Wine-fueled creativity goes into the re-creation of empty bottles.
Do you have a stash of wine bottles waiting to go out with the recycling? Instead, upcycle them yourself and watch as the remnants from evening’s past are transformed into elegant accents for your home. You won’t need much to turn your empty bottles into candle holders, vases, a chandelier and more. Roll up your sleeves, pour yourself a glass of wine, and get ready to create!
Light Up
Using an old wine bottle, some nylon plumbing tape, a copper pipe fitting, an oil candle wick and some citronella oil, eHow shares instructions for how you can quickly craft a simple, inexpensive and stunning citronella torch using the above mentioned materials. You can place these on your outdoor table (it keeps the bugs away while you eat), mount them throughout your garden, or simply use them for some added ambiance.
For inside your home, you can transform your wine bottles into beautiful candle holders by simply cutting off the bottom (or top) of a wine bottle. There are several ways in which you can cut a bottle, but one of the simplest ways is by scoring an edge on the bottle where you would like the break to be, heating the score using a flame or boiling water, then applying cold water or ice to break the glass. Check out Make’s instructions for how to simply, and cleanly cut a wine bottle, then insert a candle and illuminate your home like this.
Although, if you’d rather brighten your home sans flame, there are other creative ways to use wine bottles as an apparatus for holding light. Using just a drill, an empty wine bottle, a strand of Christmas lights and some safety equipment, you can create subtle, festive lighting in less than one hour, as shown on Wit and Whistle.
If you want to go all out, you can create an elegant chandelier to hang over your dining room table or anywhere in your home. These instructions, found on That House on the Corner, show you how to recreate a wine bottle chandelier valued at $300previously for only a mere $50. Follow these directions and illuminate your home for a fraction of the cost.
Practical Use
Another great way to upcycle your old wine bottles is to outfit them with hardware that can be mounted to a wall. Add some water and a few of your favorite flowers and you have a festive vase that will add life and color to your walls. You can find out how to mount your bottles on Shelterness, or get some more inspiration on Shanty-2-Chic.
While all these project will add a great aesthetic to your home, one of the simplest and most functional is Living Well Spending Less’ instructions for making an etched wine bottle dish soap dispenser. Although, you can also follow these instructions for etching glass to make other customized wine bottle crafts—the possibilities are limitless.
These simple projects will add beautiful flare to your home and garden, and they’re a great excuse for emptying some bottles.
