How To Cut A Glass Bottle？ Best Way Step By Step

Cutting bottles may appear to be a challenging project for a novice do-it-yourselfer, but it’s simpler than you might think.

With this tutorial, you can easily learn how to cut glass bottles in half. There are a plethora of ways to break or cut a glass bottle or jar, and after trying them all, I figured it was about time I shared my preferred method with you.

In order to save time (and bottles) and avoid wasting them on ineffective techniques, use this method to get nice, clean cuts.

Table of Contents

How To Cut A Glass Bottles?

There are numerous types of cutters, but a standard dry wheel cutter will do. (See further on in this article to read about oil cutters)

A good glass cutting tool is very affordable and if you buy one with a tungsten carbide wheel such as the well-known brand ‘Toyo‘ it will last you for years and ensure a clean score line each time.

Equipment Needed:

1 x handheld Glass Cutter (‘Toyo’ are an exceptional glass cutter brand)
Masking tape
Boiled water
Running Cold water tap
Rubber glove (to hold the bottle whilst pouring boiling water)

Step 1：Mark Your Cutting Line

Around the area of the glass bottle, you want to cut, wrap a strip of masking tape. This will serve as a guide for you and guarantee a clean circle that encircles the bottle. Make sure to have a clean, straight line where the ends of the masking tape meet; this will help prevent a jagged cut.

Step 2：Score Your Cutting Line

1. Rest your arm on an object that will elevate it slightly, such as a towel that has been folded. This helps to keep your hand steady and at a good angle

2. Use your Toyo glass cutter to score the glass bottle all the way around in the direction of the masking tape. ( I sit the edge of the cutter up against the edge of the masking tape)

Step 3：Using Hot & Cold Water

1. Bring your bottle to the cold water faucet that is running and, while holding the bottle with your other hand in your rubber glove, drizzle a small trickle of boiling water over the score line, turning the bottle as you do so. (you’ll notice in the above image I was very impolite because I wasn’t using a rubber glove. To quote my mother: Follow my advice, but not my example!)

2. Then, while rotating the bottle, run it under the cold water faucet.

3. Continue doing this, switching between the hot and cold water each time. It’s almost time for the bottle to fall away when you start to hear popping or cracking noises coming from it. After a brief period of time, you will have a piece of the bottle in each hand.

Step 4: Smooth The Edges Of The Glass Bottle

You can smooth the edge of your bottle in a variety of ways, depending on your budget, how polished you want it to look, and the tools and equipment you may already have on hand.

The following cold-working options are merely easy ways to polish your edges without firing because a kiln is required to heat the glass sufficiently to re-mold the edges and truly provide a professional finish.

There is a brief summary of how I polished the specific bottle edges seen in this article by merely using a sizable 600-grit diamond file at the bottom of the page.

Related Reading: Glass Bottle Paint Ideas

Are Tools Necessary To Cut Glass Bottles?

The string technique can be used to break glass bottles. However, the split isn’t always painless when this happens. The majority of common household items, such as knives, are not powerful enough to score a glass bottle deeply enough to achieve the desired cut.

You can experiment with different bottle-cutting techniques, but your results will be inconsistent. By using a glass cutter tool, you can consistently get smoother cuts.