Wine Bottles: 4 Creative Ideas to Reuse and Recycle
Wine bottles are common objects found in the majority of homes. You see them during a dinner with family or friends, as gifts from fellow work companions, and in restaurants and bars.
Wine bottles are at the majority of dinners or lunches. When everyone has finished eating, the wine bottles are generally thrown out without anyone thinking about the number of things you could do with them.
There are wine bottles for red wine, white wine, and rosé wine. The colors of the glass also vary. There are bottles made of dark glass and transparent glass. Some have a cork and others come with a screw lid. In this article, you can learn 4 ways to recycle your wine bottles and create functional and decorative objects that you will love.
Learn to cut a wine bottle
Before learning about the original ideas you can create with wine bottles, you should learn to cut them first. This activity should only be undertaken by an adult since you will be working with high temperatures and with glass.
To be able to cut a wine bottle, you will need to subject it to an abrupt change in temperature.
Mark out the cut line: First you should mark the cut line on the section of the bottle where you wish to cut it. This mark should be made with a glass cutter. You can find one of these in any local hardware store.
Apply heat: After marking the section of your bottle, apply heat in sections on top of the marked line. You should apply the heat for approximately 2 minutes.
Cool it down quickly: When you have applied heat on the bottle, subject it to a rapid cooling. You could have prepared a container with ice cubes and place the hot bottle inside. You will hear a crack. The bottle will have broken on its own, right along the line you marked and heated up.
Sand the cut surface: Once you’ve cut the bottle, you should sand the edges. If you leave out this step, it will be very sharp and dangerous. Take a piece of fine sandpaper and very carefully sand the cut edge. You should use gloves and protective glasses. Remember you are working with glass.
After you have achieved a smooth, rounded finish, wash the bottle well. You’re now ready to create what you want.
Creative ideas to reuse your wine bottles
1. Flower vases using wine bottles
A very pretty idea is to create flower vases with wine bottles. For this, you don´t have to cut the wine bottle since its original structure is both interesting and eye-catching. It’s recommended to use transparent glass bottles as flower vases. If you like, you could paint and decorate the bottle. If not, wash it well, put in your flowers and use the bottle without changing it.
2. Paint the bottles and decorate your shelves
An interesting option to decorate empty shelves around your home is to paint your wine bottles. If you have a great quantity of dark and transparent bottles, try painting them. You could try one or various themes and decorate to your individual taste. You can use decorative acrylic paint or even permanent markers of various colors. Get busy and have fun.
Place your bottles on a large shelf, creating a line of decorated bottles.
3. Create new vases for your home
In place of spending money on new vases, if you have different wine bottles you could create your own glass vases.
Cut all the bottles into the same or different sizes. You can create glass vases of different heights and colors. Remember to sand the edges and wash the bottles well before using.
4. Design original pots
A very pretty idea is designing pots using recycled wine bottles. For this, you should cut the mouth of the bottle using the cutting procedure mentioned previously. Now your bottle will be in two parts: the bottom end and the top end.
Turn the upper part of the bottle upside down and place it inside the bottom half of the bottle. Add water to the larger part, and then put soil in the neck of the bottle. Next plant your favorite plant. The opening of the neck of the bottle should touch the water.
As you’ve seen, wine bottles can be useful to make into objects that decorate the home, or functional items. This a very original alternative to buying decorative objects, so opt for recycling and avoid throwing out your bottles.