Creating Decoupage Bottles
Making decoupage bottles is a great hobby that not only provides a unique touch to your interior decor but can also be given to friends and family as gifts. They can even sold at places like craft fairs and flea markets. Decoupage bottles require only minimal materials and a lot of creativity, so this project is best suited for the person who likes to play with different patterns, shapes, and even add other bits and pieces to the decoupage that are easily found around the home. Bottles with flat sides are best suited for this project but round sided bottlescan also be used. Most of the glass bottles used for this project can be vintage, but they can also be recycled bottles used to hold food, such as pickles or even salad dressing. Inexpensive color glass bottles like the kind sold at the dollar store are perfect for decoupage.
Wash the inside and outside of the bottles to be used with warm water and a mild soap. Any labels on the outside should be removed as well, including the glue, so the surface of the glass is clean. Let the bottled dry on paper towels. Next, gather the decorative papers to be used in the project: glitter papers, prismatic papers, old greeting card covers, magazine pages, colorful ephemera, wrapping paper, solid colors, and any other suitable papers in your craft supplies. Use colors and patterns that will contrast with the color of the bottle. Of course, a clear glass bottle looks great decorated in any color papers, but those colored blue, green, brown, or even purple glass bottles will look the best when certain colored papers are used in making the decoupage.
Place your clean bottle on the surface of a table where it will be worked on. Arrange the papers you want to use in front of you. Have a tube of decoupage glue on hand to attach the paper to the glass bottle. Experiment in cutting out different shapes in your paper. You can also cut along the different patterns in the paper, such as paisley, stars, or leaves. To make round shapes, you can trace the bottom of a round bottle or soda can on the back of the paper then cut out along the lines. Before gluing the papers onto the bottle, arrange the papers in the desired design on the table in front of you. Then glue them to the bottle, making sure the papers are perfectly even as you place them on the glass.
Once the papers are in place, you can add embellishments. Empty out that bead and button jar and see what interesting buttons you can glue onto your decoupage. You can also glue brads, any broken chains, or rhinestones that will be the perfect finishing touch to the bottle. For these items, you can use a glue gun or Tacky glue to hold them in place. After everything is dry, you can shellac the bottle using a clear spray shellac. Always use shellac sprays in a well-ventilated area. Let the bottle dry. Once the bottle is dry, you can put it on display in your home.
Image Credit: Nova Scotia Archives, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons.
