One thing that anyone can do to be more earth friendly is to recycle. Whether that means throwing away trash in the recycling bin or separating glass from plastics, it is happening all the time. More and more people are starting to realize how easy it is to recycle simple household items. Recently, there have been videos on social medias showing tutorials on how to reuse plastic shampoo bottles to make a carrier for a phone while it is charging. Although this craft is becoming popular, there are plenty more out there that are just as easy and entertaining to make. For example, those empty wine bottles sitting around—don't throw them out. They can be used to make a centerpiece, a birthday gift or something to decorate your home with.

Something to know before starting these projects is that you need to get a glass cutter. They are located in your local supplies stores or Walmart and it is essential. Some tutorials will say to tie a string around the bottle and put it in an ice bath, but the results usually don't end well. When cutting the glass with the cutter, it helps to line the bottle with tape to make a straight line. On another note, here are some crafts for wine bottles that are just as fun as they look.

Christmas lights in a wine bottle

The project pictured below doesn't use a glass cutter to make the hole for the lights but a diamond saw drill is used instead. Although that may be the case, a glass cutter will still do the job. Rather than creating a small hole to put the lights in, you can easily cut the bottom completely off with the glass cutter (plus, it is cheaper to do).

Spray painting

This is by far the easiest way to paint wine bottles. Hand painting the bottles with acrylic paint is more challenging to do since it requires more time to create the final product, but don't let that stop you from trying it! For spray painting, any paint that is metallic will show up better and doesn't need as many layers of paint versus normal colored spray paint; either way, both will give the same results that is desired. You can take masking tape and wrap it around the bottle for a pattern, or you can pick out any stickers that interest you and create your own design.

Decorative pieces for the house

These bottles are a creative way to decorate your home without having to spend a lot of change to do so. All that you would need is some chalkboard paint, burlap twine, some letters and fake flowers. The great thing about this craft is that you can change the colors, the word, and even flowers to match either your living room, kitchen or bedroom.

Here are some more great tutorials to check out that have awesome results! (Tutorials/ideas are linked to the pictures.)

Reminder: you can use any type of glass bottles for these projects. Having side by side glasses with different shapes makes a fun centerpiece. Happy crafting!