Stylish Oil Lamps Are Super Simple To Make

Here’s how to burn the midnight oil with a gorgeous lamp that’s super simple to make.

DO IT YOURSELF | Oil lamps are probably never going to replace candles as a readily available ambient light source, but they are a viable and attractive alternative. The oil lamps you see these days, like the stylish ones by the German company Radius Design pictured above, are essentially just a wick threaded through a bead that sits on top of a bottle filled with lamp oil. This kind of decorative oil lamp is very easy to make.

I made the three oil lamps pictured directly above with three different toppers. The one on the left is made from a steel ball; the one in the middle is made from a carved Chinese bead; and the one on the right is made from an African bead constructed from recycled pop bottles. You can make an oil lamp using any bead for the top as long as it is fire resistant.

Wicks are sold at hardware, camping or candle making supply stores. Look for “premium” smokeless and odorless oil (CLICK HERE to learn how to colour lamp oil).

To thread the wick through a bead dip the end in wax and twist it into a point, trimming it off once threaded. Leave the wick fairly long—you’ll need to trim the burnt bit off the top each time you light it. —Brendan Power

Photos, top to bottom: Radius Design, John Sinal