Upcycled glass bottles: how to cut and create at home

Some of my recent bottlecraft efforts. Rough edges still to be sanded down….

…and some simple ways to reuse/ display. I planted a small succulent in the one on the far left.

 

 

As far back as the 1990’s I used to admire those goblet style wine glasses when they first became popular, made as they were from empty beer and wine bottles, often with the original branding kept in place, a definitive nod to the move towards recycling and re-purposing. I always wondered how they cut the bottles whilst keeping them in tact and then turning them into desirable and useful items. Re-purposing, or upcycling, may require a bit of creativity and technical skill and sometimes it’s just more convenient to leave such adventures to the experts, as per my previous post Here. If like me, you have a bit of ‘crafty inclination’ (I was a fine arts student and I also taught nursery school for many years, making fascinating things out of egg boxes and toilet roll inners), you might be tempted to try some of these things yourself. 

 

Fast forward to more recent years and I started noticing a lot of information online about ‘quick, easy and foolproof’ ways to cut bottles at home with no special equipment. May I say at this point that trying to cut a glass bottle in half with twine, acetone and a box of matches is not advisable. Unless you have very good health and household insurance perhaps. I followed up my failed attempts with a bit of online research and I discovered this product and I haven’t looked back. It allows me to cut glass bottles with relative ease, (ok, you will need some patience and perseverance before you really get the hang of it) and also to glue sections together depending on what I am making. I haven’t gotten to the gluing stage yet: I am keeping it simple 😉

 

Here are the contents of the basic kit (2 pics):

 

Instruction booklet and CD, and tube of adhesive for joining cut glass pieces

 

Adjustable bottlecraft cutter including blade, tube of lubricating oil, and 2 grades of sanding paper. The spanners, safety goggles, funnel (for adding water), and toothbrush (for keeping the blade clean) are my own.

 

 

What I love about Bottlecraft SA is that they are a truly South African business with a big heart.  They operate from Grabouw near Cape Town within the Overberg Region in the Western Cape, South Africa. They have worked on projects in Rawsonville, Khayalitsha, Gugulethu, Port Elizabeth, Durban , Botswana, QwaQwa (Drakensburg), Namibia and Grabouw, where they focus on poverty alleviation, job creation and community upliftment. I ordered their Basic Kit online; it arrived in the post, and I was able to get going in no time. Read more on their About page.

 

If the thought of bottlecrafting doesn’t turn you on, (I was telling a friend about it on the phone, and she sighed and said that it sounds like a lot of work) here are a few links that might lead you to find your Thing:

http://treasuresfromtheheartgifts.blogspot.com/2012/07/rust-and-patina-how-to.html

https://www.hometalk.com/5828087/tips-for-decoupaging-paper-napkins-onto-furniture

http://www.goodshomedesign.com/rose-orange-peel-diy-orange-rose

https://www.hometalk.com/16019709/an-old-door-upcycle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 Green Gifting Tips for the holiday season.

With December fast approaching, the holiday season is just around the corner! And suddenly you have a long list of family/ friends to buy for, and you find that you are short on ideas (and funds!) on what to buy. I have listed below some suggestions, with links, for easy handmade gifts plus ideas for eco-friendly packaging, wrapping and tagging. All can be presented in reusable glass jars such as mason jars and simple utility jars with screw-on metal lids, and are easy to ‘dress up’ for gifting.

 

Even staples such as cereal, vinegar, salt and dried herbs can be lovely to behold!

 

 

1. Recipe plus ingredients in a jar: The ingredients are presented in visible layers: simply mix and make.

 

2. Moisturizing Scrub And Shave: Scented with sweet vanilla. A lovely leg shave and/ or skin softening exfoliate. Contains vegetable oils, Epsom salt and vanilla extract.

 

3. Recipe for Multipurpose Bee Balm by Bea Johnson. I carry a small glass jar in my handbag/ purse for shiny, moisturised  lips and nails and to highlight and moisturise cheekbones and brows. See also her application suggestions below for wood and leather….

 

4. Bath salts/ shower exfoliate: (use fine sea salt, NOT coarse, if you are intending to use it as a skin scrub)…and if you want to colour your salts with all natural ingredients, see Here…..

 

5.Vanilla extract, looks cute (and smells delicious) in a small glass bottle with screw top. Add a handwritten for a simple recipe (Here’s a suggestion: add a few drops to to tea, coffee, hot chocolate, soya milk etc)  …How to make vanilla extract

 

6. Homemade muesli in a jar presented with a recipe for homemade yoghurt