How to make a Bell Mason Jar lamp

If you have ever visited a country store or antique mall you may have seen lots of old Bell Mason or Kerr canning jars. There is a certain charm to them and we love to reminisce and recall the canning days at grandma’s house. We are all very familiar with both bell mason and Kerr canning jars and that makes them somewhat attractive to imitative crafters.  They make charming, rustic country table lamps with them. Mason and Kerr canning jars  lamps eye catching and unique because they can display a wide verity of collectibles such as sea shells, beans, buttons, beach stones, marbles  or any others item that you can think of. If you were to use Google Search you will find lots of canning jar lamps for sell. However:   Why not make one yourself?.. They are rather easy to make and you can find Mason or Kerr canning jars at any garage sale, county store or you can use new canning jars that are available at any supermarket. Again, use Google Search to find a source for canning jar lamp socket adopters. You can also find them at your local hardware store. You will notice that most of the canning jar socket adopter uses a standard light socket with the lamp cord coming out of the socket base. I don’t partially like that style as it leaves the lamp cord hanging down the side of the  lamp. I would rather buy a 3/8 inch diamond drill bits and drill a hole near the bottom of the canning jar and insert the lamp cord from the bottom. As far as the lamp light socket goes, You can use a standard socket with a push threw off & on switch or if you want to insert lights inside the mason jar as well a light on top, you can use a two circuit, 3 terminal light socket. This socket gives you the ability to turn on the inside the jar lights only or the top light only, or turn on both. Making your very own Mason Canning Jar lamp is a fun craft and I am sure you would enjoy this craft

Tips for inserting Decp Lights in wine bottles

 

Tips for Inserting DecoTeenty lights In Your Bottle.

 

 

Drill your hole in the back side of your bottle. Follow Instructions.

Rinse bottle and dry. You may want to dry it in a warm oven.

Thread your string of Deco Bulbs through one of the snap-in plastic grommets.

Insert Deco bulbs into bottle. Turn bottle neck down and shake bottle so the lights are more evenly distributed. I will often tie a short piece of fishing line near the terminal end of the lights and pull the bulbs up a little tighter in the neck of the bottle. The bottle cork will keep the line tight. If not using a bottle cork you would have to try a little speck of glue to the inside of the bottle neck. What often happens is the lights over time will settle down lower in the bottle leaving the top half with few bulbs.

The Clear Teeny super bright bulbs look really great in the dark colored bottles. Using clear bottles you may want to try multi-colored bulbs.

Be sure to use Darice Deco Teeny bulbs when drilling a 3/8 inch hole. Many string lights have a standard socket which is the same size as standard Christmas lights. If you using the larger bulbs you will need a ½  or 5/8 inch hole.  

 

  

 

Tips for inserting Darce Dec teeny bulbs in Wine bottles

 

Tips for Inserting DecoTeenty lights In Your Bottle.

 

 

Drill your hole in the back side of your bottle. Follow Instructions.

Rinse bottle and dry. You may want to dry it in a warm oven.

Thread your string of Deco Bulbs through one of the snap-in plastic grommets.

Insert Deco bulbs into bottle. Turn bottle neck down and shake bottle so the lights are more evenly distributed. I will often tie a short piece of fishing line near the terminal end of the lights and pull the bulbs up a little tighter in the neck of the bottle. The bottle cork will keep the line tight. If not using a bottle cork you would have to try a little speck of glue to the inside of the bottle neck. What often happens is the lights over time will settle down lower in the bottle leaving the top half with few bulbs.

The Clear Teeny super bright bulbs look really great in the dark colored bottles. Using clear bottles you may want to try multi-colored bulbs.

Be sure to use Darice Deco Teeny bulbs when drilling a 3/8 inch hole. Many string lights have a standard socket which is the same size as standard Christmas lights. If you using the larger bulbs you will need a ½  or 5/8 inch hole.  

 

  

starkey25@live.com

4mm craft lights Many wine bottle light crafters are starting to use Deco teeny bright bulbs and the decolights 4mm bulbs. I find that the teeny bright bulbs burn very bright and last longer and most important they don't cause your wine bottle to get too hot. I also like the fact that the teeny bulbs will slide thou a 3/8 inch hole. 3/8 inch grommets are available which is a little safety for the lamp cord and it gives your bottle finished look.Deco teeny bulbs come in multi color as well as clear. I also use the Deco 4mm rice bulbs which are a littler larger but still much smaller then the regular Christmas tree strands that are commonly used by lighted bottle makers. The 4mm bulbs also burn bright and burn very cool. The 20 count strands provide a good balance of lights inside a standard wine bottle. Teeny bright lights or the 4mm rice bulbs will enhance your floral& craft designs . The smaller size makes them perfect for showcasing cherished collectables as well as dollhouse and many other craft projects. Lighted wine bottle artist may want to try them . I think you will be pleas G. starkey

Deco Teeny Bright bulbs for Lighted Wine Bottles

Deco Teeny Bulbs are great for small crafts projects. They are ideal for inserting into your wine bottle lamp. They burn very bright, last longer and most important they won’t cause your bottle lamp to get too hot.  20 small Clear or Multi colored rice bulbs ARE  great for making  lighted wine bottles.  The bulbs utilize a safety fuse plug and remain lite  even if one burn out. They are pre-tested. For in-door use only.  One of the major concerns when using the standard Christmas string lights is that they can cause the bottle to get to hot to touch. Using Deco Teeny bright bulbs gives a good amount of light inside your bottle but, they burn much cooler. There is a liability issue with lighted wine bottles that get to hot to touch. I like drilling a 3/8 inch hole in the back of your bottle vs. a 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch hole required to insert your standard string of Christmas lights . Let know if you have thought of trying deco bright Teeny bulbs in your lighted wine bottle.

DeCo Teeny Bright bulbs for lighted wine bottles

Drilling Holes in sea Glass & Beach Stones

Beading and designing jewelry has become one of the most popular and profitable craft. Many artistic folks find designing jewelry on outlet for their creativity. It is an enjoyable craft and it is a money maker for many jewelry artists. The next time you visit a craft show notice the number of booths displaying handmade jewelry. All of them have a rather large group of women looking over their creations and paying good money for that special set of earrings or bracelet that they fell in love with. Many of the  beautiful creations are made from sea glass , semi-precious stone, beach stone and pottery shards.They are unusual because sea glass and beach stones are found with a wide variety of shapes and colors  that offer the artist a wide range of design possibilities. You  may want to try your hand at designing jewelry made   from sea glass or beach stones.

I offer the following suggestions and tips that will help you be successful in drilling sea glass and other semi-precious stones. As you gain experience you will really get involved and enjoy designing your own jewelry.

 

Whenever you use electrical motors with high speed RPM you need to be extra careful. Wear eye protection for sure. You will be drilling with a little water around your work.Be careful with your electrical cords and drill motor.

For best results use good quality diamond drill bits also known as holesaws. The mini diamond drill bits that I have available are popular and hold up very well.

I buy my sea glass from a collector who spend the winter in Florida. I am not sure if it is authentic and genuine. I do however, enjoy walking along the shore of Lake Huron looking for any unusual beach stones  .Beach stones  and pottery shards have become a very popular medium for jewelry artist.

I pre-sort my pieces of sea glass and beach stone. I look for the smaller pieces that lend themselves to a pair of earring or a bracelet. The longer pieces would make a nice pendant.

 

 

You have to use your imagination to create a piece of jewelry in your mind. You need to decide where to drill the hole. You may want to drill in the center on top  or at each end. Sea Glass is often so irregular that you will need to study each piece very carefully before you drill you holes. Many jewelry artist use diamond files or diamond burrs to touch up and reshape their sea glass.

You need a Dremel drill motor. Be sure you have a collet that will accommodate the shank size of your drill bit.

Your best bet is to use a Dremel chuck Model 4486. This is an adjustable chuck that will accommodate most mini size diamond bits. This chuck will accept a 2/32” bit. I usually use the middle setting for my drilling speed. The larger the drill bit the more you need to slow your drilling speed down a bit. Recommended speed is 5000-25000 rpm. Insert the shank of the drill bit far up into the collet. Leave just enough of the tip of the bit to drill through the thickness of the glass or stone. These are very fine bits that can heat up very quickly and wear out the diamond segmentation on the tip of your bit.

 

Lubricants. All diamond drill bits require water to keep the tip of the drill bit and glass cool.

You will need a shallow pan about two or three inches deep. I use a piece of ¾ inch wood to place my sea glass or beach stone on. Add enough water to just cover the glass when you press it to the  bottom of your pan. If you use to much water it will splash all over the place and you will have trouble seeing your work. Change the water often as it will get cloudy from the fine glass dust. If your sea glass is not to thick you can usually drill straight through your piece of sea  glass or stone. Use a very light touch when you sense you are about to break through.  Sometimes I will put a small dot on both sides of the glass with a permanent maker. I will drill my hole from both sides in order to help prevent a chip out when the bit breaks through. Very often jewelry artist will drill the hole with a under size  bit and than re-drill with the final size. You can also use a round head diamond burr to touch up the hole.

 

You could hold your piece of glass or beach stone with your fingers. Be very careful with this suggestion. Many artist design a holding clamp of some kind.

Very important: You want to use a touch n’go drilling motion. Up & down every few seconds. You need to let the water clear out the hole. A steady down ward pressure will cause your bit to overheat and may cause the glass to crack or chip. I usually set my bit at a 45 degree angle to the glass to get the hole started. Once the bit starts to bite you can bring it straight up and continue drilling. When you sense that you are about to break through you need to let up on the down ward pressure. Some sea glass is very hard and you need to be patience, take your time. Sand stone and pottery shard are much easier to drill. I hope that these tips and suggestions will help you get the feel for drilling sea glass or beach stones or pottery shards. I find this craft fascinating and I am sure you will enjoy it once you try it. You will soon develop your own technique as you gain some experience.

You may want to Google search lapidary products for additional accessories and information. Give it a try and let me know if I can be of more help. You can contact me at:

Starkey25@live.com

My web sit: www.lightedwinebottlemaking.com

My esty store: jpdiamonddrillbits