The two items on the left-hand side in the first photo are oil lamps. The third item, the beautiful little turquoise-blue thick-walled glass vessel, I’m not sure what it started out its life to be. A new neighbor gave it to me.
Regardless of how the blue glass vessel originally started out its life, I decided right away that it would make a gorgeous little oil lamp.
The clear oil lamp in the photo is made of plastic and I believe is not meant to be refillable. It had a label on it that said emergency oil lamp. Inherited it from a friend who was downsizing for a move.
The wick in the clear oil lamp needed to be pulled up in order to make a better flame, but despite all of my efforts with tweezers and so on, I could not pull it up. I realized that I would need to remove the metal wick-holder from the body of the lamp. The metal was crimped over the plastic vessel, so the removal involved needle-nose plyers and a tiny cut with wire-cutters.
After separating the wick holder from the plastic vessel, I was able to push the wick up from below so that it was a more appropriate height.
I’ve been poured the lamp oil from the plastic vessel into the blue glass vessel. And put the metal with holder on top of the glass vessel.
There is still some lamp oil remaining in the plastic vessel. For now, I plugged with a cork wrapped in fabric to keep the oil from evaporating, but I’m going to be pouring that remaining oil into another oil lamp.
The plastic vessel can still be used as an oil lamp if needed. But I am very fortunate to have several fancy glass oil lamps. Some were left behind by people who were moving. There may have been one or two from garage sales as well.
The little ceramic oil lamp with the two reindeer is one that I purchased as a Christmas gift for my parents some decades ago. If I recall correctly, it’s from Finland. I purchased it at some shop in Tokyo. Where I was living at the time.
And then, after Mom and Dad had passed, the lamp came back to me among many beloved items from their house. I cherish this lamp.
Fun fact: it’s pretty easy to make an oil lamp out of many different kinds of vessels. Some shapes work better than others. Although large oil lamps are pretty, they can be cumbersome, and it’s easier to conserve fuel with a smaller squatter shape. I do enjoy them all though.
Another fun fact is that many different kinds of oil can be used in an oil lamp. You can even use old culinary oil that’s no longer good for cooking. Some types of oil smoke worse than others, so some lamps are best used outdoors depending on what kind of oil is in them.
The lamp oil they sell at the shops is refined and makes little or no smoke. It can be used indoors but I would still only do so in a well-ventilated setting. Our house has the windows open most of the time, and I really enjoy the beauty of an oil lamp. Even when not actually in use, they make beautiful decor.
During power outages, oil lamps and candles are not only practical but also lend a touch of warmth and fun to an inconvenient or scary time. I guess it’s almost like a mini campfire.
Lamps and candles are also a great way to share beauty, warmth, and magic with the neighborhood, if placed strategically near a window. Or outdoors in a spot that’s sheltered from the wind. Passers-by can be warmed by the sight.