Does this happen to you? You go to pull out your recycling, and you notice the freakish amount of liquor bottles in the glass bin. You pause. You think about what the recycle guy (mine are guys) must think of you. You hope that instead of judging, they just wish you’d invite them to your next party. But you suspect they’re judging.
Well folks, while I don’t have a solution to that overflowing glass bin (I’m not going to drink less, so why should you?), I do have some suggestions. Of course, these suggestions involve re-use and probably a lot of hard work, but hey – when you’re done reading this, you can have a drink!
I wouldn’t say I have a love / hate relationship with glass. No, it’s more like love / apathy. I love love love glass for its recyclability. It’s a perfect recyclable, folks! It can be recycled for infinity (and beyond), and it’s my understanding it leaves no nasty byproducts during the process. However, I’m not so much into glass as art, or as something functional, like a plate. My reasons are two-fold. I’m not attracted to glass that way. I’m just not. Plus, as one of the clumsiest people on this planet, I avoid glass items in my house like the plague. How many lowballs, highballs, wine glasses have met an early end on the deck? Metal martini glasses and heavy, hard-to-break crockery are now more my speed. And then I came across this article about using recycled glass in the yard. Hmmm. That’s new. Check out the tumbled glass used in place of gravel. It’s already broken. And glass comes in so many colors. How about a yellow glass driveway? That would perk people up. The last point in this article is about up-cycling glass, or using it in projects. Let’s dive into this idea. Get ready to take notes. There will be a test. Maybe your interest in glass has been awakened, too.
Glass bottles as borders and dividers. What do you think of this look? For the border, well, it looks a bit “drunken” doesn’t it? But, then, how great would these bottles look instead of pavers all around your flower beds? Your lettuce plants? It’s a cool design feature, particularly in a bold color. And the dividers? They’re sublime. What a way to wall off a breakfast nook (inside or outside).
Lighting. Of course you can put a candle in a wine bottle. But my goodness, you can also do so much more. Personally I’m not going to tackle cutting glass, but you can – you’re good at that kind of thing.
Yard art. The possibilities here are endless, and go way beyond mere wine bottles. Check out the sculptures from teacups and plates, and remember, if you make one of these, I want one! How about rain chains, wind chimes, or bird feeders? All can be made from recycled bottles and what-not.
Candles and vases. Once again, don’t think candles in a wine bottle. That’s so elementary. At a minimum, use a rope wick. Or maybe go crazy with the glass cutting. Why not?
Windows. My mom did a lot of stained glass projects when I was a kid. That’s because she had hand-eye coordination. Oh, I think she would have enjoyed working on this project. How about you?
Chicken coop! A friend was making a cool coop out of glass bottles. She was in the collecting / removing the label stage. Next up was the cutting stage. I haven’t checked on the status because I’m nervous. What if it didn’t work out? What if she gave up? I would have. Check out the old post here.
Enough. If I get any more excited about these projects, I might start one. And I’ll certainly cut off a finger in the process. Welding would be safer than this. Here’s the link to the new and sparsely populated (for now) Pinterest board. Send me pics! Send me pins! Let’s see what we can do with glass!
