Have you ever finished a bottle of wine only to think it was a shame to throw it away? Many wine bottles are beautiful and unique. Others hold happy memories of a special occasion. You can hold on to those memories a little longer by turning those empty wine bottles into DIY wine bottle crafts.
If you think you’re not the crafty type, think again. These ideas are easy as pie. You can make them in minutes, even if you have zero experience in the crafts department. Anyone can learn to transform wine bottles into lamps, centerpieces, candles and decorations with household materials like paint, glue, tealights, and twine.
If you’re ready to take your household decor to the next level, read on for simple ideas for how to turn your empty wine bottles into crafts you’ll love.
1. How To Make DIY Painted Wine Bottles
Painted wine bottles are beautiful. They can serve as decorations, vases, tabletop centerpieces or lamp bases. The most common versions of these wine bottle crafts feature metallic colored paints like gold and silver, but white paint, chalkboard paint, glitter paint, and colored paint are frequently used to paint wine bottles, too. And, are you ready for this? They’re easy to make. No artistic talent is required to make these unique, gorgeous wine bottle decorations.
1. Remove the label from the wine bottles.
- Soak the bottle in water until the label softens.
- Scrub the label with an abrasive sponge until it falls away.
- If any glue residue remains, remove it with a little Goof Off.
- Wash the bottle clean and dry.
2. Prep the Area
- Find a well-ventilated area, outdoors is preferred. If you’re working in a garage, be sure to open the door.
- Spread out newspapers, a drop cloth, or a large piece of cardboard.
3. Paint the bottle
- The easiest way to paint a wine bottle is to use spray paint.
- Use your favorite color/s to spray the empty wine bottle with an even coat of paint.
- Allow the bottle to dry for about an hour. Repeat if the coat of paint is too thin or opaque.
- To create stripes, wrap tape around the bottle before you spray it with paint or between layers if you want to adorn your wine bottle with more than one color.
- You can also create a similar effect by covering your bottle with stickers shaped like snowflakes, polka dots, or geometrical shapes before painting or between layers. Remove the stickers when the paint has dried.
- You can also hand paint a design on your wine bottle once you’ve applied your base color.
Now that you’ve painted your wine bottles here are a few ideas for ways to use them around the house.
- Bud vases
- Decorations in front of the fireplace, mantle, or kitchen counter.
- Bundle three together with lace or twine on a piece of wood to create a centerpiece for your table.
- Lamp bases (they sell kits on Amazon, complete with shades, which turn your wine bottles into lamps for under $20)
2. How To Make DIY Twined Wine Bottles
Wine bottles wrapped in twine are another gorgeous way to upcycle wine bottles, and they’re almost as easy to make as painted wine bottles.
- Use a glue gun or Mod Podge around the bottom section of the bottle.
- Take a long piece of twine and wrap it around the circumference of the bottle.
- Continue to make your way up the bottle by wrapping the twine round and round, applying more adhesive to each section as you go.
- When you get to the top snip the end of the twine, tucking the rest into the adhesive.
- You can also use this method to decorate your wine bottle with sections of lace or burlap.
- If you prefer to leave part of the bottle clear, wrap twine around specific sections, such as just the top.
- To create a hanging decoration, don’t snip the twine at the top of the bottle. If you keep the twine long, you can hang the bottle from a branch, clothesline or lattice to create chic, airborne decorations. You can also use pieces of ribbon or wire to hang them instead.
- Let the adhesive dry for 2-3 hours to make sure the twine is secure.
- Hold a match or lighter to burn off the straggly, fuzzy bits of twine for a sleeker look, or leave them for a more rustic finish.
You can keep your twined wine bottles as is, or glue embellishment such as lace, buttons, or flowers to the front to decorate them even further. You can the finished bottles in the same way you’d use painted wine bottles above to make lamps, vases, decorations, and DIY wine bottle centerpieces.
3. How To Make DIY Wine Bottle Candle Holders
There are several ways to make candle holders out of wine. First, you’ll need a wine bottle cutter. They’re simple to use and there are many options for under $25 at Amazon. Always remember to use great care when dealing with sharp edges and cut glass. You should also be sure to dispose of leftover pieces immediately so they won’t present a hazard for anyone else.
1. Hanging wine bottle tea light holders
- Use your bottle cutting tool to cut the base off your wine bottle.
- Turn the bottle upside down.
- Dangle the chain side first of a hanging tealight holder kit into the bottle.
- Pull the chain through the top of the bottle.
- Secure the platform in the bottom.
- Hang the bottle somewhere beautiful where it can be enjoyed by all.
2. Wine bottle wind barriers
- There’s nothing like a cool summer breeze, but if you want to light a candle outside or in front of an open window, the breeze is not your friend. Enter a wine bottle wind barrier. They couldn’t be easier to make.
- Cut off the bottom of the bottle with your bottle glass cutter.
- Flip the bottle over so it covers and protects your tealight. You can do this directly on a table or countertop or on a candle charger for a more finished look.
3. Poured wine bottle candles
- Cut off the top of the bottle with your wine bottle cutter. Make the cut according to your desired candle size.
- Insert a new wick in the center of the candle base. Hold up the end of the wick so it remains centered.
- With the other hand, fill up the base of the bottle with melted wax and oil (for detailed instructions on how to prepare the melted wax and candle-making in general, visit our article on how to make DIY candles).
- Snip the top of the wick.
- Allow the candle to harden and cool.
4. How To Make DIY Hanging Wine Bottle Lamps
The process for making a DIY hanging wine bottle lamp is essentially the same as making a hanging wine bottle tealight holder above. Follow the same steps, but use a hanging wine bottle lamp kit instead of a tealight kit. You can get them from Amazon and they’re inexpensive and easy to use.
5. How To Make Wine Bottle Luminaries
If you want the soft glow of warm lights without the muss and fuss of lighting a candle, you’re going to love wine bottle luminaries. They are perfect to use as wine bottle centerpieces, accents on a patio or porch for your next outdoor party, or anywhere you want to feature gorgeous, inviting lights. But the best part about wine bottle luminaries? How easy they are to set up and enjoy. You can purchase inexpensive, battery operated, multipacks from Amazon, and simply stuff them into your clean, empty wine bottle. The batteries are disguised to look like a wine cork for a look that’s polished and complete. The finished product is an upscale, gorgeous decoration you can enjoy in just seconds.
There you have it. Everything you need to know to make stylish, gorgeous DIY wine bottle crafts in your home. And with this many ideas, you can use them to fill every room in your house. And, what’s more, you can head out to your yard to decorate even more when you’re done.
