New Life for Empty Wine Bottles
Five clever ways to reuse your empty wine bottles.
Rumor has it that some moms find wine to be helpful in dealing with the stresses of parenting. I've even heard some moms confess to feeling embarrassed on recycling day because their bins are so full of empty wine bottles. If you or "a friend" would like a way to hide their imbibing evidence, I've got 5 clever ways to reuse those empty wine bottles.
The first use is as a rolling pin. Fans of Sex and the City might remember Miranda's housekeeper Magda telling her that every woman needs a rolling pin, so now your empty wine bottle can fill that requirement when rolling out cookie dough or pie crust. Chill the bottle beforehand and it helps keeps the dough cool.
Your feathered friends will appreciate it if you recycle a wine bottle into a bird feeder. All you need are a few wood scraps and some screws to assemble them. Unless you hang out at Home Depot like I do you may not be away that there is a wood cutting area in the back of the store and they often have scraps there for little to no money, so between the low cost wood and the free empty wine bottle, this is a very affordable project. Once you fill it with seed be sure to hang it near a window so that you and the kids can enjoy the variety of birds that will flock to it.
The next craft turns your empty wine bottle into a citronella tiki torch to keep you protected from mosquitos this summer. In addition to the wine bottle you will need a replacement tiki torch wick (available at most big box retailers), a 1/2" x 3/8" copper coupler and nylon thread sealing tape from the plumbing department, and some citronella oil. Glass marbles are an optional addition which will reduce the amount of citronella oil you'll need to fill the bottle (plus it looks pretty, too!). To assemble, insert the wick into the copper coupling, wrap with the sealing tape, and place it in the opening of the bottle after it is filled with the oil.
Holiday decorations are quick and easy with an empty wine bottle and some spray paint. The Jack O Lantern uses the green wine bottle as part of the design for the stem. The spiderweb is made by spraying black paint on any color bottle and then using a white paint marker to draw the web. The ghost bottle is simply black ovals painted on a clear bottle. These make fun and affordable centerpieces if you are having a big Halloween party. If you started now you can have a house full of decorations by party time!
The last wine bottle project is for the crafting challenged. For this one all you have to do is wash the bottle, peel the label, and stick a string of holiday lights inside. How easy is that?
Do you have any other wine bottle recycling ideas? Please share them with our readers in the comments section below.
