Bottle Club
FUSING GLASS BOTTLES OR “HIDING THE EVIDENCE”
Don’t you just hate to throw out those wine and liquor bottles? They are quite nice with the graceful shapes and the beautiful colors. Make them into fused art!
First (and most important) step is to clean them. The labels and any glue must be completely removed to be sure that no residue is fused onto the glass. Use very hot water with ½ cup baking soda and 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Submerge them in the water and let them soak for 10 minutes then add 2 cups of white wine vinegar. Roll your bottles around so the vinegar mixes in. Let them soak until you can get the labels off.
Once the bottles are clean you have some options. You can just lay it in the kiln and full fuse it. This one just has a little decorative wiring and some etching. You could add a decorative knife and have a nice little gift.
Another option is to use a bottle mold. There are all types available. See the full collection here.
There are textured molds. The one above has a lovely Tree of Life motif.
Drop molds, such as the one above, make an interesting shape.
You also can use a textured flat mold, such as the one below, and then slump it into a bottle mold.
You may get devitrification with some bottles. To prevent it, spay with a divit spray like Spray A.
Another option is to use a bottle mold. There are all types available. See the full collection here.
There are textured molds. The one above has a lovely Tree of Life motif.
Drop molds, such as the one above, make an interesting shape.
You also can use a textured flat mold, such as the one below, and then slump it into a bottle mold.
You may get devitrification with some bottles. To prevent it, spay with a divit spray like Spray A.