Recycling is always an option, as are these 12 ways of reusing a bottle.

We’ve written about recycled glass before, like the upcycled tumbler from The Bottle Mill and other born-again vessels. Given the amount of time we spend trolling the net for inventive eco design, we feel that it bears further mentioning: a good bottle, of vino especially, always gets better with age and reuse.

These chic tumblers are made from wine-bottles past. From The Green Glass Co., a set of 4 for $35.

We’ve all got some sort of bottle trick going on in our kitchens, but consider swiping two coats of chalkboard paint across them to keep your pantry unique and organized.

Over one million recycled glass bottles went into constructing the Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew Temple in Thailand.

This green Cabernet Sauvignon bottle has been melted and molted into an olive and cheese plate. A respectable house-warming gift for $15.

Why light up a tree with so many empty wine bottles from Thanksgiving dinner in your recycling bin? DIY blog Wit & Whistle makes drilling a string of Christmas lights into a bottle easy.

These antiqued mercury glass bottles were once beer bottles. A tea light holder was inserted as was an iron wire loop at the opening for hanging. From Roost Decor for $26

Twine, hanging bottles, flowers. What you get when you combine all three is a lifetime’s worth of style points.

This table lamp from Shades of Light, $225, is made from a demijohn jug, which was used to brew wine and beer.

Good old Martha is always full of something, in this case secrets – and a very creative way to send out well-wishes, messages and invitations. Within each apothecary-style bottle (for our purposes, make that a sampling from a hotel mini-bar or your last trans-Atlantic flight) is a weathered piece of paper, which got that look by being dipped in tea. That clever Martha.

Handmade wine bottle vases from Nashville’s Arrington vineyards are rustic, yet graceful. A perfect way to display silk or fresh flowers and herbs. From Great Bottles of Fire for $45.

Also from Great Balls of Fire, the Tiki torch ($55) gives ambiance to any backyard space. Add citronella during warmer months for friendly bug repelling.

A Vanilla Hazelnut soy candle burned in a recycled wine bottle. When you’re finished, you can melt another candle inside or use as a drinking glass. From Kintique, made from 100% U.S. farmed soy wax (a renewable alternative to paraffin) for $30.

ALSO CHECK OUT:

How to Make Earrings Out of Bike Tubes

Decorate Your House with Wall Stencils

DIY Leather Candle Wrap and Bracelet

Images: The Little Branch; Elle Décor; Green Upgrader; Berm Design; Musings via Wine Delights;; Caron Designs, LLC;Wit & Whistle; The Inglenook Decor; Shades of Light; Martha Stewart; Jessica Loren; Great Balls of Fire; Kintique

The post 12 Ways to Reuse a Bottle appeared first on EcoSalon.

Your iPod can run off the grid with this solar powered iPod Case Charger.

Give someone Wheels When They Need Them with a ZipCar membership.

Great for hot and cold beverages, this tumbler will save a lot of trees and CO2 used to produce coffee cups. To emphasize your point, toss in a gold tone coffee filter to cut down on the paper ones that get pitched each day.

Your favorite tea lover can brew on the run with this combination tumbler-infuser.

Green those meals with a CSA Membership (Community Supported Agriculture). This site will find the closet farm throughout the U.S. for you to purchase from.

Rid friends and family of energy vampires with the Smart Strip Power Strip.

Power small electronics like a GPS or cell phone, with the Solio Solar Universal Charger.

Get your colleagues to ditch the plastic utensils in the office kitchen with reusable bamboo tableware that works great on the go. Utensil holders give plastic bottles a second shot at a useful life, and an opportunity to stay out of our landfills. Made out of RPET (recycled PET plastic).

Chico has taken the reusable shopping bag one step farther with The Messenger, a super hip bag that folds into a small pouch.

Instead of a gift card to the local mall, try the gift that keeps on giving with Microplace.com, a Microfinance organization that serves a range of focuses from Fair Trade to women.

Main image: alan_cleaver2000

The post From Cheap to Chic, 10 Holiday Gifts That Respect the Earth appeared first on EcoSalon.