10 Ideas for Upcycling Your Used Wine Bottles

Ever wonder what to do with the bottle after you’ve finished that last sumptuous drop of wine? One answer: wine bottle crafts. Here are 10 do-it-yourself ideas for repurposing those empties into home accessories, bird feeders, and more. Just a couple of tips before you get started: You usually can remove the label by soaking the bottles in warm water with a few tablespoons of baking soda for 30 minutes or scrubbing with a sponge or steel wool. And don’t forget the corks! They even can be used to make cool items like key chains, cheese spreaders, trivets, and bulletin boards. All of these ideas are easily accessible via the Internet.

1. Wrap it. Encase bottles with yarn and burlap to add a rustic touch to your table decor. Just apply hot glue and start wrapping. Want a beachy look? Try netting a bottle with jute twine.

2. Slice it. Cut off the bottom from any wine bottle and use it as a candle, flower pot, terrarium, drinking tumblers, and more. All you need is a bottle cutter, sander to smooth the edge, and your imagination. Wondering what to do with the leftover tops? Use the upper halves of your wine bottles to craft a chandelier or hurricane lamps.

3. Embellish it. Use regular brush paint or spray paint to cover your bottles. What you do with them next is totally up to you!

4. Make your own tables. Just insert several bottles into openings in pieces of wood. Use smaller pieces of wood to create unique serving trays.

5. Create a centerpiece. All you need are bottles, a little water, and a few flowers. Take it up a notch by inserting strands of twinkly lights into the bottles.

6. Dispense soap. Paint or etch a design into the glass, pour in some dish soap, and insert a pour spout (available at kitchen stores). Voila! A handmade soap dispenser.

7. Attract birds. Use a drill bit to create holes near the bottom of the bottle for the food to come out. Then use epoxy to attach a plate or saucer to the very bottom to serve as a perch, and wrap with copper wire to hang.

8. Try a tree. This is a great way to use up lots of odds-and-ends bottles that are different shades and shapes. Simply turn the empty bottles upside down and place them on the thin tree branches in your front yard.

9. Water plants automatically. Drill a small hole lengthwise though the cork. Fill the wine bottle with water and reinsert the cork. Turn the bottle upside down and push it into the soil of your favorite potted plant to deliver a consistent drip.

10. Edge a garden. Dig a small trench along your garden border. Remove the labels from bottles and place them neck down into the trench so that about half the bottle length remains above ground level.