Turn empty bottles into something beautiful with this DIY upcycled glass bottle vase idea. Simple, budget-friendly, and green, it’s an easy way to create a decorative vase that adds charm to any room. Perfect for fresh flowers, dried stems, or handmade gifts.
There’s something so satisfying about taking an ordinary item that would usually end up in the recycling bin and turning it into something beautiful. That’s why I curb “shop” a lot and have furnished my house that way. If you’ve seen my rescued and restored mirror post, you’ll know that one mans trash really can be one woman’s treasure.
That’s why I adore this upcycled glass bottle vase craft. Upcycled glass such as empty bottles or coffee mugs are perfect for a lot of things, but especially a decorative vase. When you make these, you take a simple bottle that would have been tossed into a fall vase that adds charm to any room.
The best part? It costs pennies to make!
What Kind of Bottles Make the Best Decorative Vase?
If you don’t have the bottles to upcycle, you can buy empty milk bottles like THESE to make these vases with. Honestly, empty bottles come in so many shapes and sizes that you can make a variety of them so no two look the same. A tall, narrow wine bottle might turn into a sleek and modern vase, while a shorter milk type bottle can become something playful and rustic. The transformation depends on the finish, the details, and how you choose to display it.
The ones in the photo above are empty Starbucks Frappuccino bottles.
What makes an upcycled glass vase stand out is how versatile it can be. Left clear, it has a minimalist look that works well in modern spaces. Painted, frosted, or wrapped in twine, it takes on an entirely new personality. I’ve used them for fresh flowers in the spring, dried stems in the fall, and even as part of my table’s centerpieces. They also make homemade gift ideas since you can customize their look to the taste of the person you’re gifting.
Why Make Upcycled Glass Vases?
The practical side of using glass bottles to make decorative vases is that they’re cheap. Having just moved into a home where I needed to replace everything, I am all about cheap or free right now.
The charm of an upcycled glass vase is that it doesn’t need to be perfect. In fact, the imperfections like uneven brush strokes, slightly crooked twine, and the way the light catches the glass are what make each one so unique. Each one tells a story about where it came from and how it was remade into something worth keeping.
Whether it sits on your kitchen filled with wildflowers, brightens up a desk with greenery, or serves as a centerpiece for a special occasion, an upcycled glass decorative vase shows that beautiful home decor doesn’t have to be expensive or come from a store. Sometimes, it’s hiding right in front of us, waiting to be reshaped into something new.
Upcycled Glass Decorative Vase
Ingredients
Instructions
- Clean bottles and remove label if necessary. Paint each bottle a different color and sit aside until fully dry.1 Tall necked milk bottles
- Once the first coat is dry, paint each bottle with a second coat. Allow to dry fully.Yellow Chalk Paint , Black Chalk Paint, Red Chalk Paint , Foam paint brushes
- After the second coat is dry, use fine grit sandpaper to lightly smudge up the paint. Be careful not to overdo it.
- Flip the bottle to the side that you want to be the back and add a dab of hot glue to the back where you will begin to wrap the twine. Wind the twine around the center of the bottle making sure you are pulling it tightly with each turn of the bottle. Cut the twine so the end piece matches the side you want to be the back. Glue the end piece down.Jute twine
- Allow the bottle vase to dry completely. Once dried, re-check the twine and use a drop of hot glue to secure any twine that is loose.
- Fill with fake flowers, fake greenery, cotton buds and more.False Flowers and Greenery