How to Create Garden Art

Cut the Bottles

• 1

  Fill each bottle with unused motor oil to within 1/8-inch from the point you would like to cut the glass. Place bottles in the freezer for several hours or overnight. In the winter, they could be left outdoors if the temperature is below freezing.

• 2

  Heat the bottom six inches of a steel rod with the flame torch until it glows red. Use safety goggles and heat-proof mitts to protect yourself. Stick the heated end into the cold oil for about 30 seconds. The glass should break just above the oil line.

• 3

  The oil and the bottoms of the bottles will be very hot immediately after the procedure is complete. Allow to cool completely before funneling the oil back into its original container to recycle for use in your car.

• 4

  Smooth the cut-glass edges with auto sandpaper. Wear safety goggles and protective gloves during this step. Use the bottoms of the bottles as drinking glasses once the edges have been sanded smooth.

• 5

  Cut a 36-inch piece of twine. Thread a large bead through the twine, leaving 12 inches of twine free at the top. Tie a knot at the top and bottom of the bead. Thread a bottle through the top of the twine so that the bead catches in the neck and holds the bottle onto the twine. Slide a second bottle through the bottom of the twine so that its neck slides into the bottom of the top bottle. Thread and tie another large bead so that when the second bottle is slid back down it will catch in the neck and hold the second bottle below the first. Repeat with a third bottle. Additional beads can be threaded between the bottles as desired. Make three strings using all nine bottles.

• 6

  String additional strands of beads and other small objects such as shells, stones, bottle caps or pieces of beach glass. Use wire wrapped around solid objects to attach them to the twine.

• 7

  Tie the tops of the twine strands to the dowel at even intervals. Tie three smaller pieces of twine to the dowels at the ends and in the middle to use as hangers.

• 8

  Attach the S-hooks under the eave of your house or to a patio beam. Hang the dowel by the twine loops from these hooks.