How to Recycle Glass Bottles into Decorative Flower Vases

I used to dispose of my glass bottles at the community recycling center. Until the powers that be discontinued taking glass, that is. So then I was forced to dispose of my glass bottles by placing them in bags and taking them out to the curb for the trash service to pick up. However, there is another, more creative, option: read this informative article and learn how to recycle glass bottles into decorative flower vases.

Have you ever bought a drink such as beer, soda pop, iced tea or fruit juice that came in a decorative glass bottle? I don't mean that it had an appealing paper or plastic wrapper. I'm talking about those interesting bottles where the glass is actually molded in a unique manner. You can turn most any type of glass bottle into an attractive flower vase. Decorative bottles can make your finished products more interesting, though. If the glass swirls, or is molded with shapes in it or is colored, these features will add appeal to your recycled works.

After you have chosen a bottle you want to recycle, the next step is to determine how tall your flower vase will be. 6 inches of height will allow you to fill the vase with most types of small, short stemmed flowers. If you can cut the top off and still have about 12 inches of height, that would accommodate most longer-stemmed flowers. The exact height you choose to make your recycled flower vase will, of course, depend on the look of the decorative bottle you use.

Then, you can use a ceramic tile saw if you have one, to carefully cut the top off the bottle. If you don't have this type of saw, you can buy a glass cutter at your local craft or hobby store. If you've never used a tile saw or a glass cutter before, it would be a wise idea to practice cutting the tops off some other glass bottles instead. Once you're comfortable with the cutter, you're ready to recycle your glass bottle into a flower vase!

Wear a pair of safety glasses and protective gloves, and follow the directions that came with the glass cutter when you remove the excess glass off the bottle you're recycling. Once you've cut off the part of the bottle you don't want, discard it. Then, to continue to recycle the glass bottle into a flower vase, you'll want to be extremely cautious. The cut-glass edge is sharp and rough!

Next, you'll need to sand down that sharp edge to make it as smooth as possible. Use some fine to medium grit sanding paper to do the job with.

If the edge is still a little too rough for your liking, try covering it with a couple coats of clear varnish. Allow the varnish to dry thoroughly before you use your new flower vase!