Looking to upcycle glass milk bottles? Why not try one of the unique craft ideas mentioned in this blog! You can either reuse old bottles or order some new ones through our site.

Think of glass milk bottles and you instantly think of the recognisable shape from the dairy that we all grew up with! Tall, slender and with a narrowing top, a glass milk bottle is usually topped with an enticing foil lid. And if it's filled with delicious fresh milk from your local dairy, you may even be lucky enough to see a layer of cream underneath.

Because milk bottle glasses are made from glass, the most recyclable of materials, they are becoming increasingly popular once again as an essential for drinks-making, storage and crafts. Milk bottles are highly affordable, free from chemicals (unlike plastic) and they last beautifully too. With that in mind, here are some of our favourite ideas for making the most of these multi-tasking wonders!

1. An instant posy

If you've got a country-themed cutting garden, then nothing is lovelier than a posy of pretty seasonal blooms in a glass bottle on the table. Why spend money on expensive glass jars when you can simply line up a milk glass bottle - or a series of them - and showcase your latest floral displays? Glass bottles are also great for gifting and are inexpensive too. Simply pop in some flowers in season and fill the glass with water before you gift it, or wrap the glass with tissue and cello and then add a ribbon and tag for a beautiful decorative finish.

2. Sweets for gifting

All children love sweets and there's something wonderful about glass bottles filled with coloured candies. Look for small sweets that will easily fit in the lids and use a funnel or a rolled sheet of paper to help fill your glass milk bottles with delicious confectionaries. Smarties, mini marshmallows and penny sweets are all a lot of fun, and they look very pretty too, when lined up in a colourful row. This 750ml glass milk bottle is ideal for sweets and a row of them would make a great pop-up feature at a wedding, served with little scoops and paper bags.

3. Homemade milk bath

Why not continue the milk theme and fill glass milk bottles with lids with a homemade milk bath? This is a traditional recipe that is designed to soften and fragrance the skin, and it's super-easy to make too. Simply combine powdered milk, cornstarch and baking soda in a ratio of 2:1:1. A single cup of powdered milk would be combined with equal amounts of 1/2 cup of cornstarch and baking soda. Simply close the jar and shake it, or mix the ingredients before you fill your glass bottles. You can add fragrance with a little essential oil, such as lavender, citrus or peppermint. A drop or two of food colouring will provide a pretty finish. Label the bottle and add a ribbon, and you've got a lovely gift, too!

This 250ml glass milk bottle is ideal size-wise.

4. Hot chocolate mix

Choose a mini milk bottle with a lid to create and gift this lovely treat. Layer up hot chocolate powder in the bottle and attach a little bag of mini marshmallows for a ready-made hot chocolate that will be great for a camping trip. If you're crafty, you could even knit mini scarf toppers or hats for the bottles and add a personalised name tag. These make great wedding favours too and you can customise the decoration to fit in with your wedding decor.

5. Painted candle holders

For a vintage wedding, spray your milk bottles with spray paint or glitter and place a candle inside for a pretty table decoration. You can also put a string of battery-operated tealights inside so that the milk bottle glows. This is a simple decoration, but it works beautifully and is very popular with Pinterest stylists.

6. Make your own drinks

Stock up with a few larger-size glass milk bottles with lids and you can also create a picture-worthy pantry with drinks of your own.  The 500ml varieties work very well for drinks that need to live in the fridge.

You could even try your hand at a healthy fermented drink such as kefir. Kefir is a fermented drink packed with beneficial bacteria. To make it, you buy commercial kefir grains and put half a teaspoon into a sterilised milk bottle before adding a pint of milk (choose a larger size bottle as there needs to be a little headroom if you're covering the bottle lid with a cloth).

You then let the bottle sit for 24 hours at room temperature to thicken and it will do so and form tangy kefir. At this point, it goes into the fridge to prevent further fermentation and you can strain it. To make more kefir, simply wash the grains from the jar once you get to the end and then they'll be ready to use again. They are surprisingly robust!

Do please share your creations with us as we love to see what projects our customers are getting up to.