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Wine bottle pendant lights can run you upwards of $200! And a set of wine bottle glasses will cost you about $30 if you buy them at the store.

Don’t do that. Don’t buy recycled wine bottle products when you can easily make them yourself for just a few dollars. It’s WAY easier than you think. Check it out:

How to remove wine bottle labels

How to remove wine bottle labels

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Dish soap
  • Baking soda
  • Dish scraper
  • Steel scouring pad

Directions:

Allow the bottles/labels to soak for at least 10 minutes. The longer they soak, the less scrubbing you’ll have to do. Then, using your fingers, a table knife or dish scraper, peel/scrape off the label.

To loosen up any remaining glue, place the bottle back in the hot water for a couple more minutes. While submerged, use a stainless steel scouring pad to scrub the bottle clean.

 

How to cut wine bottles

How to cut wine bottles

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Bottle cutter
  • 2 large pots — one with ice cold water, another with boiling water
  • Hand towel
  • Metal tongs

Cutting Tips:

Bottle cutters may cost you about $16, but you can create some pretty awesome stuff with all the glass you cut (think gifts for the holidays or birthdays!). Reading the directions that come with your bottle cutter is a great place to start, but here are some tips to get you to pro-level faster.

  • Pass the cutter around your bottle only once and keep your cut light — a deep cut is harder to separate and leads to broken bottles.
  • Keep a vacuum nearby so you can clean off any tiny shards of glass that may fall when scoring your bottles.

Glass-Separating Tips:

Once you’ve cut a bottle, you’ll have to dunk it in boiling water for about 5 seconds then dip the hot bottle in ice-cold water carefully. You should be able to see the score line “run” as it’s called. Continue this process until the bottle separates.

  • Make sure your pots of hot and cold water are large enough to cover the cut line evenly.
  • Don’t rest your bottle on the bottom of the pot of boiling water. Once the water begins to boil, turn it down to simmer — the vibration from the pot has the potential to break your bottle.

How to cut wine bottles

 

11 Wine Bottle DIYs That Are Easier Than You Think

 

1. Turn the bottom of a wine bottle into a jewelry dish.

1. Turn the bottom of a wine bottle into a jewelry dish.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Bottom of cut wine bottle
  • 60 and 120 grit sandpaper

Directions:

Don’t waste the bottom of the wine bottle you just cut. Turn it into a simple jewelry dish by sanding the edges.

Turn the bottom of a wine bottle into a jewelry dish.

 

2. Make hanging hurricane lamps.

Make hanging hurricane lamps.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Directions:

  1. Sand and polish the edges of a cut wine bottle with 60 grit and 120 grit sandpaper.
  2. Using pliers, mold the wire tightly around a candleholder. On either side of the candleholder, create loops with the wire for the chain to attach to.
  3. Attach two pieces of chain (of the same length) to the loops. Gauge the length needed based off the size of your bottle. Attach the opposite ends to a key ring.
  4. Attach a longer length of chain to the same key ring pulling the free end through the bottom of your bottle and up the neck.
Make hanging hurricane lamps.

To hang, attach a second key ring to the end of the chain, and hang it from a hook. The second key ring will also prevent the chain and candleholder from falling back through the neck of the bottle.

3. Never kill another plant by making a self-watering planter.

Never kill another plant by making a self-watering planter.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Never kill another plant by making a self-watering planter.

Directions:

  1. After cutting your wine bottle, smooth out the sharp edges with 60 grit sandpaper, then buff the edges with 120 grit sandpaper.
  2. To prevent soil from falling down the neck of the bottle, cut a piece of window screen large enough to fill the top half of your bottle. Then, snip a small hole just large enough for the cotton rope to slide through in the center of the window screen.
Never kill another plant by making a self-watering planter.
  1. Thread the cotton rope through the hole and down the neck of the bottle making sure a couple inches of rope remain where you’ll plant your succulents or herbs.
  2. Fill the top half of your bottle with soil and your plant of choice before trimming off the excess window screen that will be poking out the top.
  3. Fill the bottom half of your bottle with water and enjoy!

Refill the bottom of the bottle as needed. These are great for succulents or an indoor herb garden.

 

 

4. Turn your favorite wine bottle into a candle.

Turn your favorite wine bottle into a candle.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Bottom half of a cut wine bottle
  • Candle wax
  • Candle wick with metal sustainer tabs
  • Thermometer
  • Wooden chopsticks
  • Scissors
  • Glue or glue tabs
  • Glass measuring cup
  • A pan
  • Crayons
  • Essential oils or candle scents
  • 60 and 120 grit Sandpaper

Directions:

  1. Sand and polish the edges of a cut wine bottle.
  2. Melt wax shavings by putting them in a glass measuring cup, then placing the cup in a pan with 2 inches of boiling water. Heat the wax to 175 degrees.
Turn your favorite wine bottle into a candle.
  1. As the wax melts, use a drop of glue or a glue dot to adhere the wick tab to the bottom of the bottle. Keep the wick tight, and center while pouring the wax by wrapping the end of the wick around a set of chopsticks and resting them across the bottle.
  2. When the wax is fully melted, add a small piece of crayon for color — the more you add, the deeper the color.
Turn your favorite wine bottle into a candle.
  1. Remove the melted wax from the heat, and allow it to cool slightly before adding adding essential oils or a scent of your choice. (Adding the scent while still on the stove can cause it to evaporate out of the wax.)
  2. Once the wax has reached approximately 155 degrees, you’re ready to pour.
  3. Leave the candle to cool at room temperature for 24 hours.
  4. Cut your wick to ¼ inch and enjoy!
Turn your favorite wine bottle into a candle.

 

RELATED: 12 Hot Glue Gun Hacks That Will Blow Your Mind

 

5. Turn wine bottles into drinking glasses.

Turn wine bottles into drinking glasses.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Bottoms from cut wine bottles
  • 60 and 120 grit sandpaper

Directions:

After cutting off the tops of wine bottles, sand down the edges until they’re extra smooth. Then clean them up and you’re done!

Turn wine bottles into drinking glasses.

 

6. Up-cycle the bottom of an indented wine bottle by turning it into an egg cup.

Up-cycle the bottom of an indented wine bottle by turning it into an egg cup.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Bottom of cut wine bottle
  • 60 and 120 grit sandpaper

Directions:

Simply smooth out the cut edges, turn it upside down, and you have a perfect egg cup!

 

7. Make tiki torches.

Make tiki torches.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Directions:

  1. Fill the bottom of a clean wine bottle with decorative marbles or rocks.
  2. Wrap thread seal tape around the brass mounts that come with your Wine Bottle Tiki Torch Kit to create a snug fit between the mount and the mouth of the bottle.
  3. Fill your bottle with tiki torch fuel, insert your wick, and light!
Make tiki torches.

 

 

8. Use a wine bottle to water plants while you’re away.

Use a wine bottle to water plants while you're away.

What you’ll need:

  • Wine bottle with a screw cap
  • Nail
  • Hammer
  • Stickers to dress up your bottle (optional)

Directions:

  1. Use a nail and hammer to poke 1-4 holes into the cap of a wine bottle. Keep in mind that the more holes you have and the wider the holes, the faster the flow of water.
  2. Fill the bottle with water and replace the cap.
  3. Quickly insert the filled bottle into your plant’s soil. You may need to press soil around the bottle to keep it upright.
Use a wine bottle to water plants while you're away.

Water will drip slowly out of the bottle’s cap for easy watering.

 

9. Make your own hanging pendant lamps.

Make your own hanging pendant lamps.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Make your own hanging pendant lamps.

Directions:

  1. After cutting the bottoms off your wine bottles, sand and polish the edges.
  2. Use wire strippers to strip the cover from the ends of the electrical wire.
  3. If you purchased electrical cord wrap in fabric, use electrical tape to wrap the frayed threads, keeping them away from the exposed wires.
Make your own hanging pendant lamps.
  1. Before attaching the pendant light socket to the cord, string the following items onto the cord in this order:

a) top part of a strain relief
b) washer
c) bottom part of strain relief
d) Then, string the cord down the bottle neck
e) top part of a strain relief
f) bottom part of strain relief
g) top cover of the the pendant lamp socket

Make your own hanging pendant lamps.

5. To wire the pendant lamp socket, attach the WHITE (neutral) wire to the SILVER screw and BLACK (hot or live) wire to the COPPER. Do NOT let your white and black exposed wires intertwine. Tighten the screws and make sure that the wires are secured in place.

Make your own hanging pendant lamps.
  1. Attach the top cover of the pendant lamp socket (part g.) onto the socket itself. Then, tighten the strain relief into place (parts e. and f.). The strain reliefs are ESSENTIAL — they’ll secure your wire and ensure your cord won’t rip from the socket with the weight of the bottle.
  2. After inserting a bulb, pull your cord up, allowing the neck of the bottle to rest on the socket.
  3. To prevent the socket and bulb from dropping back down through the bottle, tighten the top and bottom parts of the second strain relief (part a. and c.) on either side of the washer (part b.). Pull everything tight.
Make your own hanging pendant lamps.
  1. Wire the 2-prong electrical plug to the cord by first repeating steps 2 and 3. Attach the WHITE (neutral) wire to the SILVER screw and BLACK (hot or live) wire to the COPPER by hooking them around each screw and tightening them into place. Again, Do NOT let your white and black exposed wires intertwine. Replace the cover for your plug.
Make your own hanging pendant lamps.

Hang and enjoy!

 

10. Turn a wine bottle into an olive oil or vinegar dispenser.

Turn a wine bottle into an olive oil or vinegar dispenser.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Directions:

  1. After cleaning your bottle inside and out, apply vinyl or another label to the front. (Optional)
  2. Use a funnel and pour olive oil and vinegar into their designated bottles. These can also be great for dish soap!
  3. Pop in your bottle pourers and you’re DONE!
Turn a wine bottle into an olive oil or vinegar dispenser.

TIP: To save on transfer paper, did you know you can use blue painter’s tape to apply vinyl to surfaces?!

 

 

11. Make a DIY wind chime.

Make a DIY wind chime.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Make a DIY wind chime.

Directions:

  1. Use a drill bit to pre-drill holes on either side of the wood shapes for the 1/2 in screw-eye hooks.
  2. By hand, screw in the eye hooks.
Make a DIY wind chime.
  1. Using acrylic paint, paint the wood shapes and beads.
  2. Attach wood shapes and beads with wire and chain to the key ring. Remember, you’ll want items to clink against the inside of the bottle — and something hanging out the bottom that can be caught by the wind.
  3. Attach a longer length of chain to the same key ring, pulling the free end through the bottom of your bottle and up the neck.
  4. To hang, attach a second key ring to the end of the chain and hang it from a hook.
Make a DIY wind chime.

 

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11 Ingenious Wine Bottle DIYs That Are Easier than You Think