Recessionival

Handmade Holiday Gifts: Recycling bottles into decorative vases

Recycle glass bottles into the perfect candle holders or bud vases.

I have a confession to make.  I'm not Martha Stewart.  I do, however, have a knack for seeing the possibilities in things.  Take, for instance, my neighbor's wine cooler bottles.  He was going to throw them out but when I saw them, I immediately thought they would be perfect to recreate West Elm's recycled wine bottle vases. Start by soaking the bottles you plan to use in really hot, soapy water, to dissolve the glue that holds the labels on. This won't completely remove all of the glue, however, so you should also invest in a bottle of goo-gone. (I bought mine at the dollar store.)  Allow the bottles to dry completely before continuing. I tried two techniques with these. The first, copied from Ms. Martha herself, entailed pouring paint …

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Christine Foster

7:41 am on Monday, December 20, 2010

I LOVE this Shauntelle! I've never tried the paint technique, but I've cleaned bottles (all colors and sizes) and used them as flower vases in my dining room centerpiece.   more ›