Bottle Wall
We needed some privacy on the veranda of our man cave. A bottle wall seemed like a good idea. We spent around $200 and used 125 recycled bottles, a great feature wall has been added.
The finished bottle wall providing shade and privacy.
We needed some privacy and shade on the side of our man cave.
Materials required included a 3/4" inch diamond tipped drill bit and rubber washers... and lots of empty wine bottles.
Remove the metal collar from the neck of the bottle using tin snips. The each wine bottle was placed in a bucket of sand and the bottom was drilled out. Bottles with a dimple in the bottom were easier to drill. The dimple was filled with water before drilling to stop the drill bit from overheating. Best to wear safety glasses when drilling the bottles.
Immediately after drilling the holes the bottles need to be rinsed in water to make sure the glass powder residue does not stick inside the bottle.
The most time consuming part of the job was removing the labels. We found soaking the bottles in hot soapy water with a dash of eucalyptus oil for about 15 minutes and then using a paint scraper was the most effective way to get the labels off.
We used some light weight metal tubing for the bottom and top bars to hold the bottles in. These bars were attached to the side and front pole of the veranda with metal plates. We used shower curtain fittings which were drilled to the top and bottom rail.
Powder coated curtain rods were cut to size (alternatively reo bar can be use). The top fitting was then unscrewed. The rod was placed in the bottom fitting. Bottles were threaded onto the rod and a rubber washer was placed between each bottle. when the rod was full the top fitting was placed over the top of the rod and re-screwed onto the bar. An alternative pattern was used and a variety of bottle colours. This is up to individual taste and availability of bottles.
A side view of the wall.
A close up of the wall.
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Virginiaon May 31, 2019I love this idea, unfortunately when I investigated the actual application I found out my city would require a permit and they wouldn't give it to me because they said all that glass is to dangerous.
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Candice Gollamon Jul 1, 2019I think this idea is so cool. My son has a room in his house that he calls a “whiskey” room. I sent it to him. I thought it could be pretty cool inside the house with whiskey bottles and a little lighting behind them. Of course he could probably get wine bottles easier and faster but way cool. Thanks for the share. Hopefully people can get all of their questions answered. It looks like folks that are attempting this are trying to help each other. Thanks to everyone giving helpful hints.
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Have a question about this project?
Hello Joanne, My name is Kelly Ladd. I'm a writer for Mother Nature Network (mnn.com). I'm writing an article about cool DIY projects you can make from recycled glass bottles. I'd love to include your glass bottle wall. I'll show a picture and then send a link back to your hometalk page or any other page that feature your DIY project if you like. Please let me know if this is okay. thanks! Kelly kellyjoyladd@gmail.com
Sorry just saw this..pls use it
Love this idea! Is there anyway to string lights through them? I've seen Light My Bottle Fairy lights and think that might add a new dimension.
We have solar lights strung through it now. It's awesome to look at.
Could we see pictures with the lights? I love this idea. Unfortunately I have no one to do all that drilling, etc.
Wondering whether rain water seeps into the bottles. Are the washers for cushioning or do they prevent this?
No rain has seeped into the bottles abdcwr have had torrential rain sonce it's been up. The rubber washers cushion the bottles and make the water tight as well.
This is genious and so pretty! Thanks for sharing. You must have canvassed all your neighbors for empty wine bottles. If you were drinking that much, you be too drunk to make something so unique, useful and great looking too. A trifecta!
I thought I was posting under comments. Sorry.
LOVE THE BOTTLE IDEA.I'M GOING TO COPY.CAN YOU SHOW ME THE TYPE OF WASHER USED.Carol from australia.
Do you have any pics of it at night?
I think it's a great looking wall, my concern would be something terrible happening to the wall while your sitting there enjoying your amazing "Glass" wall. (Children playing ball too close to your home).
Well in that case, houses shouldn't have windows. Kids can throw balls through any plate glass window. Let's focus on how creative and pretty it is! :-)
I have 11 very boisterous grandchildren, some of them arecat my place every afternoon..because of the location of the bottle wall it has never been an issue.
Most wine bottle glass is thicker than window glass. People have glass enclosed porches/sunrooms. Same thing, it breaks you replace.
What happens if one gets broken?
Remove the bar holding the bottles and replace. :o)
The pictures are so small that I can't see the top and bottom fittings clearly. No possible way I can even figure out how the too and bottom are secured. Close up pictures please? The directions are difficult to figure out because I can't get a visual.
Take a good look at the post they really are pretty clear about how to do each step and what to use. Blessing to you and good wishes with your project. :>)
Has anyone ever tried using beer bottles ? I'm not a Wine Drinker
JoAnn, 2 questions, do you get freezing weather in Australia, and how long do you think it takes to drill one bottle? I just ordered the 2 bits today & plan on getting started. My husband said there was no way he was doing this. I said I will do the hard part - the bottles.
Was curious if freezing weather affected the bottles.
No..I live in a desert climate with up to 48 degree Celsius summers and minus 8 with heavy frost winter nights...still as beautiful and intact as as the day we built it.
Each bottle probably took him 10 minutes to prep and drill..if your bottle has a dimple in the bottom fill it with water to assist the drill and keep it cool. Once you get the knack you'll be fine.
Have you had any problems with Hail? Everyone keeps asking me about that. I got my first bottle drilled, just getting ready to gather bottles from two businesses in my town. Can't wait to get this up. Will add solar string lights for night time ambiance.
No... my town is in a desert region.. extreme hot and cold. We had a freak storm last month that severely damaged many homes and cars...bottle wall totally undamaged... if a bottle were to be damaged it's an easy fix anyway. Do think of where you are going to locate it..I have a perfect spot which probably helps. I have a clip of that storm on my facebook page home in the alice. Please have a look and like my page.
Beth Linton, I would love to see your finished project with the lights at night!
Sorry - last question - were you able to drill those bottles on the one bit? I need 180-210 bottles and figured the life of drill bit might be my biggest expense.
Yes..one drill bit
Oh good! Thank you -just got my first 10 bottles done!!
What drill bit did you use? Thank you
I'm always afraid of the sun turning the glass into magnifying and start a fire?
I would suggest you do the experiment and TRY to start a fire with a colored wine bottle.
Love this idea. What was the dimensions of the wall and what was the spacing of one column of bottles to the next?
The bottles look like they are packed in there. It's hard to tell from the angle of the picture though.
Really love this. Did you measure to know how many bottles would fit that area? What if my area won't accommodate a full bottle to get to the top?? Hope this is understandable??
Good question
You can just add different sizes of bottles!!! Wine bottles is just the starter idea💓💓💓
I've accumulated the bottles, removed all paper and glue, stumped at how to drill holes. What kind of drill bit did you use?
a 3/4" inch diamond tipped drill bit
Where could I get wine bottles? I like wine but could never drink enough to get the bottles I need! Thanks
Ask neighbors or a bar for the empty bottles.
I have many left over from a wedding. Care to purchase?
I am quite sure that if you ask some bars, restaurants to save the bottles for you( provided that you are diligent about picking them up regularly) they would do this. They themselves must get rid of them. Also a recycling depot may have bottles. Bon chanson!
I bought 64 bottles from Dollar tree. They have all different shapes and colors. They sell out quick so look for them early next spring.
Metal rods were used top, bottom, one metal rod per column. Unless there is severe hail or flying rocks, wind shouldn't be a problem.
There are "doughnuts" that can be purchased to add to water to prevent mosquito breeding. One can break the doughnut into pieces, or cut if you need a small piece as for a bottle. These pieces could be put into the bottles with the dimples in the event of water standing in the bottom. The doughnuts can be used even in bird baths as they are not harmful to wildlife.
FYI: I am a reader, not the person creating this awesome wall.
j. baker
Holes have been drilled into the bottom of the bottles.....so water can’t stand.
Not all bottles have a dimple bottom. Those that do place in an upright position. Use flat bottom ones for the upside down.
How did you remove the glass circle after the hole was drilled? Mine are stuck inside the bottle
Serious question - how big a hole did you drill? It sounds like the hole is bigger than the neck of the bottle. 🥺
That's crazy.. How did you cut your holes? A drill "drills" out a hole, it doesn't leave a circle behind.. I'm going to do this and have a bottle cutter, but I like the drilling idea better, but if I can cut a small hole in the bottom I may try that
Joanne said they used a 3/4" diamond tipped drill bit. Drilling should leave glass bits which is why you need to wash it. If you have a disc, the wrong kind of drill bit is being used. Ask your hardware store to assist you.
I didn’t really understand their directions. How big a hole were they drilling in the bottom ? What size diamond bit did they use and how many ? Did they use a drill press or a regular hand drill and if so what hp was needed to cut through the glass ? I’ve tried cutting holes in wine bottles and it ain’t easy . That’s why so many questions. Thank you & I love the idea !
I've started this project. The hole/bit size depends on the size of the rod you are going to use for the bottles. I am using a regular hand cordless drill/driver. One thing about the drilling: if there is no dimple in the bottom of the bottle, start your drill at an angle, then stand it up straight. That keeps it from skipping along the glass. Hope this helps.
where did you get the rubber washers? did you buy them in multi-packs? what size? fit the rod or go around the bottle or did the neck of the bottle fit inside the hole?