Captivated by the Light Bulb Option

Staying on the recycled theme, there are several YouTube videos as shown in previous posts inspiring the idea of going with Dollar Tree items as the common denominator.  Light bulbs are more appealing than plastic bottles or hummingbird feeders because of the crystal clear appearance and the fragile nature of glass.  However, light bulbs present two problems.


#1 - The practical obstacle of opening a glass light bulb without breaking it is daunting.Opening the bulb, according to online tutorials involves a knife or heat or, frankly, danger. I am a chicken.

#2 - Then, there's the angle of the walls of the bulb leading to the hole through which the particles will descend.  It can affect the rate of flow, especially if there's a horizontal plate inserted between the bulbs as a connector. The type of bulb - a regular incandescent bulb, a round bathroom mirror bulb, or a more flattened shop bulb - can be vital for a relatively accurate hourglass.  Chandelier light bulbs have a steep angle wall, especially on the pointed end.  How can a hole be put into the end without breaking the bulb?

I avoided the whole glass issue by using round plastic Christmas ornament balls mounted into some pieces of gourd scraps. As is apparent in the video, the roundness of the ball makes an almost horizontal area where the particles have to flow into and through the hole to the bottom part of the unit.

(the unplanned background music is by Kenny Rogers - oops!)