Christmas Messages in Vintage Bottles

I picked up a huge box of little vintage bottles at the flea market last summer for $5. They were pretty dusty but salvageable. I trimmed them up as shown and popped in tiny message scrolls and gave them as gifts. They are cute conversation pieces. Add hooks and they make nice ornaments.

Approximate Time: Approx. 20- 30 minutes each

Supplies:

• old bottles, various sizes
• images or music for labels
• glitter, ribbon
• vintage jewelry parts
• scrapbook embellishments
• handwritten messages
• decoupage medium (like Mod Podge)
• cup of cold tea and cloth for dipping (optional)

Instructions:

1. If bottles are dirty, place a tiny bit of steel wool on the end of a small, flat artist's brush and scrub inside. Turn upside down and dry thoroughly.

2. Scan images or music from old books and save as jpegs.

3. Measure bottle size and reduce images to fit.

4. Print images and cut out with paper cutter.

5. Stain with tea-dipped cloth if desired. Allow to dry.

6. Apply glue to long edges of labels with small brush. Dip in glitter. Lay flat to dry.

7. Attach labels to bottles with decoupage medium.

8. Tie ribbons around bottle necks.

9. Add jewelry parts and embellishments, such as word stickers, as desired.

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10. Measure a square of thin paper or vellum and cut so it will stick out of the top of the bottle. Stain with a damp cloth dipped in tea (optional) and let dry. Write desired message. Roll tightly and tie with tiny red string and stick into bottle.

11. Slip hook under ribbon on bottleneck for hanging.

By Cindy from Waynesburg, PA