How to Use Glass Bottles in Concrete Walls

Build a base for your decorative concrete and glass bottle wall. Position 2x4 form boards in the desired formation of the base of your wall, securing the ends of the form boards to one another with nails. When completed, the form boards should form a rectangle the width and length of the wall. Brush the inside of the form boards with a concrete release agent using a paintbrush, to ensure easy removal of the form boards upon completion of the wall.

Prepare the concrete powder mix according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour the concrete powder into a five-gallon bucket and slowly add water until the concrete forms into a workable mixture.

Fill the form boards with the concrete mixture, pressing it down with a steel trowel as you work to eliminate air bubbles and gaps. When the concrete reaches the top of the form boards, drag another 2x4 across the tops of the form boards to knock down the high spots of concrete and fill in the low spots. This step is necessary to create a stable base for your decorative wall.

Position a layer of glass bottles on top of the concrete base, leaving about two inches in between each bottle. Wiggle the bottles slightly to create an indentation in the concrete so the bottles will remain in place while you are securing them. Fill in the gaps between the bottles with the concrete mixture, pressing it down the steel trowel as you work. Add a one-inch thick layer of concrete over the top sides of the bottles to completely enclose them.

Repeat Step 4 to create a second layer of bottles encased in the concrete mixture. After applying the solid layer of concrete over the top of the second layer of bottles, allow the concrete to dry for two to three hours. This drying time is necessary to ensure that the weight of subsequent bottles and concrete do not create slumping issues.

Continue working in this manner, laying rows of bottles and covering them with concrete, until the wall is the desired height. Once the final row of bottles has been laid, cover them with a solid layer of concrete at least one-inch thick. However, if you wish, this final layer of concrete may be thicker.