How to flatten a wine bottle for a cheese plate

There are many decorative and functional uses for flattened wine bottles. One such use is to flatten or slump the bottle for a cheese plate.

To flatten a wine bottle safely one should use a kiln. The bottle will be heated in increments to reach the melting point of the glass. Once the glass is melted the temperature of the kiln is dropped to cure the bottle in its new form. The steps to flatten a wine bottle for a cheese plate are:

1. Choose an empty wine bottle.

2. Remove the paper label from the bottle.

3. Wash and dry the bottle completely.

4. If the bottle is to be flat, it can be laid on the bottom of the kiln. If the bottle is to be shaped you will need a slumping mold.

5. Prepare the kiln with kiln wash to keep the bottle from sticking.

6. Place the bottle in the kiln and fire slowly to 1100 degrees in 250 degree increments, keep the kiln at this temperature for three hours.

7. In increments of 200 degrees increase the kiln temperature to 1300 degrees.

8. Quickly heat the kiln to 1425 degrees and leave it at this temperature until the bottle melts to your satisfaction.

9. Flash cool the kiln to 1100 degrees.

10. Once the kiln has reached 1100 degrees, reduce the temperature to 800 degrees for three hours.

11. Shut off the power to the kiln and allow the bottle to cool to room temperature.

Warning: Melted glass should only be dealt with by a professional. Due to the heat this could be dangerous to try if you are not a professional. This article is for informational use only.

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