DIY - Hurricane Bottle w/Candle

Here is a picture of one of the gifts that I have made this past year.  It is quite gallant and relatively easy to make. A bottle that I had found while I was doing some spring cleaning.  I know that I wouldn't have put an empty bottle in the back of the cabinet without some sort of intent, however for the life of me I can't remember what it was.  So, I came up with a new purpose!  A hurricane bottle with a candle.


This I must say took about 2 weeks. 1 day for research and the other 13 days to work up the courage to work with glass.  Having done it before, someone always ends up getting cut or it doesn't cut straight.  At either expense it's just not worth the effort.  But I could just envision a beautiful hurricane cover for a candle that would create a dynamic centerpiece.  So off on my next adventure I went.  Mustering all the courage I could, I plugged in the dremel and started in cutting the bottom off of this beautiful Bailey's bottle.


I started to cut into it, then realized I had already missed a step in the process.  To remove the label(s).  So I soaked the bottle in hot water for an hour.  When I came back it was ready and the labels were easily removed without leaving any of the adhesive for me to deal with, I felt it was ready for me to dremel.


I again plugged in the dremel and realized I needed a line to guide me.  Ok, now I'm really starting to question my over zealous determination to cut into this bottle as I seem to be throwing caution to the wind just to play with the dremel. lol


So I quickly soap stoned a line on the bottom of the bottle then set the dremel to task.  I don't know what I was thinking but approximately an hour later I had made it completely thru the thickest part of the entire bottle - the bottom.


With the bottom portion cut off I sanded the edges of the bottle using my handy dandy new dremel and it made short order of any rough edge that might have been there.  Feeling that I had sufficiently rounded the edges as well.  I set it upon one of the candles that I had premeasured and made 2 weeks prior.


Yes, I have been preparing for this for a while.  But at the last minute, well I kinda chickened out.  Then as it turned out, my new dremel almost got the best of me and my well thought out plan. lol


From start to finish it took approximately 2 hours from soaking off the label to completion of a magnificent hurricane style bottle to cover one pillar candle.


I of course was so feverishly working that I forgot to take a single picture of the process.  That is apparently how excited I was to use my dremel!!


I did manage to contain my excitement in the end, to finally realize that I had forgotten and with great determination managed to take a few pictures of the project upon completion.


Here's what I ended up with.  I gave it to my Gramma that loves the dynamics of presentation.  She loved it and hope you will too.


In the midst of all my excitement, this is what I was able to capture.

This one was taken in my kitchen with my phone and it was a bit darker than at my

Gramma's house.  I tried a tea light candle first, but it didn't put off enough light.  So I opted to use the candles I made 2 weeks prior.  So you could see the flicker of the candle a bit better.

Now as you probably notice, I forgot to take off the label around the neck of the bottle.  That's ok, it's perfectly unique for me and that's what makes it personalized. haha


Finally, I kept the very bottom of the bottle just in case my Gramma decided to use the pillar candle instead of a self contained candle.  And the lid makes a perfect candle snuffer too.


Quick, simple, easy and perfectly unique!  If I do say so myself, that makes for another great gift idea.