I just love all the shapes and sizes that are used in order to make liquor bottles special......and of course I love the bottle itself much more than the contents, not to worry! While a huge collection of liquor bottles wasn't something I've had previously, one on my sons just got married, and the bride's little brother, knowing of my recycling ways, collected a large number of bottles from the wedding. I immediately got to work removing labels, spouts, metal necks and bottle decor, and actually ended up using them all to make bottle candlestick holders. I have to say, there is some work required, but with the right info it can be done fairly easily and is so very worth it! Okay, lets learn how to upcycle liquor bottles for all the DIY projects of your dreams. Mine are currently adorning a few side boards and marching down my very long dining room table, and I'd gladly do it all over again!
How To Upcycle Glass Alcohol Bottles For DIY Crafting
While upcycling wine bottles requires only the removal of the label, many liquor bottles also have metal collars and some have plastic spouts, which also need to be removed, so lets address each of these separately:
How To Remove Labels From Wine And Liquor Bottles
Check out my complete tutorial right here. There are several kinds of labels and thus several methods, so take a few minutes to learn, it will save tons of time later!
How To Remove Metal Collars and Bottle Decor From Liquor Bottles
In my experience the easiest way to remove a metal collar from a glass bottle is with a flat heat screw driver. Simply insert the screw driver under the collar and tear. Just please be careful, use of any tools and any action that requires some force can be hazardous! And don't give this task to kids, please. As for metal bottle decor, in my experience they also come off with a gentle prying using a flat head screwdriver.
How To Remove Plastic Spouts From Liquor Bottles
WARNING: PLEASE USE GOGGLES OR PROTECTIVE EYE GLASSES for this
I wish I could tell you that I'd discovered a nice easy way to remove the plastic spouts that are very firmly attached to the top of some alcohol bottles, especially Arak, around here, but no, I'm not quite that handy. Basically the goal is to remove the plastic spout without chipping the top of the bottle, which can happen, so proceed with caution and with protective eye gear. Basically, you need to break the spout, which I have done by sticking a screwdriver down into the spout and breaking what I could, and then with large pliers breaking off pieces of plastic around the top rim of the spout, and again sticking the flat head screwdriver into openings and prying the plastic loose in order to break it. You'll see what I mean if you decide to tackle this yourself! (I just realized that possibly heating up the plastic might be the very best way to go, but not sure what temp melts the plastic but doesn't harm the bottle)
Okay, now that you know how to get those amazing bottles ready for DIY projects, jump to it!
