Made on Cape Cod: Flutterby Pottery and Glass

Melted bottles are an artform born out of a love for pottery for local artisan Emily Hibbard. 

Hibbard, a native Cape Codder, developed her love for pottery in high school where her natural skill developed. Her artistic interest grew at Keene State and as a college graduation present in 2004 her father gave her a pottery wheel and kiln.

While her journey through the potters' world was interesting, it was in August of 2010 that Hibbard began to explore the idea of manipulating old wine bottles into functional and decorative serving plates.

It was then when she traveled to New Orleans and saw a street vendor selling melted liquor bottles. “After that trip [she] went home and decided to try a wine bottle in [her] own kiln.”

There were a lot of trials before finding the perfect method of melting and flattening the bottles. Hibbard received such positive feedback from friends and family, she decided to create a brand for her wares - Flutterby.

To create the plates, Hibbard must first fully clean the bottles and remove and the labels are removed. The bottles are then dried out completely before going into the kiln.

The kiln can hold five bottles at a time. They are laid down on their sides on stackable shelves and they are fired for about 12 hours. “Since the kiln is from the 1970s," Hibbard said, “the temperature must be increased manually over a period of four hours.” 

The temperature ramping process is very specific to ensure the glass melts slowly and evenly. The flash cooling process at the end ensures that the glass remains shiny when it comes out. Once the bottles have cooled for about 12 hours, they are removed from the kiln and cleaned once more. Each bottle has a hook melted into them, so they can be hung.

Hibbard then decorates the bottles with beads and wire wrap for her finishing touches. 

Hibbard debuted her work at an art show she organized at 586 Bistro & Bar in Hyannis this summer. She put together a night of wine and cheese pairings, and very appropriately set up a table with her wine bottle serving plates.

Before that night, Hibbard had never sold a piece of her artwork, but to her surprise, she sold more than 100 melted bottles that night. “It may have been one of the single most gratifying experiences of my life to know that people liked what I made.” 

Since then she has been participating in art shows all over the Cape and selling her artwork - mostly the melted bottles.

This week marks the one year anniversary of Flutterby Pottery and Glass, and according to Hibbard, she has “probably made over 300 bottles to sell for the holidays.”

Hibbard is also currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Entomology at UMASS Amherst and works for the US Department of Agriculture doing research on invasive insects. She plans on pursuing a full-time career in entomology in the future.

Because of her busy schedule, Hibbard works seven days a week, sometimes starting her day in the studio at 5:30 am. But she says, “It’s well worth it! A labor of love!” And Flutterby will always be a priority, because it is “the most rewarding thing [she] has done.”

She just feels fortunate that everything is going so well - she is able to work in science, while also pursuing her creative side.

Flutterby Pottery and Glass Cheese Plates are sold exclusively at The Little Beach Gallery in Hyannis. Custom plates are also available for order.