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Nowadays, you can recycle wine bottles and use them as a showpiece. For example, you can flatten a wine bottle to create a decorative serving dish.
Read on to find out, step by step, how to flatten a wine bottle successfully with a kiln.
How to Flatten a Wine Bottle
Step 1: Collect the necessary supplies
You will need a few tools and supplies to flatten a wine bottle. First, you will need an empty wine bottle to flatten.
You will need oil or a goo remover and a scraping tool to easily remove the sticky label from the wine bottle.
You will also need a ceramic mold that will give you the new shape and design of the wine bottle.
Finally, you will need access to a kiln to complete the flattening of the wine bottle.
If you don’t already own a kiln, you can rent a kiln from a pottery studio near you. You can ask pottery enthusiast friends about local private potters. Some community centers, schools, and universities with ceramics programs will also have them.
If you want to hang the bottle as a hanging showpiece, you will need a wire to place into it. To cut the wire in its desired shape, you will need a wire cutter as well.
Step 2: Take safety precautions
As you will be working with a machine that delivers high temperature, you will need to take safety precautions.
Always wear a pair of gloves. Also, wear safety goggles. After you are done working with the kiln, you will need to clean it. Use a mask so that no harmful particles enter your nose.
Step 3: Remove the labels on the wine bottle
The first thing that you will need to do is to get rid of the labels on the wine bottles.
Use a scraper and a goo remover.
Another way is to remove as much of the label as you can.
Then apply cooking oil and leave it there for 5-10 minutes. Then scrape off the rest of the goo.
Step 4: Soak with warm water
First, you will need to fill a bowl with warm water. Then, pour some dish soap into the water.
Mix the water well so that the soap gets evenly distributed. Use your hand to swirl the soapy water and make bubbles.
Now, place the bottle in the mixture of soap and water. Wait for around 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 5: Clean the inside of the bottle
After you have soaked the wine bottle in the water, any dried-on wine stains will be easy to remove.
You can use a sponge or steel wool to scrub the outside of the bottle.
Use a wine bottle cleaner to clean inside the bottle, too.
Make sure to be gentle while scrubbing otherwise you can put a scratch in the wine bottle.
You will find that dried-on stains will come off easily, even without scrubbing hard.
Then rinse off the wine bottle.
Wipe it dry with a clean towel and allow the bottle to dry off completely.
Step 6: Place the bottle in a ceramic mold
You can buy a ceramic mold online or at a local ceramic store.
There are many bottle slump molds with whimsical and stylish designs to choose from.
You can also create one at your local ceramics studio. Many welcome kids who will be excited to create or paint their ceramics pieces.
Before you place the bottle in the mold, spray it with a release spray lubricant.
This will make sure the bottle separates easily from the ceramic mold.
Step 7: Optional, Place a wire at the tip of the wine bottle
You can use flattened wine bottles as a hanging showpiece and it will give the room a vintage look.
In that case, you will need to put a wire in the wine bottle. Take a wire and cut the wire as much as you need.
Insert the wire in the bottle and let the other tip of the wire out from the wine bottle. It is a good idea to take a long wire so that you can cut it later if you need to.
After you have a flattened wine bottle, the wire will also melt, and you will be able to hang it where you want.
Step 8: Place the wine bottle in the kiln
Apply a glass devit or overglaze on the outside of the wine bottle. This will ensure that it retains the glossy surface once it’s heated in the kiln.
It is an important step in the whole process. You will need to place the wine bottle in the kiln.
Before placing the wine bottle, make sure that the kiln is turned off. Also, the kiln needs to be cold and at room temperature.
Then, place the bottle slump, ceramic mold, in the kiln.
Place the wine bottle in the bottle slump with the overglaze side facing the top.
Remember to avoid preheating the kiln. If you preheat the kiln and then heat it again, the wine bottle will shatter. The temperature will make the glass shatter into pieces.
Also, if there is a manual that comes with the kiln, find out if you need to place a layer of fiber paper or not. The fiber paper will prevent materials from sticking to the kiln surface.
Step 9: Turn on the kiln
Once you laid the mold and bottle in the kiln, close the door.
Turn on the kiln.
The kiln does a cycle and heats the glass evenly.
Step 10: Leave the kiln to cool overnight
Let the kiln run in its scheduled program and let it cool overnight.
You can open it up in the morning, or when the kiln has cooled completely. This entire process will take about 24 hours.
Step 11: Remove the flattened wine bottle and wash
The bottle should now be flattened, taking the shape of its ceramic mold slump!
Remove the bottle from the mold. It should separate easily.
Wash your new, flattened wine bottle with some dish soap and a brush to remove all the residue.
Now, you can observe your work of art!
Takeaway
That is how you can flatten a wine bottle. Make sure to take safety precautions and be careful and patient while handling the kiln.
You’ll have a unique and useful piece of art with patterns of the ceramic mold. You can use it as a serving dish for dips, candy, and crackers. Or you can use it as a display piece.
Related:
How to Remove Red Wine Stains
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