We recently attended a wedding where homemade wine was served with special wedding day labels. We have saved a few empty bottles and would like to fill them as a Christmas gift to the newlyweds. We can't sterilize the bottles as we want to keep the labels intact. Any suggestions what we could fill the bottles with? Thanks.
Jean
Try filling with homemade bath salts and/or bubble bath. You could add a few rolled washcloths tied with ribbon, soaps, and such and put all in a "wine bucket" for their bathroom. (11/03/2004)
Why not a "message in a bottle?" Find a bunch of wonderful quotes on love or family or whatever and print them out on some nice paper. Roll it up tight and put a small seal or piece of tape on to hold shut. Place in the bottle and add a cork. (11/03/2004)
By Kelly
10 - 15 minutes in the oven at 200 F will sterilize the bottles and won't damage the labels on the wine bottle. Rinse the wine bottles without damaging the wedding label first. Go ahead and refill them then with wine or whatever. I do a lot of home canning and frequently sterilize my jars this way. Jars with a Cheese Whiz or spaghetti sauce store label on them are not affected by being in the oven for this short period of time. (11/03/2004)
A good idea would be to put a nice note with the bottle and call it something like 2nd honeymoon bottle. Every time they make love they have to put a $1.00 in the bottle. And that money then goes towards a second honeymoon. My husband and I have one and have emptied it twice now and put it in a special account to earn interest also. Good luck! (11/03/2004)
By BethieNC
You could use a product call Un-Do to take the label off, sterilize the bottle, fill it and then reapply the label. Un-Do removes labels, stickers, etc. without ruining the label. Scrapbookers use this product all the time to remove stickers that didn't get placed just right without tearing the paper underneath. (11/04/2004)
I received a gift a few years ago made out of a wine bottle. The person used a glass cutter to cut the bottom off, then coiled some copper wire through the inside of the bottle. The wire then came out of the mouth of the bottle, where they bent it into a hook. At the bottom they put a taper candle (in the coiled copper) and when lit is was a beautiful lantern for outdoor entertaining. (11/04/2004)
By Virginia
Stuff the lights into the bottle, and leave the cord hang out of the top, (about 12 ") replace the cork, with a nick in it for the cord. Garnish and the cord will be covered, plug in. No need to drill a hole for the cord, that would be senseless. (11/11/2006)
By Patty G.
You can put them in the dishwasher to clean them. You could melt them in a kiln to flatten them for a cheese cutter, or drill a hole in them and place lights in them. (12/06/2006)
By Connie
To cut a glass bottle they make a kit with a nicrome wire. It's a heating element wire. Basically pass the wire around the bottle. Pass electricity through the wire. Turn power off. Squirt the bottle with cold water where the wire was and it will crack around the bottle. I haven't tried this, but a tile saw should work. (09/26/2007)
By me
Take a piece of string or thin cord, soak it in kerosene, lighter fluid, etc. Tie it around the base of the bottle where you want the cut. Light it. Let it burn for several seconds. Plunge it into a pail of cold water. It will come off right where the string was. (11/07/2007)
By Rick
To drill a hole in the bottle without it cracking: if you don't care about the label it is fairly simple. Just run like warm water over the area to be drilled, drill for a minute or so, rinse the hole and continue this until hole is made. If you want to keep the label, do the same as above, but try putting a towel in the sink (to rest the label side on) and try not to get the label wet. We have still broken a few, but this method seems to work for us. (06/19/2008)
By NICOLE
I drill a hole on the lower side (close to the bottom) of the bottle, fill with a 20 count mini light strand, them marbles. At the top I put rubber grapes (red grapes for red wine, etc.) with a nice ribbon. They make great gifts and cost next to nothing to make.
The string of lights is a good idea, to avoid the heat issue use LEDs. (11/01/2008)
By Jess
You will have no more broken bottles if you use a spray bottle and gently spray water directly onto the bottle as the drill is being used to drill the hole into the glass.
Otherwise the drill gets too hot therefore breaking the glass bottle. Also go to Lowe's and ask for a special bit to drill holes in glass bottles.
By Betty Crepps
Fill them with candle wax. I have seen them; they are cool! (02/09/2009)
By Lisa
Making your own bath salts:
Just take regular Epsom salts and add scented oils or a drop of your perfume. Mix well. Let air dry a few minutes and bottle with tight lid/cork. You can color the Epsom salts first with food coloring; let dry and bottle. Layering colors is nice. Don't use too much red food coloring, you don't want red-hued bath water! If you want darker shades, use lots of blue or green. Make different shades of blue or green and layer. Gives the water a lovely spa-type effect. Be sure to allow salts to dissolve before you take the plunge. This recipe is cheaper in the long run than Calgon! (08/25/2010)
By Miz Jeanne
I save my empty wine bottles and mosaic them, awesome idea, you can use a variety of tiles, stained glass, gem stones, rhinestone chains, etc. I happen to love the Van Gogh tiles 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch, they come in beautiful colors. I use e6000 glue for strength and outdoor use. Pick a bottle that has a pretty label and mosaic the whole bottle, use a nice amber colored glass in 1/2 inch tile to cover your label it looks very antiqued. You can either grout it or not if you use stained glass, I would grout to soften the edges. You can fill the bottle with lights if you like or just use it as a conversation piece, or give to someone special maybe with a full bottle of wine. I recommend a mosaic book called Mosaic Renaissance (the art with millefiori). The author is Laurel Skye, she is an incredible mosaic artist and she has a whole chapter on wine bottle decorating. She even does mosaic on a shoe. Enjoy, you crafty people! (09/14/2010)
By Mo
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