The holiday season is well and truly upon us! If you’re hosting a party this December — or just want to make the home feel extra special for your family — it’s time to pick out a festive centerpiece.
Upcycled Christmas decorations are my favorite. And this one is up there with the best!
A glass-bottle centerpiece, filled with seasonal greenery and berries, makes for a stylish and colorful addition to your holiday table. And it’s really easy to make! Just follow the steps below…
How to make a festive glass bottle centerpiece
What You’ll Need
Before you get started, you’ll need to gather the following materials:
- Empty clear glass wine bottles
- Goo Gone — a solution that removes sticky labels
- Pliers
- Scissors
- Living or artificial evergreen sprigs and berries
- White candlesticks
- Paper towels
- Razor blade (not pictured)
Making your festive glass bottle centerpiece
Follow these simple steps to make your festive glass bottle centerpiece!
1. Remove labels
I love making upcycled Christmas decorations! But the process always starts with the rather un-creative job of cleaning and prepping your recycled item.
For this project, begin by removing the labels from your bottles.
You can soak them in hot soapy water for a couple of hours. And then use a razor blade to very carefully remove the stickers.
If the stickers don’t peel off easily, use a paper towel to apply some Goo Gone. This will help to remove the labels and any sticky residue.
Once all the unwanted stuff is removed, wash the bottle with soap and water. You can then remove any excess oil with a bit of Windex.
2. Arrange your greenery
Cleaning done, it’s time to introduce natural elements to your upcycled Christmas decoration design.
Berries add color to your centerpiece. And I like to spread that color out throughout the bottle. So separate the berries by cutting some off the stem and leaving some on.
Next, insert some evergreen sprigs into the bottle. Start with the smaller ones. Then add some berries. And then finish with a longer evergreen branch.
You don’t want these natural elements to look too squished so take some out if you feel the design looks a little crowded.
3. Fit your candle into the bottle
Your candle should fit snugly into the neck of your bottle. It should also stand pretty much perfectly straight if you want to avoid wax dripping down onto your dining table!
Test the size of the candle in the bottleneck. If it’s too wide, trim down the wax at the bottom of your candle using an old knife.
Before you finally push your candle into place, remember to fill your bottle with water. This will keep any living greenery looking its best for as long as possible.
4. Complete the scene
I like to create at least three upcycled glass bottles for my centerpieces. Different sized bottles work well together.
You can also play around with fillings — try gift ribbon, glass beads, or even fairy lights for an alternative look!
Then, all you need to do is light your candles and your festive holiday centerpiece is complete! Ready for gathering around the table with friends and loved ones over the holiday season.
You can experiment with different things on the insides of the bottles to personalize them a bit, and you could even use different bottle and candle shapes too… have fun with it!
Ready for more upcycled Christmas decorations?
Keen to discover more Christmas DIY projects and upcycled Christmas decoration ideas? Head over to the Curbly library where you’ll find an endless selection of Christmas craft and design inspo.
Whether you’re looking for something quick and easy or want a project you can really spend some time on, we’ll help you bring out the best in your home this Christmas!
