp.
Load More Replies...Amazing work! I love how retro it looks - would never have guessed it made from was pill bottles!
I recently had a double lung transplant 2/5/17, and take about 60 pills per day!!! MY home is covered in these bottles, Maybe I will give this a try! https://helphopelive.org/campaign/12456/edit
What would you have done differently? I have some extra bottles left. Do you other ideas for an upcycle I could try?
Load More Replies...Saving energy by using as is! Very cool. Is it wrong I was thinking how much a cat would like this?
Interesting idea, was a little worried when I read "...90 Empty Pill Bottles", but gladly they were donated! Nonetheless, it's a very creative way of giving an old lamp new life! Well done :)
Thank you, yes they were donated lol xD I wasn't expecting to do anything with pill bottles this year but had fun with it nonetheless! :)
Load More Replies...I like this. The pill bottles don't look like that where I come from, so I can never recreate this.
Hmmm are there any other types of clear plastic bottles similar you could use? It wouldn't have to be pill bottles! :)
Load More Replies...None actually. XD they were all donated haha
Load More Replies...Clever girl, love all of it but the ones by the base because by themselves you can automatically tell they're pill bottles. I like clever people and it didn't cost you anything, right?
I agree with you! When I hung them lower I hadn't considered they wouldn't be illuminated like the rest. Considering putting small LEDs in them to mimic the look of the rest. Now I know! lol and yes, it was entirely cost free, even the original lamp.
Load More Replies...Amazing work! I love how retro it looks - would never have guessed it made from was pill bottles!
I recently had a double lung transplant 2/5/17, and take about 60 pills per day!!! MY home is covered in these bottles, Maybe I will give this a try! https://helphopelive.org/campaign/12456/edit
What would you have done differently? I have some extra bottles left. Do you other ideas for an upcycle I could try?
Load More Replies...
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