Recycled Vase/candle

by Celia Collier

4 Materials

2 Days

Easy

I decided to do something useful with the lemonade bottles I empty on a regular basis. Why not turn it into a bud vase.

Drink the lemonade! Ahh! Soak the bottle in very hot, soapy water. When the water cools the labels peel right off. A magic eraser will remove the best by date from the glass. I had E6000 on hand. The unique glass beads I found on clearance for $1 at Hobby Lobby.

I used a dab of E6000 on the smooth side of each glass bead. I went around the jar so far, then the beads started sliding around. I set the jar on a flat surface and wrapped a rubber band around it. When the first row was on I adjusted the beads so they were flush with the table. I kept adding rows until I ran out of beads. I let it cure 24 hours before removing the rubber bands.

I liked it, but couldn't leave well enough alone. I decided to make it into a candle. I melted som wax, following the manufacturers instructions, and added some scent and a lime green crayon. The hardest part was securing the wick. Glue dots and a chopstick worked best. Pour the wax in, let it settle, then top it off. Trim the wick and you're ready to go.

I had these supplies on hand. You can get the wax and wicks at any Hobby store for under $20. You can also melt old jarred candles and add to the bottle. Just set the container in a pan of hot water, medium low heat, and use a funnel to pour into the new container.