North Texas Daily

Erika Lambreton / Staff Photographer

In the interesting world of inebriation, there comes a time when one must decide what to do with all of those discarded glass bottles.

One could opt to send the bottle to a recycling center or the city dump, but one could choose to creatively reincarnate these bottles into candleholders.

With just a few simple, easy to find supplies, a used wine, beer or soda bottle can be transformed into an unusual light source that can either add whimsy to a room or serve as a perfect, homemade gift.

Materials:
Empty glass bottle (wine, soda, beer, etc.)
Paint
Painter’s palette or Ziplock bag to combine paint
Paintbrush
Candle sticks (sold at Walmart or Dollar Stores for less than $1)
A lighter
A paper bag or newspaper
Decorative plate or paper plate

First, remove the labels on the bottles either by soaking them in hot water for about 20 minuets until the paper begins to peel, or with a small amount of glue remover such as Goo Gone. This is an optional step; the labels can be left on.

Once the bottle is cleaned, with the paint color of your choice, apply a few coats around the entire bottle and set on a paper bag to dry.

Here is where creativity can come in. Add intricate designs with different colors either drawn freehand or by using precut stencils, write a name or phrase, or even add glitter for a bit of sparkle.

After the paint has dried, try to fit the candle into the top of the bottle. If the candle is too large to fit, use the light to melt the wax and create a wave drip on the side of the mouth of the bottle.

Once the heat of the flame has loosened the candle’s wax, insert the candle into the mouth using a bit of force.

The candle should fit nicely into the top opening.

Place the finished product onto a decorative dish, or just use a paper plate to collect excess drippings from future melted wax.

Over a few weeks, replace the candle with a different color and the melted wax will begin to create new and interesting patterned drippings down the side of the bottle.

DIY: Wine Bottle Candle Holders from NTDaily on Vimeo.