What is it about glass bottles that makes me want to keep them? They are great for storing certain liquids. But, for me, I think it’s just my glass fetish. I love glass lamps, plates, dishes, knickknacks. Mr. Blu likes bottles because we buy them filled with whiskey. With my glass fetish, I find it very difficult to discard beautiful glass bottles. The supply of empty glass bottles was growing quite large so I decided to grab a few (or ten) for a decor project. Though this project has been done before, isn’t the beauty of creation in the individual interpretation and presentation? I think so. Here are my bottles with which I will be creating glass bottle fall decor!
Welcome! If you visiting for the first time as part of the Amazing Creators network, I am so glad you are here. I hope you will browse through my other posts and take some time to visit my friends linked at the end of this post. You never know what kind of fabulous inspiration you will find. Who knows, maybe you will find a new favorite creator!
Let’s get started with our project!
Prep your Bottles
With any paint project, you will have to prep the surface of your project piece. Glass bottles are no different. This consists of removing any labels and cleaning the glass thoroughly, both inside of the bottle and outside.
I wrote an entire post about tips for cleaning your bottles and removing that stubborn label glue! Click on the photo below to read all about it:
What Paint to Use
Once your bottles are clean and dry, you need to select your paint!
My first thought for paint for this project was my go to Black Dog Salvage Furniture paint as it is suitable for ALL surfaces. I thought I would need something special for these glass bottles. However, My go to spray paint was sitting right here in my garage in a variety of colors needed. So, I went with Rustoleum 2X in the fall colors of Cinnamon, Warm Caramel, and Real Orange. I used a clear spray as a sealer. I highly recommend the Rustoleum Spray Handle. This baby keeps your fingertips clean from paint overspray. For larger projects it really reduces that index finger fatigue from holding down that tiny spray button.
I figured I would go ahead with the on hand supply, seal with a top coat, and see how the paint holds up.
Spray Painting your Glass Bottle for Decor Projects
Once my bottles were clean, I moved outside to my yard to apply the spray paint. If you are using spray paint indoors, be certain you have proper ventilation to avoid any excessive fumes and prevent repercussions of such.
I have an old metal bath room shelving unit that I have been using for years with my outdoor paint projects.
The open shelves allow me to spray much of the bottle and eliminate some turns of the project piece, reduce drying time, and even eliminate additional coats of paint. I can see a restoration project sometime in the future with this little MCM beauty.
I placed the bottles randomly on the shelves in a manner that would reduce overspray. Bottles to be painted the same color were placed on the same shelf.
I could hold the spray paint at the right angle to reduce overspray on different colored bottles. This saved so much time. Instead of spraying two or three bottles at a time, I did 6 and allowed them to dry. Streamline for the win!
Spray Painting Tip
It’s also important to try to choose a day where the weather is calm and not windy. You should also determine the direction of any breeze that might pop up to avoid spraying into the wind. Trust me…getting a direct shot of overspray to the face is no fun. Proper safety gear is always recommended. I love the mask from RZ Mask which is designed for comfort and use in DIY projects. Never underestimate the importance of safety gear.
I gave each bottle one light coat. With Rustoleum 2x, coverage is excellent. So I did not need two complete coats. I just gave each bottle one light coat, allowed that to dry (about 30 minutes), and just touched up any spots needing a little extra coverage.
I decided to keep some of the green glass exposed on one wine bottle. I used frog tape and paper to mask some of the glass. Then I sprayed the vibrant orange which made a great contrast with the green.
The orange spray paint covered so well!
I carefully peeled off the frog tape after the paint was relatively dry (maybe 20 minutes).
Frogtape is probably the best releasing painters’ tape. The lines are always crisp and clean.
You can really get creative with designs using frog tape and paper. My design was very simple and easy.
Be sure to seal your painted bottles with spray polyurethane or clear coat. I used a Clear Rustoleum. This will protect the finish and make it harder to scratch or chip.
Embellishing Your Glass Bottle
Once I had a nice selection of colored bottles, I grabbed some jute and some twine to embellish the necks of the bottles.
I used a variety of sizes of jute and twine. I even unraveled some thicker jute to make a wavy thinner jute.
The process was easy. I simply placed a dot of hot glue on the base of the bottle neck.
I place the end of some jute/twine on the glue dot and just wound the jute/twine up the neck.
Push the twine into place and keep adding rows.
Another small dab of glue at the top of the bottle neck kept the jute/twine from unraveling. I found these silicone finger tips on Amazon. They are a godsend for protecting finger tips from the hot glue. I use them to hold the glue in place until it dries. Great! Cheap! Effective tool!
The twine and jute added a nice texture to the project. You could even use buttons or ribbons or decorative paper or florals! Use what you love or what makes you happy! Give it your own special flair!
Next, I spray painted the bottle tops and caps to match the bottles.
The Finishing Touches
I grabbed some fabric with complimentary colors and cut some strips to tie around the bottle necks.
It didn’t take much fabric and this was so much more cost effective than buying rolls of ribbon.
USE WHAT YOU HAVE ON HAND!
Be creative and mix all of the colors!
Cute, right??? Just crazy quilt those bottle necks!
Scatter those bottles around the house.
Bathroom…
The vanity is the perfect place for some fall decor bottles! You could even add a hand soap pump top!
How about the kitchen!
My plant shelf is the perfect spot for some color.
Buffet? Or piano top?
These cuties can literally go anywhere!
Other Practical Uses for Glass Bottles in Decor
- Olive oil
- Homemade seasoned cooking oils
- Bath oils
- Filtered water
- Hand soap
- Bath salts
- Body lotion
I could go on a bit longer but I’m sure you get the idea. How about some other fall and Thanksgiving fabulous projects? From tablescapes to decorating tips! Jewelry and Recipes! Planning tips and decorating tips! We even have a crochet project! Check out all of my creative friends! I know you will be amazed! And I know you will find some inspiration for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday!
Shop at Blu -That’a me! I’m so thankful you are here!
Comments 17
What a great craft for Thanksgiving! I love upcycling interesting bottles, but I never thought about painting them orange. Brilliant idea!! So festive and full of fall feeling!
Thanks, Kim. I was really surprised at how the orange seemed to glow in front of the window. My creative wheels are spinning and I still have ALOT of bottles!
Hmmm; I’m going to have to introduce Hubs to whiskey so I can indulge my glass fetish too! These are awesome!
That’s so funny. I’ve see some really interesting bottles.
great idea and I like that you added jute around the neck of some bottles. You rock the green mask!
Thanks, Cindy! LOL…it’s definitely a statement with that color.
Thanks for the inspiration! I recently cleaned out our liquor cabinet and saved several of the bottles! Now you’ve got me thinking what I can do with them! Happy Fall!
Some of those liquor bottles are pretty cool! It was a fun project. Thanks.
How creative! What a really great way to repurpose items that otherwise would be destined for the recycle bin! I love it!
Thanks, Stephanie. I need to make some that are non-holiday oriented.
Oh my goodness Sue, I had no idea there was anyone else out there who had a bottle fetish like me!!! I love them too. I am so excited when a family member gets a fancy bottle and right away I ask if I can have it when they are done. I love your idea to paint and decorate them! Brilliant! I had just been leaving them as it. Now you have inspired me. Thank you so very much.
I’m so glad you like this idea, Crystal. I have many bottles just hanging out on a glass shelf. Thanks!
What a simple way to lift up fall decorations! Super instructions too! Love the addition of rough twine around the neck.
Thanks, Linda. Fun little project.
I love bottles and try to hang onto those with an unusal shape and size. I even found a wine in a blue bottle so had to try that. I just got some caramel color paint to try for some gingerbread items.
Oh the Caramel would be perfect for gingerbread! And yes, you know I buy wine in BLUE bottles! Thanks, Rosemary!