Incandescent lamps are common household items used for domestic and commercial purposes. Therefore, being such a widely used object, when the time comes to dispose these light bulbs, a huge amount of waste is produced which is eventually sent to the landfills. However, if you are hard working and have a vivid imagination, a lot of creative artwork can be made with the old incandescent light bulbs.
There are many instances where these light bulbs have been reused for decorative purposes and some of them are listed below.
1. Balloons made of bulbs
This entry was a very strong candidate in the event Art in the Park festival which took place in Stevens Lake Park, Columbia. Steve and Susie Hoskinson made hot air balloons from old light bulbs. They shimmered in the light and the reflections made the balloons look absolutely fabulous. They are quite durable too as the glass is very hard. Since the inside was not vacuum anymore and the end of the bulb was cut off, it was very difficult to break it then.
2. The Unbearable Brightness of Being
The old light bulbs can be painted and decorated according to a person’s choice. This costs very little and can be a very bright way of decorating the home in the form of wall hangings and Christmas tree hangings.
3. Light Bulbs Used as Lamps
An inverted lamp bulb makes it a good holder. All you have to do is fill up the bulbs with paraffin oil and dip a wick in it. This easy to make project imitates the old ways to provide you with lamp. The bulbs would have to be placed on a stand to make it stable. Sergio Silva had however used neodymium magnet to make them stable. This concept was Sergio Silva’s brainchild which he markets now with a price tag of 650$.
4. The Power of the Compact Fluorescent
Compact Fluorescent lamps or CFL is the new product in the market that is hugely replacing the incandescent light bulbs. This idea implements both the products to make a source of light that is well decorated and gives enough light to serve the purpose. This involves packing a wired crate with used incandescent light bulbs and only one CFL is put in the middle. The light from the CFL reflects many times within the glass surface of the light bulbs and the light produced is quite bright.
5. En “lightened” Organic Art
Tim Witteveen created Professor Alexander’s Botanical Vasculum which he priced at $150. In this piece of art, a miniature world has been fitted into a light bulb, complete with its hills, rock, plains, plants, and water bodies. It even comes with a magnifying glass so that the interiors can be examined closely.
6. Potus Pot in a light bulb
Burned out and used lamps can be used to grow plants, only thing is it has to be made very stable.
7. Dazzling Chandelier
This amazing idea now features as the star of the memorial art piece of Tim Fishlock, which he named as ‘What Watt’. Innumerable old and burnt out incandescent lights are assembled together and glued in such a way that it becomes a vast chandelier.
8. Glass Sculptures
The dead bulbs can be glued together to make it look like a glass sculpture. All it would take is a vivid imagination and some glue to put together. They can become lampshades for other bulbs too.
9. Fish tank in a light bulb
Though it is said water and electricity should not be mixed, in this case you can fill up a light bulb with water and put in small fishes in it to make it a mini aquarium. The only drawback of recycling the dead bulbs this way is the fish would not survive for long.
