whitney-new-photos.png

Welcome to the Cottage.

The Tiny Canal Cottage is a resource that helps folks mindfully conceptualize, decorate and enjoy versatile, smaller home spaces. The Cottage was founded by consultant, stylist, creative director and author, Whitney Leigh Morris, whose focus is crafting flexible, sustainable, and more community-focused home spaces. Explore Whitney’s Substack, book, blog, and social channels for ideas that explore joyful, mindful ways to live in — and with — a smaller footprint.

Repurposing Bottles Around the Home

Repurposing Bottles Around the Home

One of the DIY-lite projects I’ve long enjoyed is using branches and repurposed bottles to craft space-savvy garden stake vases.

Above: Photo from an East Coast wedding I produced in 2015.

Above: Photo from an East Coast wedding I produced in 2015.

After completing a recent creative project for which I was hired by Wonderful Wine Co., we had some leftover bottles that I decided to repurpose around the house and garden. (Transparency note: this blog post is not sponsored.)

repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-73.jpg

It’s estimated that almost half of a wine bottle’s carbon footprint comes from the production and mishandling of packaging. These particular bottles are made with lightweight glass that requires 20% less energy and 12% percent less water to produce, cutting back this company’s carbon emissions by approximately 26% overall, and making the bottles particularly usable for upcycling projects.

repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-83.jpg

With the help of a few materials + accessories already here at the cottage, we turned the bottles into the garden stake vases, a dishwashing soap dispenser, a candle holder, a nightlight, and a simple vase to prolong the life of a tomato branch that was snapped off by a particularly rude mouse.

repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-93.jpg

Remember: only a small percentage of recyclables actually gets recycled.

repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-99.jpg

So before you chuck something into the bin, explore its other potential uses first.

repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-97.jpg

Additional photos below.

repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-105.jpg
repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-113.jpg
repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-121.jpg
repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-137.jpg
repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-69.jpg
repurposing-wine-bottles-as-fucntional-decor-65.jpg
Making a Voting Plan

Making a Voting Plan

Decluttering & Remaining Clutter-Free for the Long Run (Updated)

Decluttering & Remaining Clutter-Free for the Long Run (Updated)