Every DIYer (or hoarder – but the actual difference is fluent) knows the problem situation when they have something in hand that’s actually trash but one’s thinking: I could use this one day. I could make something out of it. Many scraps of fabric, wood pieces and empty cans and boxes tell that story in my home.

So when a dear friend of mine sent me a fairy light garland with real light bulbs of which some arrived broken, I had the same feeling. I put them in an empty egg carton and had them in my sideboard for months – ok years.

Then one day I had an epiphany. It was not a flash of an idea rather a slowly realization that I would like to make hanging vases out of them. Long story short: I’m now super-happy that I didn’t throw those light bulbs out because they make just the perfect spring decoration now!

What you need for the hanging vases

  • light bulbs (blown out – not broken in the sense of in pieces)
  • pliers and tweezers
  • some twine
  • hot glue (gun)
  • tiny flowers
  • some branches to decorate

How to upcycle the blown out light bulbs

First we need to get the blown out wire (or LED light) out of the bulb. This is the most tricky part and takes the longest. But don’t get discouraged. Just remember that you (might) have to break a little of the neck of the light bulb to get it all out. That was also my case.

Take the metal part off by tapping off the top. Then take the pliers and later the tweezers to break off a little of the neck – don’t worry: this will be covered with twine afterwards anyway. Then pull the wire or LED light out of the light bulb. Repeat on all the broken lights.

Then take the twine and stick one side to the neck of the bulb. Create a little loop from which the vase will be hanging and stick the other end to the light bulb neck as well. Afterwards wrap a little more twine around the neck to cover the hole that you created in step 1 and to make it secure.

Let the hot glue dry completely. Now fill the vases with water (do this first!) and then with the flowers. Hang them on some branches and put them in a big vase.

If this description of the process is to confusing, you can watch the how-to-video on my YouTube channel:

I’m really smitten with the result. Surprisingly some guests of mine didn’t realize first that those are vases hanging form the branches and not the branches themself blooming. I mean: Wait, what?!

It looks even better when the branches bloom and have leaves with the tiny recycled vases on them.

What do you think? Yay or nay?

Now. Carry on!