I love finding new ways to turn ordinary glass into something beautiful, and these little vases started their lives as wine and whiskey bottles! Instead of tossing the empty bottles into the recycling bin, I cut them in half and transform the bottoms into one-of-a-kind glass vases. After carefully preparing and smoothing the glass, I add decorative decals—from colorful sunflowers and vintage roses to delicate blue florals and scenic designs—and then fire each piece in my kiln to permanently fuse the design onto the glass. I love that something so simple can be given a completely new purpose—and no two bottles ever seem to turn out quite the same. ❤️
For these first two bottle vases, I chose floral decals, and I absolutely love how they turned out. One has a vintage feel with soft roses, greenery, and a musical background, while the other is bright and cheerful with big yellow sunflowers. After applying the decals, I fired the bottles again in my kiln, permanently fusing the images onto the glass. I especially love how the clear bottle glass allows the designs to stand out while still letting light shine through. What started as ordinary bottles now have an entirely different personality—and a second life as beautiful little vases.
For this vase, I decided to experiment a little and used three different blue floral decals, placing them around the bottle so there is something beautiful to see from every angle. I was especially pleased with how well the bottle held its original shape during the kiln firing—the sides stayed straight and the opening remained beautifully round. The delicate blue flowers against the clear glass give this one an almost vintage china feel, and I love how the different designs work together without being exactly the same. 💙
For this vase, I tried something a little different. Instead of using individual decals, I used a large mug decal designed to wrap all the way around. I wasn’t sure exactly how it would translate from a mug to a recycled bottle, but I absolutely love the result! The soft greens, pink flowers, herbs, and little botanical illustrations create an almost vintage garden-journal look, and the design continues around the entire vase so there is something beautiful to see from every side. The bottle also shifted slightly during firing, giving the opening and sides a wonderfully organic shape. Sometimes the pieces that don’t come out perfectly symmetrical end up having the most personality—and I think this one is beautiful. ❤️
Not every bottle vase comes out of the kiln keeping its original shape—and this one is a perfect example! During firing, the glass softened and shifted into this wonderfully unusual, sculptural shape. Instead of considering that a mistake, I think it makes the vase completely unique. I used four totally different floral decals around the bottle, including the delicate blue flowers and colorful yellow roses, so every angle has a different look. I especially love how the curved and folded glass changes the way you see the flowers through the vase. That’s one of my favorite things about experimenting with glass: sometimes I have a plan…and sometimes the kiln has a plan of its own! 😂❤️
Of course, experimenting with glass also means that not every piece is a success. This vase is a perfect example. The beautiful landscape decal fired wonderfully, wrapping around the bottle and creating an almost continuous scene, but unfortunately the glass cracked during firing. That’s always disappointing, especially when everything else about the piece turns out exactly as I hoped! But I just can’t bring myself to throw this one away—the scenery is far too beautiful. I may not be able to use it as a vase, but I think it deserves a second life somehow. After all, sometimes even the “failures” are worth keeping. ❤️
One of the things I love about these bottle vases is how many different ways they can be used. Some are perfect for holding my handmade plant stakes, glass stirrers, and letter openers—and I love how all that colorful glass looks gathered together. The vases without the bumps or indentations are especially versatile: add a candle and they become a beautiful glowing votive, or add a few flowers for a simple little vase. I especially love the sunflower one with yellow flowers—it looks like the flowers in the decal just kept growing right out of the glass! 🌻 And, of course, I’m always happy when one piece of glass art can show off another piece of glass art. ❤️
Here are a few more of my bottle vases, and I really do love them all! I’ve experimented with different bottles, sizes, colors, and decals, and that’s part of what makes these so much fun to create. The clear glass lets the delicate florals, birds, and colorful designs really shine, while the darker green bottles give the decals a completely different, almost vintage look. I especially love seeing how the same idea can look totally different depending on the bottle I start with. No two ever seem to come out exactly alike—and for me, that’s part of the magic of working with recycled glass. ❤️
If you would like to see more of my fused glass work, please refer to my website Elegant Fused Glass by Karen. If you get a chance, check out all my site and my Elegant Fused Glass by Karen YouTube. If you would like to stay abreast of what I’m up-to and learn a little more about jewelry, check out our newsletter. It is published the last day of each month.
Karen
