Use a pretty wine bottle to make an even prettier vase

People who own glass bottle cutters understand there's a bit more to the technique than you might initially think. And while you may assume you'll only need this tool if you're going to make complicated items like bottle wind chimes or chandeliers, the truth is you can easily make a unique vase from an old liquor bottle in about 20 minutes.

This item is ideal for living rooms, bathrooms or outdoor decks where you might like to display dried flowers such as lavender stalks. Also, it looks like something you'd buy from a home accessories store, and you can smile proudly when you tell your friends you actually made it yourself. If you're thinking of buying your own glass cutter, you'll find this is one of the easiest — and most delightful — crafts you can make with it. Just be sure to protect yourself and follow the directions carefully any time you're working with glass.

Note: You'll want to make sure you display dried or fake flowers in the vase, as you won't be able to add water to it. However, this makes the vase easier to clean and much simpler to maintain.

Materials
- A glass wine or liquor bottle
- A glass bottle cutter
- Thick gloves
- Two large, heat-proof bowls
- A kettle for boiling water
- Cold water with ice
- Glass sanding block
- Spool of large, thick twine
- A hot glue gun
- Scissors
- Spool of thin twine

Instructions
1. Take the label off an old wine or liquor bottle and wash it thoroughly.

2. Put on your gloves. Place the liquor bottle on the bottle cutter and use the first edge to score a line all the way around. Remember, you only need to score the bottle once. If you do it more than this, your bottle will have an uneven cut.

3. Use an electric or regular kettle to boil some water. Still wearing the gloves, hold the bottle over a large, heat-proof bowl and carefully pour the boiling water over the bottle. Turn the bottle so all sides are evenly touched by the water.

4. Fill the other bowl with ice water. Place the heated bottle in the ice water bowl, and turn it several times to make sure all sides are affected by the ice water.

5. Repeat these two steps as many times as necessary, switching the water from hot to cold, until the bottom part of the bottle eventually breaks off. Be very careful until this occurs — you do not want the bottom to suddenly break off and shatter on the floor.

6. Discard the bottom half of the bottle. Use a glass sanding block to smooth the bottle's edge so it won't have pointed sides.

7. You may now safely remove your gloves. Next, you will use a spool of large twine or rope for the base of the vase. Use a hot glue gun to glue the rope all the way around the bottom of the bottle in a circle, gluing it to the outside surface. Once you've done this, use the glue to affix another circle of rope underneath so it will provide a flat surface for the vase. You can make more circles if you start higher up on the bottle.

8. Use a pair of scissors to cut the rope once you have made your final circle. If necessary, tuck the piece under slightly to make sure it doesn't come loose.

9. Cut a piece of the thin twine and wrap it around the neck of the bottle to make a bow. Place the bow high up on the neck. You may also want to hesitate to cut the piece until you're sure it's the right size, cutting after you have formed the bow on the neck.

Voila! Your lovely vase is now ready to display anywhere in your home. It's beautiful but a little different, which makes it the perfect conversation starter for your guests to notice.