DIY: Wine Bottle Candelabra

I figured out how to cut glass bottles!  I am pretty excited about it.  I've had the [above] candelabra since Dan and I got married.  I've always kept white candles on it all year and red candles during Christmas.  I felt like our mantle needed more height and I saw this post on one of my favorite blogs, Perpetually Engaged, I knew I needed to learn how to make them myself.  Guess what!?  It's not that hard.

I got a glass scorer from Michael's for $6!  SIX DOLLARS!  I should mention that you probably don't want labels on your bottle.  You just need to soak them in a tub or sink of warm water and they'll scrape off fairly easily. You can do this before or after you cut off the bottom.  I prefer to remove the labels after I cut the bottles because sometimes they don't turn out.  I don't want to waste time taking the labels off if it's not usable.

Make the score:  You don't have to press very hard, you just have to score it.  The hardest part is making a straight line. I tried it once while following the edge of a rubber band but it wasn't straight enough.  The best method was laying the bottle on its side against the wall and holding the scorer against the bottle as you turn the bottle with your other hand.

Then you need to get the glass to expand and contract slowly.  Boil some water in your teapot or a saucepan.  Run the faucet with cold water.  Pour a trickle of boiling water over the score line while rotating the bottle.  Then run it under the cold tap.  Then back to boiling, back to cold, boiling, cold.  It should only take a few times and the bottom will just fall off!

Place these over tea-lights or votives directly on your table, a mirror, a platter, or on a candelabra like mine.  I need to make four more to complete the look which means I need more bottles which means I need to drink more wine.  Who wants to help?