Silicone dipped light bulbs have been filling different rooms with lovely colors and patterns and even with different scents.
These types of decorations are great for DIY crafters and those who like to create something unique.
You can fill a boring room with colors and a dull room with scents of cinnamon or essential oils. Create an area of warmth and color with silicone dipped light bulbs.
Silicone Dipped Light Bulbs How To Make?
First of all, you will need some household silicone to use for your bulbs. It is best to roll the tube of silicone in your hands or place it in the warm sun for a few mins to warm up the silicone and make it thinner to dip with. You will need a few plastic bowls to squeeze the silicone into. Once you have a quarter of your bowl filled with silicone, you can add a few drops of essential oils. Now you want to fold the silicone a few times and then put your paint in. You will only need a few drops. You want to be able to submerge the bulb fully, so add more silicone if needed. Once the color is evenly distributed, you can go ahead and dip your bulb.
The Preparation And Supplies Needed
The bulb that you go ahead and choose needs to be round and small, so you can easily dip it into the silicone.
Clear globes are best for the job, and you want either opaque or clear silicone that is 100% chaulking in the tube.
You can also get a silicone jar that is specially made for dipping your bulbs.
Now is the time to grab a hook and some wire and get the space ready where you are going to hang the bulbs to dry.
A towel rack or clothes airer is a good choice that works well. It is best to use the silicone outside as it can let off some strong fumes.
It is also a good idea to wear gloves as sometimes warm silicone can irritate your skin.
How To Make The Dipped Bulb
Firstly it is a good idea to test the bulbs work first if you plan on using them for light as you don’t want to go to all the effort of creating with the silicone if the bulb doesn’t work.
Once you have done that, you can wrap some wire around the end of your bulb so you can easily hang it up when you have finished.
If you only want the silicone to go halfway, you can place some tape on the bulb where you want the silicone to stop.
Fill up your container or cup with silicone in small amounts and ensure you tap the container each time to help release the air bubbles.
You can heat the silicone in your microwave for about 30 seconds if you find the cooler silicone harder to work with.
Now you can add your paint colors and stir. Next, you need to hold the base of your light bulb and dip it into the mixture and pull it out to create a little peak at the end. You can hang it up to dry now for 24 hours.
Tips For Different Effects
If you would like to add colored paint or a scent to your silicone, you want to add this after you have microwaved the silicone if you choose to.
For a small bulb, you only need about 3 drops of scent and color, and make sure you don’t stir it fast; otherwise, you will create air bubbles in the mixture.
Some people prefer the old look and add some coffee grounds to get both a vintage look and unique texture.
The color will change and be darker when wet but will dry lighter. If you have any drips clean up with a paper towel as silicone is terrible to remove once it has started to dry.
When you plug the globe in you might see some smoke coming off the globe. This is normal and will happen to each globe the first time you plug them in.
This is just steam from the silicone first heating up. This won’t cause any harm or damage and will disappear once the bulb has been on for a while.
Conclusion
Ensure you work in a well-ventilated area and always wear protective clothing. Dipped silicone light bulbs are coming back into trend, and it seems everyone wants to try them.
Use your favorite colors and enjoy smelling your favorite scent when you want to relax and read a book or take a nap.
Some people add thinners to the silicone as they find it hard to work with when it is a thicker mixture. You can do this if you like it is purely up to what you prefer.
Silicone can dry quickly, so ensure you have everything set up and ready to go to avoid having your silicone start to cure before you are finished.
Check out the varieties of colored paints and see just what patterns and colors you can create.
Why not even mix a few and see what happens!
Instead of silicon dipped light bulbs you can also paint light bulbs.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Make Silicone Dipped Light Bulbs
Can I Use The Silicone Dipped Technique On Fairy Or String Lights?
You certainly can you can just do it the same way as described for the other bulbs and let it set the same way.
Can I Use Everyday Paint For Bulb Dipping?
It is important you only use glass bulb paint as other paint can cause the bulb to heat up too quickly and too hot, causing it to explode.