4 Ways to Reuse Wine Bottles

Posted by Gwen Watson on Feb 25, 2016

If you’re like any wine lover, chances are pretty good that you have a few empty bottles hanging around. Rather than throw them out, consider reusing them! They not only make a great material for a DIY home decoration, but you can also use them for gifts. Here are some of our favorite ideas on ways to reuse old wine bottles.

Candleholder

Did you know that the mouth of a wine bottle is the perfect size for most taper candles? You may need to shave a little bit off the end to fit it snugly into the bottle depending on the size of the candle. When you light the candle, the wax will drip down and collect onto the bottle, which gives it a charming and rustic appearance. You might want to soak off the label before adding a candle so that the hot wax doesn’t singe the bottle.

Vase

You can also use wine bottles to display flowers! Since the mouth is small, you won’t be able to hold any more than a flower or two, which tends to give the display an elegant appearance. Either leave the bottles as they are or soak off the labels and decorate them any way you wish! You can also paint the bottles with dishwasher safe enamel paint, which gives them an elegant look and also makes it easier to clean.

Cruet

Another classic use for old wine bottles is to use them to store homemade salad dressing! In fact, this is exactly how the company Newman’s Own got its start. Actor Paul Newman and his wife would save old wine bottles throughout the year and at Christmas they would make large batches of their delicious salad dressing in the wine bottles to give to their friends as gifts. You can do the same thing by saving your wine bottles and making batches of salad dressing to enjoy throughout the year! Just add ¾ cup of vinegar to the wine bottle, followed by 1½ cups of oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon basil, and 1 teaspoon onion or garlic powder. Cover with an airtight wine topper and store in a cool, dry place. Shake thoroughly before pouring the dressing over the salad.

Vinegar Infusions

Wine bottles are the perfect medium for vinegar infusions. You can actually use anything you want to make these infusions such as garlic, onions, herbs, and even hot peppers. Start by sterilizing the wine bottles. This is an important step because the infusions need a few weeks to develop in the bottles and if any bacteria are trapped inside the bottle, it could ruin the whole batch. Wash the items that you want to infuse into the vinegar but you’ll want to let it dry thoroughly. Water droplets can harbor bacteria and ruin the batch. Fill the jar with about 1 cup of whatever you choose, such as hot peppers, peeled garlic cloves, peeled baby onions, or any fresh herbs you desire. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with vinegar and seal tightly with a special wine bottle stopper. Don’t use cork because that can let too much air inside. Store in a cool, dry place for a few weeks to let the flavors develop.

All of these ideas on what to do with wine bottles are perfect for the home and can also be given away as gifts!