Cowboy Boot Wine Bottle Holder - Up-Cycle!

Any good southern working man knows that a fresh pair of boots is very important! However, those old boots you haven't worn in a while might have sentimental value. Instead of throwing them out, why not turn them into something unique and useful?

Over the years I have been looking for the perfect project to recycle my old boots. This project is very basic and can be completed by anyone at any skill level.

Materials:

                Pair of old cowboy boots (usually on their "last leg")

                3/4" wood (other thicknesses can also be used)

                Furniture upholstery tacks

                Stain and Polyurethane

Tools:

                Jigsaw

                Razor Blade

                Hammer

Time:

                2 hours hands on, 5 hours total (Drying)

Step 1: Prepping the Boots

The first step is to cut off the top of the boots so that you can get the inside diameter of the boots. I recommend using a razor to make a clean cut in the leather. I used a rotary razor blade to make this cut, but a standard straight razor will work as well!  

   

Step 2: Cutting and Staining Wood Bottoms

To get a clean, smooth look the bottom wood base needs to fit tightly in the base of the boot. To achieve this look, measure the inside of the base of the boot and cut a wooden circle that size. My boots ended up being 5-7/8", which is the diameter I cut the 3/4" wood circles to. Following the directions on the respective containers, I then stained and applied polyurethane to both sides of the wooden circles with some extra stain and polyurethane I had leftover from a different project. I used an old rag to stain the wood and a foam brush for the polyurethane. It typically takes 1 hour for the stain to dry and three hours for the polyurethane to dry. Each brand is different and you should follow the recommended drying instructions found on the product's label. 

  

Step 3: Assembly

The final step is to attach the cut boots to the stained wooden circles. I used upholstery  tacks to accomplish a clean finished look. I spaced the upholstery tacks apart evenly around the wooden circle, hammering them through the leather of the boot and into the wood. I found these upholstery tacks on amazon.com for a couple of dollars. There are many different styles of tacks to choose from. 

After hammering in the upholstery tacks around the wood circle, there will be extra leather hanging down past the wood. I used a rotary razor to cut this excess leather off for a clean cut look.

         

Final Product!!

Other than holding wine, these boots can be used as utensil holders, flower vases, table center pieces, etc.