How to Cut Glass Bottles with String

Ditch the glass cutter: all you need to cut a glass bottle with is a piece of string, acetone or nail polish remover, a bowl or a sink filled with ice water, and a match or lighter.

Procedure:

1. Choose a rough, fibrous type or string, like acrylic yarn. Tie the string around the bottle where you want to have it cut. Loop the string around the bottle five or six times. Cut the string and tie the ends together.

2. Slide the string off of the bottle and dip the string in acetone. Make sure it is soaked through. Slide the loop of string back on the bottle.

3.  Once secured around the bottle, set the string on fire with a match or a lighter. Caution: keep from breathing in the fumes. Keep flammable material away from you during this procedure.

4. Holding the bottle horizontally, turn it around in your hands to spread the heat of the flame evenly along the string.

5. Once the flame starts going out, submerge the bottle in a bucket or a sink filled with ice water. The abrupt transition from hot to cold induces a thermal shock, which will split the glass along the string.

6. Sand off the edges of the newly-cut glass. Wash to remove any glass dust or debris.

Use the base of the newly-cut bottle as an upcycled drinking glass, a flower vase, or an all-around container in your home. Use the neck and lip of the bottle as a planter or a lighting fixture. Decorate them to your hearts content using spray paint, wrapping paper, ribbons, or beads and other accessories.