Glasses from recycled wine bottles can make an interesting addition to any dinner table. These are both attractive alternatives to normal drinking glasses and an environmentally friendly way of reusing old wine bottles.
What Are Glasses from Recycled Wine Bottles?
There are many ways of recycling and reusing old wine bottles. One interesting way of recycling wine bottles and giving them a new lease on life is to turn them into glasses that can be used for wine or other beverages. Glasses from recycled wine bottles are made from wine bottles that have been carefully cut to form simple tumblers or made into sophisticated wine glasses. Tumblers are normally formed from the base of the wine bottle. Wine glasses are formed using the neck of the wine bottle to form the neck of the glass and the base of the wine bottle forms the base of the glass. This is a clever and attractive way to reuse wine bottles, as the basic shape lends itself to the creation of an elegant style of glass.
Types of Wine Bottle Glasses
There are many different types of wine bottle glasses. As making glasses from recycled wine bottles is a specialist craft, most are individually made by craftspeople. This means that most wine bottle glasses are one-of-a-kind works of art. Even when a set of glasses is made, as each one is hand cut and reformed, there will be slight differences. This is part of the charm of these glasses and of handcrafted goods in general.
Color
Wine bottle glasses are available in different colors. They are found in the colors of normal wine bottles. Clear, green, brown and blue are all popular colors of wine bottle glasses.
Pattern
Many wine bottle glasses are etched or engraved to add a pattern to the main body of the glass. This adds to the design of the glass and gives an attractive finish.
Buying Wine Bottle Glasses
Wine bottle glasses are often sold at craft markets and in galleries. Some glass artists make these glasses and sell them through their workshops. They can also be found online through retailers including:
Making Wine Bottle Glasses
It is possible to make your own glasses from wine bottles. Although it is feasible to do this without a wine bottle cutter, a proper bottle cutter will make the job easier. A bottle cutter will score a line around the bottle. The bottle is then carefully broken at this point. The edges must then be smoothed to remove any sharp edges.
Many websites cover this technique in more detail including:
Looking After Wine Bottle Glasses
Wine bottle glasses are reasonably robust and can be washed in a dishwasher. It is important to check that there are no sharp edges and if so, the glass should be discarded. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for any specific care requirements.
Glasses made from wine bottles are an unusual addition to the dinner table. They are also kind to the environment. Reusing wine bottles keeps glass out of landfill sites, helps to save the energy used in glass recycling or making glass from virgin materials, while also providing a unique drinking glass. Instead of throwing away empty wine bottles, consider using them to create wine glasses to use yourself or to share with others as environmentally friendly gifts.
