This project began over the summer with a Coke bottle that has been displayed on a shelf above my desk for about 8 years.  I decided it was time to do something to make it useful, so after I discovered a cool lamp making kit online, I made a lamp out of it…which then created a need for a one-of-a-kind lampshade to go with it!  

There’s a fresh produce store about 20 minutes from our house, and they sell soft drinks in glass bottles.  Right next to the fridge where the bottles are stored is a wall-mounted bottle opener with a jar under it to catch the lids.  The store just tosses the lids when the jar gets full, so I started collecting them every time I went to that store this summer to buy fresh strawberries.  Over a period of about 5 months, I collected what seemed like enough to complete this project…and it turned out that I collected the exact right number – plus one extra!  Couldn’t have planned it better if I’d tried.  Continue reading →