Upcycle It: Wine Bottle Glasses

When the party's over, don't toss your empty bottles turn them into glasses.

There is a slight learning curve in making these, but you can recycle any mess-ups, so there's no real waste. And remember you're working with glass, so safety first! I know I look ridiculous with goggles and a mask on, but that's far better that losing an eye.

• Bottle cutter


• Rotary tool with diamond tip


• Large bucket


• 200+ grit sandpaper


• Safety goggles & mask

1. Start with a clean bottle. To help remove labels, soak the bottle in warm water first. To remove stubborn adhesives, you might need a scraper, green scrubby, plus Goo Gone or a similar product.



2. Adjust the bottle cutter to the desired height. Apply medium-light pressure down and back against the bottle while rotating it to ensure a level line.



3. Slowly rotate the bottle and the cut you just made over a candle flame. You'll want the bottle about 1/8th inch away from the tip of the flame. Rotate slowly, going around the bottle about 5-6 times to start.



4. Submerge bottle in bucket filled with water. You can gentle tap the bottle against the side of the bucket a couple time to encourage it to separate. Be patient, if you try to force the separation you will not get a clean break.



5. If the bottle doesn't separate, go back to the candle flame, then the bucket. It might take a few tries between the flame and the bucket until the bottle finally comes apart.



6. Sand down the rim with the rotary tool. While sanding, occasionally dip the rim of the glass in the bucket of water this will minimize the amount of sanded glass you could potentially inhale. The rim will look scuffed up when this step is finished



7. Polish the rim. On a hard, flat surface, place the glass rim side down against sandpaper. Work in a figure 8u201d motion, polishing until smooth.

This is originally published in Wine Bottle Glasses in Venus Zine DIY Magazine

Venus Zine is the leading source for coverage of DIY culture, art, film, fashion, and women in music. Venuszine.com is the daily updated companion to the quarterly, internationally circulated magazine. Call at 773.327.9790 to reach VenusZine.