Repurpose Empty Glass Bottles Into Unique Patio Lighting With A Whimsical Twist

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Once the sun sets, the welcoming glow of outdoor lighting lures guests to your patio or deck. When they discover the hanging fixtures are made from repurposed bottles, that's a surefire conversation starter. Upcycling your empties into beautiful DIYs that will light up your backyard is both inexpensive and charming, and it's not too difficult. A hanging bottle "lantern" stuffed with string lights is an outdoor-safe and dangling take on the viral fairy light bottle project.

Pull the lantern project off with one large bottle, a Velcro strip, a chain or wire for hanging, and a string of waterproof USB-powered mini lights like these Lihiton LED Fairy Lights. Upcycled wine bottles are a good choice, but any large empty alcohol bottle or soft drink bottle will also work. The remaining supplies depend on how you choose to hang the bottle. There are enough options to make use of tools you already have or lessen the need to buy anything too expensive.

To keep the bottle from collecting water, you'll either need to seal the opening or drill a drainage hole. Pick an option that best fits your budget and your tool supply. Home brewers, grab your beer bottle capper to seal it with a crimped cap; screw an eye hook and a nut to the cap for easy, water-resistant hanging with no drainage required. To go the drainage hole route, pick up a drill and a diamond grit hole saw. Also, set aside a spool of 16 gauge aluminum wire and needle nose pliers with a wire cutter.

Wash the bottle and remove the label. See how you can clean labels off glass with nothing but water. If you're using a bottle cap, make a hole in it that's large enough for the string lights to pass through. Send the plug-less end of the lights through the hole, leaving slack that's slightly longer than the hanging chain or wire. Crimp the cap over the bottle's mouth.

For the draining version, drill a hole in the bottle's base using the hole saw. To hang the bottle, assemble an internal wire hanger that will run through the bottle's neck. Cut two wires at least 12 inches long and another about 6 inches long. With the shorter cut, create a small loop about 1 inch from the end of the wire. Repeat this at the other end. Bend a loop at one end of each longer piece that will fit through the two loops in the smaller one. Add a bend at each end of the smaller wire, and slip it into the bottle's neck. The bent edges should catch against the sides of the bottle beneath the neck. Curl the ends of the long wires into a loop for hanging. Fill the bottle with your string lights, leaving slack.

Affix your chain or wire to the eye hook or wire loop, and attach it to a spot either next to a wall or from an overhang. Adhere one half of the Velcro strip to the battery pack and the other to a spot above or behind the bottle. This will hide the pack and make it easy to remove for charging.