Bottle Upcycling

After a neighbours party this week I came home to find lots of empty champagne bottles on my doorstep. Yes, I'd rather they were full but even empty ones are useful. I've been perfecting my recycling technique and using my kiln to flatten them into cheeseboards. The finished items are smooth, flat, glossy and perfect for small lumps of cheese or canapes. A perfect standby or hostess gift.

I've also tried smashing them up and putting them into moulds but the final product was a bit spiky. I've been successful with some Bombay Sapphire Gin bottles and have some lumps of blue glass to play with. I think they may turn into a mobile.

I love the Corona bottles. Sometimes the writing comes out a bit less white than I would prefer but that's kiln magic! I've had trouble finding suitable bottles for these lime/lemon cutting boards as the design has changed to two etched sides. In the kiln two etched sides just makes a jumbled writing mess and so I've been searching supermarkets for ones with a peel off sticker on one side. Now I just have to drink all the beer!

Whilst researching other bottle recycling ideas I came across this amazing place in Canada. This building and other glass structures  were built by the late Édouard T. Arsenault who was inspired by a postcard of a glass castle in British Columbia. He started collecting bottles and then gradually began building.There are a number of structures and a garden also inspired by glass. Please click on the pictures or go directly to the website http://www.bottlehouses.com to be amazed.