DIY Project Spotlight - Wine Bottle Lights

Some of the most popular questions from our customers are about drilling wine bottles to make a wine bottle light.

Can I drill a wine bottle? 
Can I make a wine bottle light?
Can I use my regular drill or Dremel tool?

Yes, yes and yes! We have a lot of creative customers – we're amazed at some of the projects that we see or hear about. Approaching the holiday season, a lot of our customers get into – craft mode. All of a sudden Christmas crafts and holiday decorations are on everyone’s mind. Wine bottle lights are one of the more popular projects. You’ve probably seen them: wine bottles with a strand of Christmas lights inside. The outside of the bottle can be decorated almost any way than you want; painted, decals, glitter, ribbons, beads, etc.

Can I drill a wine bottle?

Yes, you can. Drilling wine bottles to make a wine bottle light can seem a little intimidating for someone who’s never done it before. The idea of drilling a hole on that curved, smooth and slippery surface seems daunting. It’s not hard, it just takes a little practice. You’ll use a diamond core bit and your regular drill or Dremel tool.

Can I make a wine bottle light?

Yes, you can. Once the hole is drilled in the wine bottle, you simply push a strand of Christmas lights inside the bottle through the hole. For most light strands the plug will not fit through the hole. Thats good – you don’t want it to. The plug end will look like a “tail.” You’ll plug your new wine bottle light into a wall receptacle or extension cord. Lightly shake the bottle to distribute the lights inside a little more evenly. If you’re using LED lights you can use a strand of 25-50 lights. If you’re using regular incandescent lights you should use a shorter strand of only 15-25 lights. Incandescent lights are a lot hotter. You don’t want the wine bottle to become too hot to touch or to become a fire hazard. Use your imagination when decorating the outside of the bottle. We’ve seen bottle lights that were painted, decoupaged, decorated with a decal, covered in glue and glitter, covered in glue and Epsom salts, covered in glass beads, you name it. Some of our artistically talented customers hand paint the bottles. For the remainder (like us), using a decal or some other method works best.

Can I use my regular drill or Dremel tool? 

Yes, you can. The most popular drill bit for drilling the wine bottles is the 1/2" Diamond Core Bit. This is usually the smallest size that the lights will fit through. Consider using a slightly larger bit such as the "5/8”" or 3/4” diamond core bit. All three of these bits will fit in almost any drill or drill press. Using one of the larger bits is especially helpful if you’re making a lot of the bottle lights or if you ever need to remove the lights to replace a burned out bulb. If you’re using a Dremel tool for the drilling, you should use the 15/32” diamond core bit for Dremel tools. It’s the largest bit you can safely use in a Dremel tool. The lights will be a tight fit but they will go through the hole.

For a limited time, you can purchase our Wine Bottle Drilling Set. This new product is valued at $96, but is available for $47 until September 30. With this set, you can choose between five different drill bit combinations.

If you want more information about drilling the wine bottles, you can always download a copy of “How to Drill Glass”, "Click here for your FREE copy."