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    Home » DIY Projects

    DIY Glasses Made from Wine Bottles - Barware, Candle Holders and More

    December 22, 2015 by Patti Estep 11 Comments

    Jump to How-to Card
    Wine bottle under running water sideways and a wine bottle glass with ice below.

    This tutorial shows you how to make drinking glasses and fancy barware from recycled wine bottles. The process is easier than you think and you can create unique gifts while repurposing beautiful wine bottles.

    Completed glasses - Making Wine Bottle Glasses

    A few years ago, I bought my nephew and his lovely girlfriend, some glasses made from wine bottles, at an Etsy store. I've been dying to make some ever since.

    So after a little trial and error, I did it. 

    I had been gathering bottles for a couple of months. One thing I wish I had done right away was to remove the labels. This was truly the hardest and most frustrating part of the project.

    I'll save you some trouble. Use turpentine, it was the only thing that worked well for me.

    This post contains some affiliate links (that means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, there’s no additional cost to you, but I will earn a very small commission. ) i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

    Scoring a wine bottle

    Making the Wine Bottle Glassware

    • First, you need to buy a glass cutter. I purchased this Bottle Cutter from Amazon for around $16. 
    • Start by scoring the bottle at the height you want.
    • This varies from bottle to bottle. To change it simply loosen the wing nuts and slide the bar up and down to your desired height.
    • I'm right-handed, so I kept pressure with my right hand and used my left hand to turn the bottle.

    Breaking the Bottle

    Next is the cool part. I tried using the two bucket method, described in the bottle cutter directions, but that did not work for me.

    Instead, I used the following method I found in this video.

    Caution: You should wear protective eyewear just in case.

    pouring boiling water on scored wine bottle

    Place towels in the sink or a plastic bucket with some water as shown here. Then pour boiling water on the score mark, while turning the bottle over the sink.

    Running cold water on scored line

    Then run cold water on the score mark while turning the bottle again.

    Sometimes it will break right away. Others required a few repeated steps of boiling and cold water.

    bottom of wine bottle in bucket

    You may hear a crackle and then, boom, the bottom falls into the bucket.

    Cracked wine bottle glass

    A couple of them did not break evenly and cracked through the glass. I can only guess that I did not do a good job of scoring.

    Sanding tops of cut wine bottles

    Finishing the Wine Bottle Glasses

    The bottle cutter came with some sanding paper so you can sand the edges.

    Wine bottle glass with drink and stirrer

    I ended up with 5 glasses made from 7 wine bottles.

    I'm even thinking of turning the bad ones into candles like my friend Tanya of Lovely Greens did.  Don't they look beautiful with the wooden wicks? 

    These wine bottle glasses make great handmade gifts as pretty barware and I've even used them to hold pens, scissors, and other office supplies in my office.

    This just might be one of my favorite projects. I would definitely try this one again.

    Patti signature

    P.S. You may also enjoy this easy Glass Etching Tutorial for personalized barware, or this popular Mason Jar Holiday Oil Candle. You can find them and many more handmade gifts on my DIY Projects Page.

    Click Here to Save to Pinterest!

    A wine bottle glass with ice and a stirrer.
    Completed glasses - Making Wine Bottle Glasses - gardenmatter.com
    Print

    DIY Glassware from Wine Bottles

    Make drinking glasses, fancy barware, or candles from recycled wine bottles. The process is easier than you think and you can create unique gifts while repurposing beautiful wine bottles.
    Active Time20 mins
    Additional Time5 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Gifts
    Yield: 1
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $20

    Equipment

    • Bottle Cutter

    Materials

    • Empty clean wine bottles

    Instructions

    • Start by scoring the bottle at the height you want. Take your time with this step.
    • Place some towels in the sink or a plastic bucket with some water inside.
    • Pour boiling water on the score mark, while turning the bottle over the sink.
    • Then run cold water on the score mark while turning the bottle again.
    • Sometimes it will break right away. Others required a few repeated steps of boiling and cold water.
    • You may hear a crackle and then, boom, the bottom falls into the bucket.
    • Sand the edges with the paper that comes with the bottle cutter.

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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anny.

      November 18, 2022 at 10:35 am

      Thank so much for this! It’s a great idea.
      My questions is, do wine bottles resistant the heat from the candles? Will the bottle break?
      Thank.
      A.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        November 18, 2022 at 10:58 am

        Anny, I haven't had a problem so far. I guess it's possible depending on the bottle but the wax doesn't get that hot.

        Reply
    2. Diane

      January 12, 2020 at 11:10 am

      I am having a hard time making the rim of the glasses shinny. I have a lap grinder and it is working well for the Smoothness of the rim, but it is still cloudy. I have tried sanding, but still haven’t achieved the shine on the rim I am looking for. I would appreciate any advise.

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        January 12, 2020 at 11:17 am

        Diane, I'm sorry I don't have any direct advice. However, I was wondering if you could add something like a polyacrylic to finish the edge. However, I don't know if it is food safe or if there is a food safe alternative. Just a thought.

        Reply
      • Sean

        May 20, 2022 at 8:12 am

        You have to sand from 80-2500/5000 grit

        Reply
    3. Briana Browne

      December 30, 2015 at 10:44 pm

      Hi Patti. I like your idea. I have a lot of empty wine bottles at home and I have no idea really how to recycle them. I think this is an interesting project and I'd like to try it this January. I hope to learn more exciting DIY crafts from your blog.

      Reply
      • Patti

        December 31, 2015 at 6:47 am

        Hi Briana,

        I'm so glad you like this project. I was surprisingly easy once I got the hang of it. Now I'll be sneaking empty bottles from my friends and families at the end of the night. 🙂
        Thanks for stopping by and have a Happy New Year!
        Patti

        Reply
    4. Jeanette

      December 26, 2015 at 1:46 pm

      How did you get the edges smooth enough so as not to cut you when you drink out of them?

      Reply
      • Patti

        December 27, 2015 at 9:47 am

        The bottle cutter came with some paper called emory cloth which you can buy at most home improvement or hardware stores. It worked well but I did notice a few extra scratches on the glass so maybe just be careful.

        Reply
        • tagloff

          November 21, 2016 at 10:31 pm

          If you can find a ceramic nail file, it works perfectly for rounding down sharp glass edges.

        • Patti Estep

          November 22, 2016 at 7:24 am

          Good idea. Thanks!

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