Got Glass?

Do you throw away your old glass bottles and jars? I promise you, you'll think twice about it by the time you're done reading this post. I hoard pretty much everything...empty wine bottles, various other alcohol bottles, jam & pickle jars, olive oil & vinegar bottles etc. etc. The top of my kitchen cabinet is getting more and more crowded everyday and I could easily give the kabadiwala a run for his money. I've even carried back empty bottles from other cities! There are just so many wonderful things that can be done with them, so let me start by giving you a few simple ideas.

Here's something that I made just this afternoon, a plain old olive jar embellished with a few ghungroos (bells). You could make it without a handle if you like and it'll sit pretty on any shelf or table. Use it as a vase or as a fabulous tea light holder; if you want to make it more functional then fill it with pens, pencils, brushes or whatever it is that you like.

Who likes a wallet stuffed with coins?! They look so much better in an empty, see-through jar instead. I have a special one for the coins that get left behind after a holiday abroad, and even take contributions from friends when they come visiting. Practically anything can be used to add a fun element to these jars, the one on the right has some of my old beaded anklets around it's neck...

These are my favourite - soda bottles with marbles trapped inside, a common enough feature on the pushcarts of Delhi during the summer season. Not the most hygienic of drinks but a happy place for my  bobbing dragonflies.

Here are a couple of simple ideas - the square jar on the left used to be filled with wax, once that burnt out I replaced it with some dried flowers; the one on the right used to be a milk bottle. So much better than fancy store bought vases, don't you think?

And finally, the most common one of course - the money plant holder. It doesn't matter what sort of a bottle it is - tall, short, round, slim, green, brown, clear, gigantic, miniature - it will find a spot in some corner of my house.

There's lots more where this came from but I think I'll save it for another day. Meanwhile if you haven't seen these older posts, you might wanna check them out: High Strung & Kitschy Kitchen