How to Melt Wine Bottles into a Cheese Tray

Remove the label from the wine, water or other bottle. Clean the bottle taking care to handle it as little as possible after it is cleaned. Fingerprints can leave oil residue that will come out as unattractive spots after firing.

Place the bottle into the glass fusing kiln that you prepared with kiln wash or fiber paper.

Fire the wine bottle in your glass fusing kiln using the following schedule as a guide:

Ramp ºF/Hr Target temperature Hold for
1 500 1100 10
2 250 1300 0
3 AFAP 1475 10 (watch for slump)
4 AFAP 960 30
5 150 750 0

The bottle should have slumped down to form a tray shape. Allow the glass to cool to room temperature before removing the bottle from the kiln.

To create a decorative pattern on the glass of the cheese tray platter, paint a design onto the slumped wine bottle with a resist. Etch the glass bottle to create a decoration with either acid or a sand blaster. Remove the resist and wash the glass tray.

If you do not know how to etch, see our eHows How to Acid Etch Glass Beads at http://www.ehow.com/how_5155720_acid-etch-glass-beads.html or How to Sandblast Glass at http://www.ehow.com/how_5155702_sandblast-glass.html or click the links in the resources section of this article.

If desired, decorate the neck area of the wine bottle with wire and beads using your jewelry making tools.