Don’t you just love interchangeable home décor pieces that can be customized to suit any occasion? Like a pillowcase that can be switched around depending on your mood or season, or this beautiful DIY decorative bottle light with swappable art inserts.
It’s a quick and easy way to customize ONE clear bottle to suit any décor style, theme, or occasion. All you need to do is swap out the insert. And what you draw, paint or write on the insert is entirely up to you 😉
You can paint some pumpkins for Fall …………
……. or doodle some baubles for Christmas 😀
And if you can’t think of something to pop inside the bottle it still looks gorgeous just filled with lights.
I love it and can see it being used all year round. The glass bottle light with swappable art is also my contribution to this month’s IBC Christmas Challenge.
What’s the IBC all about
The IBC, or International Blogger’s Club, is a group of bloggers from all over the world who challenge each other to make something using a common theme. Last month’s challenge was “Halloween” and we shared a tutorial to make these realistic eyeballs. You’ll find all my friend’s Christmas crafts at the bottom of this tutorial and they’re stunning. So don’t miss out.
Okay, before I get to the tutorial, please follow A Crafty Mix on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
What you need
The bottle light with swappable art does involve a little bit of cutting work up front, but once it’s done, the possibilities to change it around are endless. For this tutorial, you’ll need a clear empty bottle, battery-operated fairy lights or small candle, paper, pens, pencils, and craft paint.
To cut the glass bottle you’ll need:
- Something to keep the bottle straight
- Dremel rotary tool
- Diamond cutting wheel
- Spray bottle filled with water
If you’ve ever tried cutting a glass bottle to make one of those awesome projects that keep on popping up on Pinterest, then you know it’s not as easy as it sounds. We’ve tried wrapping a string soaked in some combustible substance around the bottle and lighting it. The pyromaniac inside my hubby was doing a happy dance at the thought of this one 😀 Sadly it didn’t work out and we ended up with a bottleneck attached to jagged bits of glass that would put a Megalodon to shame. Not a good idea. Etching, scoring, and tapping the bottle didn’t work either. What does work though, is a rotary tool with a diamond cutting disc.
If cutting glass bottles puts you off you can use plastic ones instead and cut them with a sharp craft knife. These plastic bottles on amazon look like the real thing.
How to Cut a Glass Bottle the Right Way
We love using our Dremel to cut things. Whether it’s a terracotta pot or a slate heart, it just makes life easier. Any rotary tool will work though.
When cutting bottles, I would suggest making a little contraption jig that holds both the Dremel (or whatever rotary tool you’re using) and the bottle level and straight. We just took two pieces of wood and screwed them together and then used a hole saw to make a hole in the front so the Dremel could fit through snuggly. I’ll show you a piccy of the real thing in a minute, but here’s the rough plan which probably explains things a little better.
And here’s the real thing in all it’s rustic glory 😉
Not the prettiest contraption in the world, but it does exactly what’s it’s meant to do. Hold the bottle steady up against that upright piece and the rotary blade level.
To cut the bottle, screw on the blade, squirt the bottle with water to help keep the dust at a minimum and then turn the bottle slowly.
Please wear safety glasses, gloves, and a dust mask. Glass dust is super fine and will go everywhere. You can grind down sharp edges using a grinding bit on your Dremel, or do it the old fashioned way using sandpaper. Start with a 60 grit and work your way up to a 120.
Once the glass bottle is bottomless, you can start planning what to put inside.
Customizing the bottle light for different occasions
Since I’ll be filling this bottle with fairy lights, I chose a fine handmade paper to draw on. I loved the way the imperfections of the paper created different patterns in the light.
Measure the bottle length up to where it starts tapering into the neck and use that measurement to trim your paper to size. You can either doodle something on the paper. Or use water paints to create colors and patterns. It’s entirely up to you. For the Christmas version, I just drew on a whole bunch of bauble shapes. The Fall version is two doodled pumpkins combined with orange and brown watercolors.
If you’re not comfortable doodling, a beautiful handwritten poem or quote would look lovely too. To finish off, roll the paper up and insert it into the glass bottle. Add a battery-operated candle ……..
…….. or some fairy lights ……
… and place the bottle over the lights on a pretty plate or slice of wood.
When the seasons change or you want to do something different, simply remove the insert and swap it for something new. Doodle some hearts for Valentine’s day or add a little note to celebrate someone’s special day.
I love how easy it is to switch things around and even when the lights are off the bottle still looks so good.
What do you think? Is it something you would make for your home? What would you put inside? A poem, doodles, or a special message in a bottle? Or maybe a sketch of this adorable ladybird who came to visit while I was taking the pics for the post 😉
If you like the idea of making a decorative bottle light with swappable art inserts, don’t forget to pin it for later.
Sharing caring 😉
Oh and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you 😉
Or if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.
And don’t forget to go have a looksee at what my IBC friends have done with their Christmas challenge this year. You won’t be disappointed.
- One of a kind steampunk Christmas tree by Unique Creations by Anita
- Bottle lights with swappable inserts by A Crafty Mix (that’s me 😉 )
- Adorable sleigh decor that doubles up as a shelf from Birdz of a Feather
- The cutest Skandi village made from wood scraps by Interior Frugalista
- Quick and easy farmhouse styled ornaments from Raggedy Bits
- Beautiful vintage Christmas wreath from What Meegan Makes. Meegan is the newest member of the IBC and if you haven’t already seen some of the amazing things she makes, you’re in for a treat.
And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Last update on 2026-04-23 / Source Amazon Affiliates
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