How to Make Glass Bottle Spoon Rests

Glass bottle spoon rests are fun to make and, with the variety of glass bottles available, they work for any decor. You can use any glass bottle, including old beer or soda bottles that were destined for the landfill. Making glass bottle spoon rests seems difficult at first, but with the right tools and instructions, you can transform your old bottles into useful spoon rests for the cost of the kiln rental, shelf wash and a few other inexpensive items.

Things You'll Need

• Glass bottle
• Mild detergent
• Dry towel
• Kiln wash powder
• Glass jar with lid
• Foam paintbrush
• Kiln

Instructions

1. Remove any paper or plastic label from the bottle and wash the bottle with a mild detergent.

2. Rinse the bottle with water, position it upside down on a dry towel and allow it to dry completely.

3. Prepare enough kiln wash to completely cover your kiln shelf by putting the desired amount of kiln wash powder into a glass jar, then adding the amount of water recommended by the manufacturer. Cover and shake the jar to mix the powder and water together.

4. Paint the surface of the kiln shelf with a foam paintbrush dipped into the prepared kiln wash solution.

5. Place one to four glass bottles on their sides on the kiln shelf.

6. Fire the kiln to 1100 degrees Fahrenheit and soak for 10 minutes.

7. Increase the temperature in 250 degree-per-hour increments until the bottle flat fuses near 1550 F.

8. Turn the kiln power off and open the lid to drop the temperature rapidly to 1000 F and freeze the spoon rest shape.

9. Close the lid of the kiln when it has cooled to 1000 F and let the glass bottle spoon rests cool in the kiln for six hours before removing them.

Tips & Warnings

• Larger and thicker bottles will require slower firing rates and longer annealing soaks.

• Renting kiln time at a pottery shop will save you the cost of purchasing a kiln.

References

• Glass Art Patterns: Slump Glass Bottles in a Kiln
• Mike Gigi: Slumping
• Warm Glass: Slumping Bottles