Etsy Finds: Items from Recycled Beer Bottles & Cans

We've blogged before about beer glass tumblers from a variety of sellers on Etsy before, but the creativity doesn't stop there: there are spoon rests, notebooks, cuff links, candles, jewelry, belt buckles, and more.

1. Beer Bottle Spoon Rests by YAVAglass
In addition to the standard beer bottle cups (made and sold by a variety of stores on Etsy, YAVAglass also melts glass into coasters and spoon rests. Beer bottles are kiln-fired until they melt into a flatter spoon friendly rest.

2. Blue Moon Drinking Glasses by Nickpaul.
These aren't your standard "cut the top off beer bottle glasses". The process used to make these begins with a 1,100 degree oven. The opening of the narrow bottleneck is then opened into a larger cylinder. Their process assures that there are no stress fractures and results in a much larger drinking glass.

3. Custom Beer Box Books by Repaper
Beer box books custom made from recycled and scrap materials. Used as a journal, or taking notes, you can custom choose the brands your notebook will be made from. Each book will be filled with 48 pages of paper, and finished with a piece of decorative paper or book cloth on the inside covers.

4. Fosters Cuff-links by Davidgieske
Just one example of the many jewelry offerings on Etsy made from recycled beer bottles and cans, these cuff-links take beer bottle caps and turn them into something useful.

5. Recycled Beer Bottle Candles by KoiKouture
Tagged as "Mandles" or man candles, these candles are "crafted in a studio full of power tools and beer." Made from 22 oz. beer bottles ("since men drink big beers and like big candles"), you pick the bottle and the scent.

6. Green Beer Bottle Bottom Candle Base by c2design
Just in time for St. Patrick's day, this shamrock is made from three green beer bottles, melted into a candle base.

7. Fishing Lure by Teddmcdonah
These fishing lures really are beautiful. Made from preprinted steel and copper protected with a spray-seal, the materials are riveted together with copper rivets via a low-impact homemade hydraulic press.

8. Beer Belt Buckle by PhotoLindsey
Handmade from a recycled Budweiser Beer Can protected by clear glossy plastic, this buckle lets everyone know that you're a beer drinker, and what beer you prefer. Wear while fishing with the beer lure.

Comments (3)

Great article and some fantastic etsy finds! I am in love with glass, and we are coming out with some recycled items for our Summer '10 line but for now check out www.strappedbelts.com for all thing glass, or find us on etsy - strappedbelts !

Thanks for loving glass,

John
Owner and Artist
Strappedbelts.com

The things in these photos look worryingly fresh and new. One thing we should remember is that the best way to re-use bottles is to send them back to the distributor to re-fill with beer/soda/etc. until they are unusable. Otherwise, bottlers will simply have to manufacture more bottles they didn't otherwise need. This sort of "upcycling" should only be done with very old bottles that can't be used - for example because they don't fit the current machinery - otherwise it's potentially quite wasteful. A bottle can be used tens to hundreds of times; that is precisely what makes it so "green". We should be wearing things out for their current use before putting them to new purposes.

f's l,

I very much agree with you--however, I am not aware of a procedure to do this--suggestions? Recycling in my area is limited to throwing glass/plastic/paper into recycling trailers.

When I was a kid (long, long ago!), soda bottles went back to the supermarket intact, where they *were* returned for re-use, and the bottle deposits refunded there. My state, alas, does not have a "bottle bill"--perhaps it still works that way in states that do.