60-watt Shakers

What is it exactly?
It's a salt and pepper shaker set made from a couple of lightbulbs that have lost their luster.

Usefulness factor
If the lights went out in your room, you can save yourself a trip to the trash and reuse those burned-out bulbs. This bright idea for a craft turns those old lightbulbs into shakers that will add a little spice to your supper. Materials needed:

• 2 burned-out lightbulbs
• 2 plastic pop bottlecaps
• pliers
• a sharp knife
• liquid dish soap
• double-sided tape
• a supply of salt and pepper

Get Started
(A few bright words of caution: This craft involves fragile glass and sharp metal, so be careful. We even recommend wearing eye goggles and gloves.)

1. Find a few burned-out lightbulbs.
2. Using the pliers, remove the small metal disc in the middle of the black electrical contact of the lightbulb.
3. Remove the entire black lightbulb component with the pliers. Next, carefully remove all of the lightbulb's tungsten filament and glass fuse enclosure.
4. Shake out any remaining interior lightbulb pieces over a trash can.
5. Thoroughly wash out each lightbulb with dish soap, unless you enjoy the zesty flavor of paint and filament fragments on your mashed potatoes.
6. Fill the two lightbulbs with salt and pepper by pouring the seasoning through the open ends of the lightbulbs.
7. Using the knife and a little caution, drill a few small holes into the plastic bottle caps.
8. Screw the plastic caps onto the metal ends of the lightbulbs.
9. Stick a small piece of double-sided tape on the bottom of the shakers, and place the illuminated craft on your dinner table and sprinkle the perfect amount of pepper onto your favorite foods.

Total Cost
Unless you count the salt and pepper supply as part of your expenditures, this craft is costless.

Challenge Level
On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the Martha Stewart challenge, this is a 7. So, how many college students does it take to turn an old lightbulb into a shaker? Two: one to follow the directions for this craft, and one to come up with a good end to this pun.

Our Thoughts
The electrifying craft lights up any dinner table with its originality and function. Even though this craft might not survive a fall from the table top, the 60-watt Shakers are so inventive, we're sure Thomas Edison would be proud.