Primitive country night lights with silicone dipped bulbs are easy and fun to make, and are great things to sell at craft shows or give as gifts!!! 
Here’s how I do it!
Supplies:
- Mainstay (Walmart Brand) Clear Silicone
- Calking gun
- Rubber gloves
- Cheap night lights and/or extra 4 watt bulbs from the dollar store
- Cinnamon
- String or wire – to hang up bulbs to dry
- Small disposable cup
- Popsicle stick or wooden dowel – to stir in cinnamon
- Homespun fabric
- Rusty stars and/or hearts
To start, buy some cheap night lights at the dollar store, and remove the cheesy plastic covers. Unscrew the bulbs and set aside, as you’ll be dipping them shorly! It takes some time to get down the technique, so get some extra bulbs to experiment with if you are just starting. Additional 4-watt bulbs can also be bought at the dollar store, usually 4 for $1. You want to get CLEAR silicone, which can be found at Walmart or any home supply store. I find the Walmart brand “Mainstay” works the best. You can add some cinnamon to the silicone for color (when it’s lit, it’s a much warmer look, also it camouflages any imperfections in the silicone), or leave clear if you wish.
Using the calking gun, squirt the silicone into a shallow bowl or cup – like an old cream cheese or sour cream container. Something disposable. Mix the cinnamon in at this point, if you wish. Gripping the base of the bulb, dip it down into the silicone, while slowly turning it to get the whole bulb covered up to the edge of the base. Then dip it down in and pull it out in a quick motion, to create the long tip, or “flame.” This takes some practice!
WORK QUICKLY! The silicone cures quickly once exposed to air, and will become harder and harder to work with!
Hang up by the base to cure. I use a small piece of string tied to the base and hang it from a clothesline. Once the silicone bulbs have set (after at least 24 hours), screw back into the night light. Tie some homespun fabric around the neck of the night light and either knot or tie in a bow. Finish by adding a rusty star, or heart.
So FREAKIN cute, aren’t they??
Nov 18, 2011 @ 19:29:57
I love your night lights… I just tried to make a few for mine however I cant get them to have the long tail… Is there any other tips you can share. Yours look amazing.
Thanks
Nov 20, 2011 @ 18:16:13
Hi Nicole, thanks for your comment!
The long tail is tough and definitely took a little practice. I can say for sure that time is a factor…you have you work QUICK because the silicone starts to cure immediately and the longer it sits (even 20 mins) the tails get harder to make. The first few usually have the best tails. I dip the bulbs and pull them out quickly and straight up. Keep trying and you’ll get it!!! Thanks for checkin out my blog and good luck with your bulbs! 
~Maggie
Dec 02, 2011 @ 08:05:17
Thank you for sharing this craft, love it!
Dec 07, 2011 @ 19:17:07
I so desperate to try these and I used the white caulk and mixed with coffee
They look good but I couldn’t get the little “hook” either. It seems like it is really thick do you suggest anything to thin it out? Or just leave it as it is? I never thought of the wooden spoons either!!! Those are adorable!!!! LOVE your site!!!
Dec 07, 2011 @ 22:11:48
Thanks so much Heather!!! Yes the bulbs are fun, but quite a challenge to get right. I don’t have any suggestions about thinning it – I find the brand makes a difference and I use the mainstay brand from Walmart which seems to work best. It’s most pliable and thin when you first squirt it out of the tube, and after a few minutes of being in contact with the air it starts getting more difficult to work with. Just keep experimenting and try to work quickly, because the first few bulbs always seemed to come out best! Good luck! Thanks again for your nice comments….it’s people like you that motivate me and make me wanna keep on blogging!!!!
~Maggie
Dec 12, 2011 @ 10:36:25
I love this idea! So creative! I can’t wait to try it. I’m guessing, the lights don’t work after you do this right??? I’m somewhat of a redneck so don’t laugh! lol
Dec 12, 2011 @ 11:59:10
Thanks Cindy! I’m a fellow redneck…no worries! lol! Yes they DO work! The silicone is heat/bulb safe and they work just fine! It’s such a cool way to jazz up boring old bulbs!!! Good luck
~MAggie
Dec 12, 2011 @ 22:57:14
Thanks Maggie! I can’t wait to go get the silicone and whip some of these up for stocking stuffers! You have really helped my “redneck crafting brain cells” work again!
Feb 24, 2012 @ 09:15:18
Love this idea! Yay! I can do it myself now! Thanks so much for sharing! You’re a life saver!
http://livengoodandprimitive.wordpress.com/
May 02, 2012 @ 11:43:55
Do you paint the plastic base at all or are the ones that you buy black?
May 03, 2012 @ 08:54:03
Hi Kristen, no I don’t paint the plastic base. I buy them black and off-white. The dollar stores have a surprisingly good selection of different night lights and colors to choose from! Have fun making them!
~Maggie
Aug 12, 2012 @ 11:19:49
Renee Walsh,
Hi Maggie. First let me say I LOVE your site! So many great ideas and very creative.
I’m trying (operative word “trying” lol) to make the silicone bulbs. I’m not succeding to well. I have used ALOT of silicone. First how much silicone do you put in say like a cottage cheese container (large or small contianer?). My bulbs seem to come out lumpy and I’m not getting the nice “flame”. Been to walmart and and they don’t seem to carry their brand (mainstay). I’m working the silicone as quickly as I can. I twirl it like you said and then quickly dip it for the flame.. Any suggestions on what I’m doing wrong? I’d appreciate your feed back. I really want to make these as gifts and I’m getting aggravated….lol!
Thank you in advance! Renee
Aug 13, 2012 @ 08:46:24
Hi Renee! I am sorry you’re having a tough time with the bulbs!:( I have to admit that I had a hard time too at the beginning, but you definitely get better the more you do it!! After reading the steps you have been taking, I honestly can’t think of much that I do different! Lately I’ve been using a smaller container like a yogurt container because you can use the same amount of silicone (as you would with a cottage cheese container) but fill it up and make it “deeper” to dip the bulbs…does that make any sense? lol. I fill up the yogurt container almost all the way up. Not sure what the lumpyness is coming from…I would suggest trying other brands of silicone. Keep trying different brands until you find one that works…I swear that the brand of the silicone makes a HUGE difference. When I dip them I make sure they are covered and then quickly pull them out to get the flame – sometimes it takes a few dips to get the flame right. Hmmm…can’t think of anything else other than just keep on trying…you’ll probably waste a lot of silicone before you get it right…I know I did!!! Good luck!!!
Maggie
Sep 03, 2012 @ 11:04:17
I was really excited to try this, but I used them with my welcome lights.. I was afraid that they were getting too hot.. i just used the plain clear silicone. Is it a fire hazard if they get too warm?
Sep 06, 2012 @ 09:24:53
Hi Amanda, sorry for the delayed response! I don’t think they would be a fire hazard…I remember researching that before I started doing those bulbs and as long as it’s a fairly low wattage, I don’t think it would get hot enough to burn anything or start a fire. I am not positive about that, so be careful. I have only done silicone dipping on bulbs that were 4 watts and under which have been fine. Thanks for stoppin by my blog! Have a good weekend!
Maggie
Sep 12, 2012 @ 14:23:53
Love your sight…great ideas! Do you have any tips on pricing items for a craft booth? Do you have a rule of thumb?
Sep 13, 2012 @ 10:19:59
Thank you Ronda! Pricing has always been tough…I guess my rule of thumb is I’d rather price a little cheaper and sell a lot, than price higher and only sell a few. Obviously you want to cover your costs and profit as much as you can, but sometimes you have to have think…”Would I pay that???” I also like to ask my friends and family what they would pay for a item and get a feel for the price range. It’s definitely hard but sometimes its just trial and error! Hope that helps…! Thanks for reading my blog!!
Maggie
Oct 11, 2012 @ 13:27:28
Hi Maggie would you mind sending me “your email address again? I would like to send some pics and would appreciate your opinion and what you think of pricing….
Sent from my Samsung Epic™ 4G
“Eyeballs By Day, Crafts By Night” wrote:
Oct 11, 2012 @ 15:53:55
Emailed ya!
Oct 27, 2012 @ 13:21:01
I have to say you have inspired me and rekindled my passion for crafting! Looking forward to trying the bulbs. I sold out of all my purchased bulbs, at my last show. Your recipe will lower my prices and they are so much cuter than my resale bulbs. Thank you for sharing!
Oct 29, 2012 @ 08:35:35
You’re very welcome Terri! I love making those bulbs and they sell like hot cakes! Thanks for visiting my blog and happy crafting!!!
Maggie
Oct 31, 2012 @ 14:27:55
Just finished making a few of these for the first time and they didn’t turn out too bad. I think the trick to a long flame is not using much cinnamon and a good twisting and turning effect with a quick pull out. Well, it worked for me
Thanks so much for sharing 
))
Nov 02, 2012 @ 07:58:07
Thanks Jacquie, glad they worked well for you. I agree – a little less cinnamon seems to work better. They are so much fun to make and a great craft show seller.
Nov 10, 2012 @ 15:26:01
Hello- can you shoot me an email @ meganlynn923@gmail.com
I have a couple questions to ask you about where you get certain items!
Nov 15, 2012 @ 02:24:50
I love making these bulbs, but am now really interested in making the bulbs I am seeing pop up on selling blogs and in stores. They say hand dipped on them, so I am believing that is true. Anyway I was wondering if you could help me figure out how to make a carrot nose with the long curly q. Then looks lilke the eyes and nose are hot glued on. If you want to look at one, I bought it at a store and the package says Vickie Jean’s Creations, Inc. http://www.vickiejeanscreations.com. I thought maybe dipping a toothpick in it and the trimming it, but the one I have has nothing hard inside. I have no other ideas. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Heidi
Nov 19, 2012 @ 13:33:04
Hello Heidi, hmmm….that’s a tough one! I think it would just take a lot of experimenting to get those “noses” just right. Some things I would probably try are the tooth pick thing (like you suggested) except get as long of a “tail” as you can, and them trip it right above where the toothpick ends, so it’s just silicone (with no tip of toothpick inside). Or put some silicone in a plastic ziplock bag and cut off the corner (like you would do as a make-shift frosting bag for cake decorating) and squirt out little dots onto foil or wax paper, and pull the bag in a quick, upward motion to create the “tail” or curly-cue…and then once they dry, just hot glue them onto the bulb? Does that make sense?? I might have to give these a try sometime because now I am curious about them, and love the pics from the vickie jean’s website! Best of luck and let me know if you figure out something that works!!!! maggie
Jan 03, 2013 @ 13:44:52
LOVE your site & thanks for the tut’s. Tried this & my bulbs are hanging to cure as I write! Couple of questions: 1) I could not find the Mainstay product…bought “clear silicone sealant”…no name brand @ WM. I was not prepared for the strong vinegar type scent…is this normal? I added cinnamon oil & coffee to my bulbs. Will this vinegar scent subside & the cinnamon take over eventually? 2) Can’t make the long tails yet. Is there a difference in “sealant” & “caulking”? Should I go to a home store to look for “clear caulk?” Thanks SO MUCH!
valeri
Jan 06, 2013 @ 18:17:42
Hi Valeri – thanks so much! Sorry for the delayed response. The mainstay brand IS the Walmart brand, I think. It’s the cheapest and most generic looking one they have. lol. Yes, the strong vinegar scent is normal! That’s why it’s probably a good idea to do it in a ventilated area if possible. The vinegar smell will go away but I have found that, even though it is mixed in, they don’t really smell like cinnamon either. They don’t seem to smell at all. I use the cinnamon more for the primitive look. I don’t know the difference between sealant and caulking, but I use the clear caulking. I hope this helps and sorry again for taking so long to get back to you!!! Thanks so much for reading my blog! Keep on experimenting and crafting!!
Maggie
Jan 10, 2013 @ 15:53:04
I was just at Walmart…..dying to try these as well!! They did not have MAINSTAY there at our local one either
Hope the one I purchase works. Great blog
Jan 28, 2013 @ 13:22:17
Sorry for the delayed response Lisa ~ did the other brand work? I have found it’s all experimenting…I have found some work just fine and others stink, and I don’t know what the difference is that makes one better than another. Hope they came out okay!! Thanks for visiting! Maggie
Jan 21, 2013 @ 15:45:40
I’ve done this for years…I also catch the after Christmas sales and buy the C7 bulbs in different colors! Use the clear silicone and you can decorate for any season or holiday! Red, white(clear), and blue for the fourth,,,orange for the fall or red and green for Christmas….endless ideas!!
Jan 29, 2013 @ 17:28:15
I adore your blog! You make so many unique and fun decorative items. I am totally inspired by your creativity! I would love to chat more privately about some questions that I have. I truly would love to have some help with some of the ideas that I have. Please email if you get the chance, Thanks!
May 13, 2013 @ 19:21:32
Great idea! Where do you find the rustic stars?