Lockdown Mag Jul 20

Upturned bottle edging
A really easy, no-cost project for flower beds that creates a statement.
You will need
✽ Selection of empty wine bottles
✽ Dibber and trowel
What to do
1 Run a sink of hot water and add
plenty of washing up liquid. Add the
wine bottles and leave to soak for an
hour or two until the labels are easily
removed. Use a scourer to take off
any stubborn glue. Leave to dry.
2 Head outside and push the dibber
into the ground where you would
like your first bottle to be. Wiggle
the upturned bottle around in the
hole created by the dibber and push
gently into the soil.
3 Using a trowel, mound up the
earth around the bottle to keep it
secure. Repeat the process with the
remaining bottles until your border
is complete.
Free
small
gardens
big
ideas
LIGHT SHOW
Invest in a nifty cutter and you can turn
glass bottles into all sorts of things.
You will need
✽ Selection of wine bottles
✽ Safety goggles and gloves
✽ Bottle cutter, £18.99 amazon.co.uk
✽ Sandpaper
✽ Galvanised wire
✽ Tea lights
£18.99
SIMPLE MAKES
That’s
clever!
What to do
1 Make a mark on each bottle where you
want to cut off the base.
2 Put the gloves and safety goggles on
to protect from any stray shards of glass.
3 Position each bottle in the cutter and
follow the instructions carefully. Sand off
any rough edges after cutting.
4 Set the bottles aside and measure out
three lengths of wire roughly twice the
length of your bottles. Curl the wire into
spirals by winding around the bottle neck.
5 Slightly stretch out the spirals and
slide up into each of the bottles and feed
through the bottle neck. Pop the tea lights
on the bottom spiral inside each bottle.
6 Attach the lengths of wire to a piece of
suspended string or sturdy tree branch.
Gotta lotta
£5.35
feature: clare howcutt-kelly.
photos: flora press, living4media
bottles?
Us too! Upcycle them into fab garden accessories
with these cheap and easy projects
We all get through a lot of glass bottles each
month, be it wine, beer, soft drinks or condiments.
Instead of tossing them into the recycling, make
something unique with them to style up your
outside living space. These projects all cost next to nothing,
and create striking additions for your modern garden. Some are
super-quick, so you can create a fab accessory in less than an
hour. Others will take an afternoon – but they’re all guaranteed
to have your garden looking good for very little cost or effort.
From striking border edging to a string of tea light holders, a
patio table to a bird feeder, there’s an idea here that will suit
your plot. And, best of all, once you’ve finished you’ll want to
sit down with a glass of wine to appreciate your new creation
– which will free up another bottle to make your next! Cheers!
stained glass display
This project takes little more
than half an hour to do.
You will need
✽ Old bottles
✽ Rubber bands
✽ PlastiKote Stained Glass
Spray, approximately £5.35
amazon.co.uk
What to do
1 Wash any dirt and debris from
the bottles. Dry thoroughly.
2 Place rubber bands securely
over the bottles. Wind a few
times for a more effective look.
3 Lay down some newspaper
and follow the instructions on
the can of spray paint. Start with
a thin layer. You can always build
it up.
4 When you’ve achieved the
desired intensity, leave to dry for
a few hours and then remove the
rubber bands carefully.
5 Repeat the steps for all the
bottles and then group together
for impact or dot them around
your garden.
➣
14 MODERN GARDENS lockdown living
lockdown living MODERN GARDENS 15