This week’s Tuesday Tip, glass bottle art. Most of the drink containers in my household are aluminum or plastic, as you can tell we’re tres chic! However, while shopping for an eco-baby gift a few weeks ago, I encountered a clever and beautiful use for glass containers: light fixtures!
Tip #22: Get creative with your glass bottles!
Reusing glass bottles for center pieces or light fixtures can save you money.
- Looking for a creative light fixture for the dining room? Turn old wine bottles into a unique lighting fixture. Instead of purchasing a new light fixture, all you need is a less expensive light base. Remove any shade or covering it came with, cut out the bottom of your wine bottle and attach it to the lighting fixture through the use of a cord. The wine bottle’s base is wide enough to cover a regular sized light bulb or CFL.
- Mason jars make great luminaries too. Many sauces come in mason jars of all sizes. Once the jar is empty, clean it out and use it as a candle holder. Cluster a few different sizes together for a more dramatic effect.
- Inexpensive center pieces. Cluster a group of different sized, different colored glass bottles on a tray placing a single flower or two in each vessel. Voila! A unique center piece.
Repurposing glass bottles is good for the environment.
- Recycling glass takes more energy than aluminum. Finding new purposes for those glass containers is better for the environment. Not only does it limit the amount of trash that ends up in a landfill, it’s more efficient than recycling the glass.
Do you reuse your glass bottles? What other uses would you recommend?
8 Comments
Hmmm, that would be cool with certain fancy wine bottles. Especially if they are different colored wine bottles!
Pretty unique!
@Jennifer Barry – I’ve seen glass jars reused in a work bench before, it’s a great idea!
@Money Reasons – I like the idea of different colored wine bottles as light fixtures. It would be quite unique!
@Barb Friedberg – I’d love to see a photo of your glass bottle project when you complete it. There are so many things you can do with them!
Wow. This really takes it to the next level. Mason jars have got to be just about my favorite storage container for leftover soup, the small ones for spices, in the basement to hold screws.
Mason jars rock.
@Sandy L – I agree! Last year, I made hot cocoa in mason jars for some coworkers. They make great gifts!
@Suba – Thanks for sharing your tip. I like the idea of growing herbs in them. Great idea.
@Mysti – I love the Starbucks bottle idea! I never gave it much thought, but those small Frappechino bottles do look like small milk bottles! Thanks for sharing.
I love canning jars/mason jars for flower arrangements. Peonies look FABULOUS in there.
And I have a country kitchen, so I used my glass Starbucks bottles as “milk” bottle decor.
.-= Mysti´s last blog ..A Yakezie Whine =-.
So clever! I like the look of those, too.
We use jelly jars for kid cups and mason jars for adult cups. It saves cabinet space and they’re thick and hard to break, as opposed to regular glasses that break easily in our house. When I get too many of them (buying more jelly or spaghetti sauce!) I post them on Freecycle and someone always comes to get them.
.-= The Saved Quarter´s last blog ..Frugal Choices in Kids’ Backpacks =-.
@The Saved Quarter – That’s a good point; the thicker glass is more indestructible! I also like the idea of looking at Freecycle for free mason jars, they’re great items for gifts!