regardless of how crazy our lives get, we always need to spend time with friends and family. we’ve recently started hosting a regular sunday dinner at our apartment, where we invite a couple friends over to hang out, catch up and eat some homecooked food. all these guests mean a lot of empty wine bottles. but instead of recycling them, we decided to recycle a project we posted last year. using the same technique we showed you to make the bud vase trio, we simply cut these bottles at different heights to create a bunch of new vases, and some great new candle holders. and there it is. an entire tablescape for next sundays dinner. click here for the full project instructions, or just click “read more” below.
have fun!
derek & lauren
editor’s note: i just wanted to extend a big congratulations to derek and lauren on their new book, show me how: 500 things you should know: instructions for life from the everyday to the exotic! it’s full of fantastic practical advice- check it out here!
Here’s what you’ll need:
-Glass cutting kit (we like this one or this one)
-Empty wine or beer bottles
-Sandpaper for polishing cut edges
-Candle
-Ice cube
Making a vase or candle holders out of a glass bottle isn’t rocket science, but it does take some practice. Don’t be upset or frustrated if you end up sacrificing a few bottles to the recycling bin before you master the fine art of scoring. To get started, adjust the cutter so that your bottle lies flat on the rollers with the scoring blade at your desired height. Using both hands, carefully roll the bottle towards you, keeping steady pressure as you create as straight a score line as possible around the entire bottle. Remember that to get a nice clean break in your glass it’s more important that the line be straight, not necessarily deep.
Now it’s time for the fire and ice. Light your candle, and holding the score line directly above the flame, slowly rotate the bottle for 20-30 seconds. Then do a few quick rotations so that the score line is evenly heated all around. Next, grab an ice cube and slide it along the score. This is where it gets interesting. If you hear any clicks or tiny cracking noises, this is a good sign. Most bottles won’t separate during the first round, so you may have to repeat the fire and ice routine a few times before the bottle magically (and cleanly!) snaps in two.
Soften the cut edges of the glass with sandpaper and you’ve got yourself a perfect little vase (or candle holder, or drinking glass)… Experiment with different sizes and heights and you’ll see that the possibilities are endless!
