Most people can enjoy a good red wine, or perhaps a healthy stout. But what is less enjoyed afterwards is the waste that is leftover from the sweet nectars container, the bottles themself. Many of these bottles, whether they are for wine, liquor, or beer are very unique and creative in their own right. So it’s a shame that they have to be disregarded in such a fashion as to be tossed into the trash or recycle bin. Rather than tossing them out, put life back into them by turning them into new and more useful items.
Here are a few examples of what can be created for various glass forms without having to make cuts in the glass:
Wine Bottles
- Dinner Table Water Bottles
- Candle Holder
- Fragrance Container for Oils or Incense
- Vase for Flowers
Liquor Bottles
- Garden Décor (Inverted bottles lining your garden)
- Layered Colored Sand Bottle Art
- Wind Chimes (Smaller bottles)
Beer Bottles
- Bottle Chandelier
- Musical Bottle Instruments (Whether struck or blown into)
Now these ideas are not hard in themselves to achieve, and many uses can be conjured up if you’re creative. But if you really want to make things interesting, and open up a wider range of options for your used bottles, you’re going to want to cut the glass. This may sound difficult and/or time consuming, but it’s not. In fact it’s much easier than you might believe.
How to Cut Glass With Ease
*A warning should be given here, as you will be working with both fire and broken glass pieces, so extreme care should be taken.*
Step 1: The first thing you are going to want to do is figure out the glass you would care to cut and what exactly its new use will be. Preferably, the glass should be thick and sturdy. This will make the cuts created both more reliable and even. You should also decide what parts of the glass you would like to cut. If you want to simply make a drinking cup, a lantern, or a spoon from the neck of a bottle, than certain cuts should be planned for.
Step 2: Find a thick string, one that you believe will keep a flame for sometime as this will act as a wick of sorts. You then tie this thick string tightly around the portion of the bottle where the cut is intended.
Step 3: Once a knot has been created and the string fits snug around the bottle, you will want to remove it and douse the sting in lighter fluid. Make sure its soaked through and evenly distributed, as a solid line of fire is needed.
Step 4: Realign the string to where it was originally measured and make sure it fits snugly where you wish the cut to be. At this point, with the string secure, be sure that your fingers are dry and have as little lighter fluid on them as possible.
Step 5: With your hands dry, you will now set the string on fire with a lighter. As the flame catches you will want to rotate it slowly to assure the heat is distributed properly. Eventually after about 10-20 seconds, you should hear the bottle crack slightly. At this point you want to quickly poor cold water over the bottle and slightly tug at both ends. The bottle should cleanly be pulled apart.
Step 6: You should have two parts to the bottle, and now you will want to file down the jagged portions of the bottle with various grades of sandpaper. First, start filing with a low grain paper while working your way up to a higher grained one. After a little elbow grease, the cut portion of the glass should be silky smooth and ready to be washed, and used in whatever fashioned you envisioned. If you want to be extra certain the glass will not chip in the future, you can hit the edges with a blow torch after you’ve sanded to temper the glass and give a true smooth finish.
The same creations and many more can be made as in the list above. You can turn any bottle into a cup or glass. Wine bottles cut at an angle on the neck can be converted into spoons if a wooden handle is attached. You can use your imagination to create some fun and interesting pieces. The beauty of it is that no tools are necessary in order to accomplish this, making it a cheap and effective way to have a little fun while creating unique pieces for your home or business.
The author of this article is Damien S. Wilhelmi. If you enjoyed this article you can follow me on twitter @COSportsZealot. I am writing on behalf of Liquormart.com, where you can buy wine online. It serves as a great gift, or to enjoy on your own.