Old wine bottles in new avatars

Wondering what to do with those empty wine bottles lying around at home? You can upcycle them into fun decor pieces. Remove the stickers off these bottles and wash and dry them before getting started.

Lighting accessories

Remove the base using a glass cutter. Smoothen the edges with sandpaper before you proceed, advises Samarth Pandey, a craft hobbyist from Pune.

To create a pendant light, place a lightbulb in its socket. Now insert it in the wine bottle, pull its wiring out from the bottle mouth and plug it to a switchboard. Your pendant light is ready to use. Ensure that the bulb is in working condition, he adds.

You can also make a chandelier with cut bottles. Fix them with a bulb each, string them all together, and add a rope to hang the project. “You can use the bottles in their original colours or paint them to go with your home decor,” says Pandey. You can create a chandelier from uncut bottles too. Tie them at the base and insert string lights in each bottle through the mouth. Attach a rope for hanging.

If you don’t want hanging lights, you can turn the base or lower half of cut bottles into floating candle holders. “Pour some water into the cut portion and place a tealight or aromatic candle inside. You can use these on your dining table or in the bedroom,” he adds.

Uncut bottles can be reimagined in many other ways. “Pass a string light (with a cork switch) down the mouth of the bottle. For a textured look, paint the bottle with a light green or yellow glass colour,” he explains. These can be placed on a side table or a corner of the room.

Or, repurpose them as candle stands. Simply place thin candles on the mouth of the bottle.

Planter world

Another way to repurpose old wine bottles is to turn them into planters. Fill them with water and add cuttings of the money plant to them. Place them at different points around the house, such as window sills, shares Rathi Murthy S, a terrace gardener and sustainability advocate.

To create hanging planters, cut the bottles around three to five inches from the base. “Use the top half of the bottle. Close it with a cap and turn it upside down. Add small stones, planting soil, and cocopeat, and now place succulents or hanging plants. Create holes in the cap for the water to drain,” she says. If you would like to keep planters on the table, use the base for the project. This works best for succulents — don’t overwater them.

Melted trays

You can melt these bottles to make trays or spoon rests. These projects can be used to hold small fruits or sliced cheese. “Use the bottle in its original colour or paint it after the slumped bottle has fully cooled down,” Pandey says. You can do this project at home if you own a kiln, or find a ceramic or glass workshop for the same. “Check with crafters at the workshop about the temperatures needed to melt these bottles and the cooling period. Follow the instructions diligently to ensure the bottles slump well and don’t break later,” he adds.

Message holders

You can convert these bottles into keepsakes. “Fill up a bottle with gravel, sand, pebbles, and seashells, mimicking a seashore. Use a weathered paper to write a message or stain a handmade paper with some coffee to lend the paper a vintage look. Replace the cork on the bottle and your beach-style keepsake is ready for gifting,” says Rathi.