How to Cut a Glass Bottle in Half with String, a Glass Cutter, a Dremel & More

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Plus, how to score and remove designs and shapes from your bottle
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You may have seen vases, candles, cups and more made from old bottles and wondered how the glass was cut. The process is simple, and with a few steps, you can have other people wondering about your glass creations! In this article, we’ve consulted glassworking and sustainability professionals to show you how to cut and reuse glass bottles with string, a glass cutter, a Dremel tool, and a wet tile saw. Read on to get started on your DIY project!

Cutting Glass Bottles without a Glass Cutter

  1. Wrap cotton yarn or string 3–5 times around the bottle where you want to cut.
  2. Slide the yarn off and soak it in acetone or rubbing alcohol.
  3. Replace the string on the bottle and light it on fire.
  4. Rotate the bottle continuously so the heat is evenly distributed around the bottle.
  5. Dunk the bottle in a bucket of cold water once the flame burns out to split the glass.
  6. Sand the sharp edges of the glass to prevent cuts.
Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Cutting a Bottle in Half with Yarn or String

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    If you don’t have 100% cotton yarn available, use any thick cotton string. [1] At the location of where you would like the bottle to break, wrap a piece of yarn around the bottle 3–5 times (keeping all of your wraps close together). Tie the ends together and cut off any excess string. [2]
    • Alternatively, wrap a thin piece of metal wire around the bottle 3–5 times (more on how this works in the next steps).
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    Slide the yarn off the end of the bottle and place it in a small dish or lid. Pour a bit of nail polish remover or straight-up acetone over the yarn until it’s completely soaked. [3] You can pour the excess acetone back into the bottle afterwards.
    • Some people opt for lighter fluid if they don’t have acetone, nail polish remover, or rubbing alcohol on hand. However, lighter fluid is more potent and volatile, making it more dangerous.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    Take the yarn and replace it back on the bottle in the exact location you want it to break. Try to make sure that the loops of yarn are placed close together and are tight so that you get a level, clean break. [4]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    Use a lighter or match to catch the yarn on the bottle on fire. Rotate the bottle slowly so that the yarn burns consistently around the entire bottle. [5]
    • If you’re using wire instead of yarn, hold the bottle with a candle or lighter underneath the wire. Rotate the bottle continuously so the entire wire starts to heat up around the glass.
    • Wipe your hands clean of any possible acetone or rubbing alcohol before using fire!
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    Fill your sink or a pot with cold water (add ice to make it even colder). Wait until the fire on the yarn has burnt out, then stick the end of the bottle with the yarn directly into the cold water. The bottle should break cleanly off where the yarn was wrapped around it. [6]
    • The abrupt change in temperature along the yarn line will cause the glass to shatter.
    • If the glass doesn’t break the first time, add new acetone- or alcohol-soaked yarn to the bottle, burn it again, and re-dunk the bottle in even icier water to widen the temperature difference.
    EXPERT TIP

    Bicycle Glass

    Glassblowing Experts
    Bicycle Glass Co. was founded in 2016 by David Royce and Michael Boyd, two professional glass experts. Bicycle Glass is primarily a lighting company, committed to quality, sustainability, and affordability. All Bicycle Glass products are made of high-quality, recycled glass and are hand-blown by a dedicated team of artisans. The studio is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by conserving energy in all of its production. Using renewable wind energy to offset all electricity usage, the studio is actively working toward the goal of carbon neutrality. Bicycle Glass believes that high-quality, handmade glass products should be within reach for everyone.
    Bicycle Glass
    Glassblowing Experts

    This DIY method can be hit-or-miss. The success of this approach depends on the glass quality and the stress required for it to break. You don't make a scoreline with this method, so the glass doesn't have a point to crack from. Keep in mind there's no guarantee that this method will always work.

  6. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    Sanding the edges makes your new glass craft safer to handle and improves the appearance of rough, jagged edges. [7] Start with a rough- or medium-grit sandpaper (100- to 150-grit) to smooth down the jagged edges on the broken sections of the bottle. When you have removed all the sharpest edges, switch to a fine-grit sandpaper (about 220-grit or higher) to give the bottle a smooth, soft finish. You’re done!
    • What can you use cut glass bottles for? Sustainability Expert Natalie Kay explains how glass bottles are great for organization. “I use old glass bottles and jars for organization. I have them in our bathroom to organize lipsticks, hair ties, and more. In my office, I'm able to manage all my supplies easily.”
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Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Cutting a Bottle in Half with a Glass Cutter and Heat

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    You need to create a tension line for the bottle to crack along, and you do this by scoring a clean line at the desired breaking point. Drag a glass cutter or a glass drill bit around the bottle to create a single, even line wrapping around the glass. Don’t overlap score lines, as this will make your cut more jagged than a single line. Alternatively, hold the glass cutter steady and rotate the bottle with your other hand. [8]
    • For a perfectly straight line, use a support system so that you get a perfect line around the bottle. For example, you could place the base of the bottle inside a roll of packing tape and score along the top edge to make a perfect circle. [9]
    • Alternatively, purchase a specialty glass bottle cutter to stabilize the bottle and make a perfect score all the way around. Lay your bottle in the supports on the cutting board and set the cutter to the precise spot along the bottle where you want to cut. Then, rotate the bottle toward you (applying gentle but firm pressure) until you see a consistent score line all the way around. Some bottle cutters stand the bottle upright, while others hold it horizontally.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    Heat the line that you made with the glass cutter to further weaken the glass. You’ve got 2 options depending on what materials you have available:
    • Using a flame: Use a small candle or a small butane torch. Focus the heat directly along the score line, and constantly rotate the bottle to get even coverage.
    • Using hot water: Heat water in a pot or kettle until it’s nearly boiling. Hold the bottle over the sink and slowly pour the hot water over the score line. Avoid pouring it in a wide area, as you want only the score line to be placed under tension from the heat. [10]
    • Hot water is less precise than a small flame and may heat too much of the glass. If this happens, the bottle is more likely to shatter when you plunge it into cold water.
    EXPERT TIP

    Douglass Brown

    Glassblowing Expert
    Douglass Brown is a Glassblowing Expert based in Half Moon Bay, California. He has over 25 years of experience as a glass artist, and is the owner and operator of 2 glass blowing studios in the San Francisco Bay Area, Half Moon Bay Art Glass and Mare Island Art Glass. Douglass believes in sharing hot glass experiences with anyone who wants to learn about the processes of blowing and sculpting glass. When not teaching, Douglass creates glass art that is a mix of his takes on nature and functional glassware. He has also created the Glass Troubadours, which is a mobile glass blowing studio that hosts parties, events, and visits craft shows.
    Douglass Brown
    Glassblowing Expert

    Spin the bottle on a record player or Lazy Susan to distribute heat. Take a small butane torch and [set it up] on the edge of a record player or Lazy Susan. Keep [the bottle] spinning for a much more effective way of cracking. That is called “hot popping” in the glassblowers’ world and many drinking glasses are made that way.

  3. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    After several minutes of heating the bottle, dip the end you are breaking off in cold water. Do this in a sink or pot full of cold water, with optional ice. [11]
    • There’s a good chance your bottle won’t break on the first try, especially if the glass is thick.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    The bottle might require more stress than a single round of heating and cooling in order to break. Simply repeat the process of heating the bottle and dipping it in cold water until it snaps. For most bottles, 2 to 3 rounds of heating and cooling will get the job done.
    • If you’re using hot water, keep a tea kettle or pot simmering while you chill the bottle so you have a constant supply of hot water.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    Use a rough square of sandpaper to smooth the edges of the glass . After you remove any sharp points or razor-like edges, switch to a finer grit sandpaper. Sand the bottle as soon as you are finished splitting it to avoid cutting yourself. [12]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Cutting a Glass Bottle with a Dremel Tool

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    The Dremel will be doing all the cutting in this method, but you need to know where to cut. Use two strips of masking tape placed very close together (but not touching!) to form a thin line around the bottle where you want to cut. [13]
    • Alternatively, place one strip of tape around the bottle and cut immediately above or below it as a guide.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    Attach a diamond cutting wheel to the end of the Dremel. Work your way around the bottle using the Dremel , slowly cutting the glass along the taped line. On your first pass, just aim to make a consistent score line all the way around. [14] Then, go over the line again to make a deeper cut all the way through the glass in one spot. Once you’ve made a hole, keep cutting on the sides of the hole until the entire bottle splits along the score line. [15]
    • You may have to go over the same section multiple times in order to get a clean cut.
    • Warning: Glass dust is very dangerous to your respiratory system. Wear a face mask to cover your mouth and nose to avoid inhaling glass particles, as well as goggles to protect your eyes. Splash the cut line with water occasionally to prevent glass dust and particles from flying (and to keep the glass from overheating while you saw it). [16]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Cut a Glass Bottle
    When the bottle snaps along the line, you will probably have some jagged edges that need smoothing. Use a rough grit of sandpaper to smooth down the sharp pieces, and then switch to a finer grit to make a soft surface. You're finished! [17]
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Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Cutting a Glass Bottle with a Wet Saw

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  1. 1
    Lay your bottle on a wet tile saw table and set where to cut the bottle. If you have one and feel comfortable using it, a wet tile saw is the fastest and most precise way to cut a bottle. Start by cleaning your bottle and removing any labels, then place it on the saw table and line up the cutting track with the exact point you want to cut. [18]
    • Warning: Wear work gloves and goggles to protect your hand and eyes from the saw blade or potential glass shards or particles.
    • If you’ve never used a wet tile saw before, it’s probably best to try another bottle cutting method. These tools are dangerous and take practice to use safely.
  2. 2
    Secure the saw guide in place to keep the bottle from moving around. Each saw may be slightly different, but the guide is generally a piece of equipment that sits on the side of the saw table so you can hold whatever you’re cutting against it to make sure the cut stays lined up. Attach or adjust your guide so it’s flush with the bottom of your glass bottle. Then, when you begin to saw, keep the bottom of the bottle pressed against the guard. [19]
  3. 3
    Saw through the bottle. Turn on the saw blade and water stream, then slowly and carefully guide the bottle and saw table toward and through the saw blade to cut through it. Make sure there is a constant stream of water hitting the spot where the glass meets the blade. [20] This keeps the saw and bottle from overheating and also dampens glass particles and dust that can pose a breathing hazard.
    • You may be able to saw through the bottle in one go without adjusting it. Some people prefer to rotate the bottle once they cut halfway through it for a cleaner cut. [21]
    • Once the bottle splits, quickly and carefully remove the pieces from the saw table and power down the saw immediately.
    • Do not pour your glass-dust-infused water down the drain when you’re done. Wait for the water to evaporate and then throw the glass particles in the trash, or dump the glass water into a small dewatering bag to separate the water and glass.
  4. 4
    Use a flat lapidary wheel to smooth and polish the edges. You can certainly use regular sandpaper to smooth the glass edges, but for a faster and more professional-looking finish (if you plan to sell you work, for example), David Royce of Bicycle Glass Co. recommends a flat lapidary wheel : “The wheel spins, then you hold up the glass [to polish it]. Depending on how smooth you want to go, you can do a rough buff or a more polished edge. It’s just a method of going up grit sizes. An 80-grit is very rough and large, while a 600- or 1,200-grit is very fine.”
    • For the final polish, Royce recommends “a felt wheel and cerium oxide. Once it’s done, all the scratches from the previous steps are out.”
    • He also cautions that “None of this should be done without proper safety gear. Glass could crack and break. If you’re working with your hands, you can easily lacerate or cut yourself.”
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Cutting Shapes & Designs Out of a Glass Bottle

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  1. 1
    Use a diamond core drill to make an initial hole to grind out from. First, use a diamond core drill bit to drill a hole into the glass where you want your design to begin. Then, insert a diamond cylinder bur drill bit into the hole and grind outward into the shape you want to make. [22]
    • Try to complete your shape in one line, since starting and stopping can make the glass more likely to break.
    • If you can, place the bottle in a snug V-shaped support or very gently clamp it to a work table to hold it in place while you work.
    • The thinner the glass, the easier it will be to cut through it this way.
  2. 2
    Or, score a shape in the glass and pop it out with a glass tapper. Royce recommends “creating a score line to break the surface tension [of the glass] and then tapping away the unwanted areas” to create shapes in your glass bottle. Start by using a glass cutter or glass drill bit to score your design. You can freehand it, or use washable marker and masking tape to mark your outline. Royce mentions they make tools for certain shapes, like circle cutters for glass that make perfect circles.
    • Once you’ve scored your design outline, insert a glass tapper tool inside the bottle (it looks like a small metal ball or ring at the end of a stick). Gently tap the scored section of glass with the weighted end of the tapper until the shape pops out along the score lines.
    • Some glass cutters have a tapper ball at the other end of the handle.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How did you make that torch that you are using to heat the scored glass bottle?
    Community Answer
    It appears to be a candle flame placed under the neck/mouth-piece of a glass bottle to direct the heat into a more focused area.
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    Not Helpful 11 Helpful 27
  • Question
    How can I cut a glass bottle down the sides to make a front and back piece?
    Community Answer
    That is much more difficult, and the dremel method is really the only one you can use.
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  • Question
    How do I make a hole in the bottom of a wine bottle?
    Community Answer
    If you just want a circular hole in the bottom of the bottle, like to turn it into a lamp, you need a diamond tip drill bit in the size that you want the hole to be. Each drill bit can be costly, so be sure of the size you want, and they're usually cheaper online than at a local hardware store. Follow the directions and practice on other bottles before you use it on your wine bottle, as drilling glass can be tricky.
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      Tips

      • Remove any labels or label residue from the bottle before cutting. Let the bottle soak in a sink of warm, soapy water for 20 minutes, then peel and scrape the labels and adhesive residue away.
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      • If using a tile saw, you must use a glass diamond tip blade. Keep plenty of water in the saw for cooling the blade. Slowly push the bottle through the saw, leaving a perfect cut when done.
        Thanks
        Helpful 43 Not Helpful 29
      • All the temperature changes should be gradual except for the moment you place the bottle in the cold water. Otherwise, you'll ruin the bottle.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/RwjgPPbYzAQ?t=135
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/RwjgPPbYzAQ?t=392
      3. ↑ https://youtu.be/RwjgPPbYzAQ?t=170
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/RwjgPPbYzAQ
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/RwjgPPbYzAQ?t=559
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/RwjgPPbYzAQ?t=681
      7. ↑ https://www.recyclart.org/diy-easy-cut-glass-bottles/
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/_76j-UL3iZM?t=176
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/_76j-UL3iZM?t=165
      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/tuq0OlYnz1E?t=185
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/tuq0OlYnz1E?t=215
      3. ↑ https://www.recyclart.org/diy-easy-cut-glass-bottles/
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/epbiBYfENuw?t=23
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/epbiBYfENuw?t=77
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/epbiBYfENuw?t=96
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/epbiBYfENuw?t=103
      8. ↑ https://www.recyclart.org/diy-easy-cut-glass-bottles/
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/PK3qvG7zq2U?t=40
      10. ↑ https://youtu.be/PK3qvG7zq2U?t=48
      11. ↑ https://youtu.be/PK3qvG7zq2U?t=69
      12. ↑ https://youtu.be/PK3qvG7zq2U?t=82
      13. ↑ https://eternaltools.com/blogs/tutorials/bottle-cutting-how-to-cut-a-glass-bottle

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      If you want to cut a glass bottle with a flame, use a glass cutter or a glass drill bit to score a line around the bottle. Hold the bottle over a small candle or butane torch so the line you made is directly over the flame. Constantly rotate the bottle so you get even coverage. After about 5 minutes, dip the bottle in cold water. If it doesn’t break, repeat the process until it does. Sand the edges of the bottle with a rough square of sandpaper, then polish them with a finer-grit sandpaper. If you want to learn more, like how to cut the bottle with boiling water or yarn, keep reading the article!

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