We get LOTS of people emailing us and looking for ideas on creating something useful with their personal bottle collection. Well, we've adorned our yard with these DIY solar bottle lanterns, and they MAY be the easiest DIY project on the planet!
Here's what you need:
1. BOTTLES!
The lighter the color, the better they shine! Clear, frosted, and light colored bottles work best. For this project we decided to use Grey Goose bottles.
2. SOLAR PATH LIGHTS!
You can find these ranging from $1 to $5 at any local retailer or hardware store. Make sure you get the kind that you can easily twist the top off of. Most of them look like this:
Now... all you need to do is take the top part, or the solar cell and light combo, off the stake and place it on your bottle. Place your bottle with the solar cell facing upward in the sun to charge up.
And tonight, as you enjoy your summer evening, you will have mood lighting for your patio, porch or any other outdoor space you choose! :)
Stay Groovy, people!
And keep repurposing and reusing those glass bottles!
For those who have been Groovy fans for a long time, you know we do things a bit differently. Instead of making wine bottle candles like everyone else, we had to do it in a new and fresh way. The first part was the design of the cut. The bottle has been strategically cut and polished so that it can be used long after all the wax is gone. Sustainablity in very important to us! Plus, who DOESN'T have a ton of empty candle jars in their recycle bins already?! So, we cut our candles in such a way that they could hold a tea light or even be used as a vase once the candle has been used up.
As we mentioned earlier, sustainability is very important to use. That's why all our candles are made from American grown organic soy. Soy makes a much "healthier" candle, since there are no toxic paraffins included. Soy is a sustainable product with many uses, so that's why soy candles were the obvious choice for us.
And finally, we needed a delectable selection of blended scents. That's why we teamed up with UnWined By The Sea, a fellow Carolina based business that cares about sustainability and excellence as much as we do. Unwined makes AMAZINGLY decadent candle scents by using the finest essential oils and organic American grown soy. We make the candle holders... Unwined makes the candles. It's a partnership made in HEAVEN... which is EXACTLY what the candles smell like! :)
After a long debate, we decided on three candles we wanted to launch. And, of course, they HAD to have Groovy names, so here's what the first Groovy Green candles will smell like:
Hippie Chick – An earthy blend of sandalwood & vanilla with just a touch of patchouli
Coastal Karma – Coconut, tangerine, zesty lime, & a splash of island rum... served in a repurposed glass. GOOD Karma!
Summer Love – An exotic blend of warm summer breezes and rich woodsy sandalwood
Each candle will be approximately 8 ounces ABOVE the punt, meaning you will get at least 8 ounces to burn. With wine bottles, there is a large punt on the bottom, which is filled by the wax during the handpouring process. This is wax that can't be burned as the wick never reaches it. We wanted to make a candle that gives you everything it advertises and then a little extra... just to make sure we deliver on all our promises. :) The average burn time for each candle is 64 aromatic hours.
We are hoping to launch our candles next week. Be sure to stay tuned to our Facebook page and to our Etsy shop. These candles will be made in limited runs. Each wine bottle is handcut and polished, and each candle is handpoured. When we run out, it could be weeks before we are able to offer more.
