Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
roselee_gw

Bottle 'Tree' Projects ...

Since things are kind of slow right now on the Texas Gallery I thought I'd post some photos of my ongoing bottle projects.

My dear friend Linda M. brought a bunch of bottles which I saw the need to gesture toward -- as if you could miss them ... LOL

The first thing I did was place these three blue bottles on a hanging basket pole ...

I found a wrought iron candlelabra at a thrift shop, Bob straighted out the wires and attached it to the tower ...

Blue bottles were placed up there as sort of a beacon to any UFOs flying by to drop in and visit ... ;-) Two more blue bottles are slated to be attached ...

Then came the chicken -- yes, before the egg ... lol ...

We clipped his tail feathers with a bolt cutter and straightened them to hold the bottles. His feet required nailing to the deck for balance. A green glass plate went in where a pot would go and a red vase added for color ...

None of these projects are finished. Some tweeking and bending of wires is still to be done, but so far so good.

I would love to see your garden bottle projects! Just post your photos below. I have more bottles in mostly clear, green and brown and need ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Felder Rushing: More than you ever wanted to know about bottle trees ....

Comments (17)

  • PKponder TX Z7B
    9 years ago

    I am a freak for blue bottles!
    I love all of yours and bob's creations, especially the chicken :-)

    here is the one we built last winter, we have since removed the Christmas lights and plan to add twice as many screws for more bottles.

    {{gwi:131019}}

  • roselee z8b S.W. Texas
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Pam, that is a beautiful bottle tree. Are you going to replace the lights when you put more bottles? It must be gorgeous when lit up. Ummm ... what are you drinking to get all those blue bottles? I can see I need more! LOL

  • MKull
    9 years ago

    your wonderland keeps getting better! It must be so rewarding just to wander around and be entertained by what you've created.

  • roselee z8b S.W. Texas
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Mkull, thank you! I'm not sure it's 'more' better, or just MORE ... LOL, but whatever the yard's a great outlet for creative endeavors and I enjoy it.

  • PKponder TX Z7B
    9 years ago

    Hi Roselee, those are Bud Platinum beer bottles. The lights were too bright and that's all we could see..white lights. I don't want to tell you how long it took to collect them, but that color is amazing to me. We have a good selection of blue wine bottles too.

    We are looking for a topper that is lit, maybe like a decorative light globe for a subtle light there shining down.

    If you get your hands on the bottles, the labels come off best with really hot dish water and a scotch bright for the left-behind adhesive. The labels are plastic and peel off well after a 20 minute soak.

    I just loved seeing the beautiful pictures in Felder's blog.

  • sunnysa
    9 years ago

    The blue bottles go perfectly with the other blue accents in your garden. Love the chicken.... it's just crazy cute! :-)

  • roselee z8b S.W. Texas
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Pam, I asked my daughter to please have her husband drink Bud Platinum from now on. She said, "He can't stand it", but why are you asking? She probably thought I knew of some particular nutritional value and ROTFL when I told her why.

    Oh well, guess I could use some for baiting the snails. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it ... hahaha)

    Yes, isn't it fun to look at all the versions of the bottle tree that Felder has collected?

    Sunny Irene, thank you for noticing all the blue accents. I think maybe Felder would approve of the rooster too ... :-)

    Pam, and thanks for the tips on removing the labels for all us folks that have snail problems ... ;-)

    Edit: How about some more pictures of your garden art bottle projects?

    This post was edited by roselee on Fri, Jul 25, 14 at 20:12

  • roselee z8b S.W. Texas
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Shady chic shicken packs on the glass! He's gonna' twirl those two in the front and start shootin' any minute now!

    Those in the front are gonna' have to go. Makes ole' Rooster Cogburn too dangerous, He's scaring the other chickens ... :-)

  • PKponder TX Z7B
    9 years ago

    I love the rooster with all of his color on :-)

    Surely we aren't the only ones that have bottle art, I'd love to see other projects too.

  • roselee z8b S.W. Texas
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Pam, I agree. Come on guys -- show us your bottle trees, or any garden decor using bottles.

    it may be that the forums are just not as active this time of year between spring and fall gardening.

  • sunnysa
    9 years ago

    Ha... Felder ain't got nuthin on your ole Rooster Cogburn! That is sooo clever! Can't wait to see your upcoming ideas.

    Pam, Love your blue tree project. Please share pics when you find your lighted topper. That would be really pretty!

    This post was edited by sunnysa on Thu, Jul 31, 14 at 8:10

  • cynthianovak
    9 years ago

    I missed this....love them all! Especially the Rooster with guns

  • roselee z8b S.W. Texas
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks Cynthia! There many ways to use bottles and make bottle trees. I really love the two photos on Pam's "Digging" Blog with blue glass stuck in the bark of an old tree along with blue bottles stuck to the sides. Hmmm ... something this might work on my old pecan tree ... :-)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Lots of great photos, but to see the tree scroll about half way down ...

  • jolanaweb
    9 years ago

    OMG, I missed this also! I saw a couple of *beginnings* in an email but these are great, absolutely, you better keep an eye on that combed bird when I leave next time, lol 8^)
    I don't have any bottles, the only thing I ever did with them was border the big beds at the old place
    I asked my neighbor to start saving his beer bottles and in less than 2 months I had more than I needed, hehehe
    They weren't small beds either
    Pam I love your tree, where are these beautiful blue bottles coming from, I saw the bud platinum, where else?

  • jolanaweb
    9 years ago

    Not bottle "trees" but awesome

    Here is a link that might be useful: bottle recycling to the nth degree, lol

  • roselee z8b S.W. Texas
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That recycling site is so interesting! Just think if we could build houses out of all the dumped water bottles and other plastic. Jolana, how do you find these things???

    Thank you!

  • jolanaweb
    9 years ago

    Maybe one day we will, I wish I had seen this a decade or so ago, I might have tried a shed, LOL
    When I can't sleep, I just look around, hehehe