Wine bottle cutting is the perfect marriage between making and upcycling. Upcycling is reusing discarded objects or material in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original. Cutting wine bottles is the first step to making some nice cups, planters, and candle jars. The possibilities are endless.

We use Ephrem’s bottle cutter, buckets of ice water, electric kettles, and the kinetic molecular theory to upcycle wine bottles from the recycling bin. The process is relatively easy. First, score bottle with bottle cutter. Then, run hot water over the score line and, afterwards, submerge the bottle in a bucket of ice water. Repeat hot water and cold water process until bottle cracks.

That’s it! The process is simple yet challenging. It’s good for the environment and we end up with some awesome products. And, most importantly, students love the challenge of getting the perfect cut.