ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

Put on leather gloves and safety glasses. consider going outside since this process involves breaking glass.

Peel off the contact at the base of the bulb using the needle-nose pliers (see photo 1).

Crack the black glass at the base of the bulb by tapping it lightly with the hammer. If this doesn’t work, try sticking one of the jaws of the needle-nose pliers into the hole of the black glass and twist while applying a little pressure. it requires some persistence, so keep at it.

Insert the 1/4-inch Allen wrench into the glass tube inside the lightbulb after removing black glass (see photo 2). Apply some leverage to break the glass inner tube; a different size key may be necessary depending on the brand of bulb.

Pull out the innards of the bulb through the hole you’ve created with the pliers. if the hole is too small, make it bigger as you did in step 4. The filament and attached glass may need to come out in a few pieces if they are too large (shown in photo 3).

Create a stand for your new vase using the 3/32-inch aluminum welding rod, available at your local hardware store. Sculpt your stand to your own design, or mimic the one in the pictures—a square base with one end of the wire coiled around the metal part of the lightbulb.

Insert your favorite flower, water, and enjoy!