Potion Bottles: Crafting with Style and Substance
Over the years, I’ve saved a variety of bottles and other bits and pieces specifically for this project. I’ve made many different types of bottles for my potion collection, but I can't share them all at once—so I’ll be sharing just a few at a time. In this post, I’m showcasing four unique bottles.
I love when the potion bottle itself becomes a work of art, representing its contents in a visual, artistic way. Let's dive into these creations! Each potion bottle in my collection is meticulously crafted to showcase the unique contents within, making it a true work of art.
Full TUTORIAL on my YouTube channel:
LABELS
There are many beautiful and free potion labels available for personal use from various websites, but I created my own for copyright reasons. I designed several labels with different ingredient names and then matched them to bottles, corks, and other miscellaneous pieces from my collection.
Most of the labels I printed, while a few were handwritten. Since my main focus is the art of the bottle itself, I didn’t spend too much time on the labels. I used beige-colored paper that’s a bit thicker than standard office paper, which gives a vintage feel. After printing or writing the labels, you can either cut them cleanly or tear them for a more rustic look.
Potion Bottles
Poison Mushroom Extract
This bottle is made from dark brown glass. I replaced the original cork with one from another bottle, which had a larger, mushroom-like shape. Inspired by the cork’s resemblance to a mushroom, I labeled the bottle “Poison Mushroom Extract.”
For decoration, I crafted small mushrooms and moss from air-hardening modeling clay. Once dried, I painted the details with acrylic paint, giving it a realistic touch. The final product is whimsical, mysterious, and perfect for any Halloween potion collection.
Toxic Moss
For this clear glass jar, the wider base made it perfect for a "Toxic Moss" potion. I created fake crystals from an old hot glue stick, cutting the sides and sharpening the tops with a precision knife (careful with those!). You can find plenty of tutorials online for this process. Normally, you’d immerse the fake crystals in hot water to soften the hard edges, but I skipped that step—though it does give a smoother finish.
Since my hot glue stick was old and yellow, I painted the crystals with iridescent acrylic paint to give them a shiny, color-shifting effect. I used white light foam clay to mold moss textures on the lid and inserted the fake crystals into it. While I used white, I recommend using green clay to match the moss theme. I added more moss textures with clay tools, but you can use simple tools like paintbrushes or toothpicks to create texture.
Once the clay dried, I painted it with acrylic paints, finishing with a layer of iridescent paint. Finally, I added real dried moss for an authentic look.
Moon Dust
This bottle is made from plastic, but with some creative touches, it looks magical. I used silicone molds to create stars and moons from air-hardening modeling clay. If you don’t have molds, you can shape them by hand. Once dried, I glued the shapes to the bottle using school glue.
My daughters had made gold stars out of playdough, so I decided to add those to the bottle as well. For extra texture, I added a layer of napkin paper before painting. I used a combination of blue, black, and gold acrylic paints. After painting the stars and moons gold, I applied a black wash over them to emphasize the shadows. If you want more contrast, you can highlight with additional gold paint.
I used hot glue to glue gold stars confetti.
Inside the bottle, I placed ashes from my fireplace. TIP: Ashes work well for bottles labeled with terms like "vampire dust" or "mummy dust," where the contents can represent “dust” or “ashes” in a magical context.
Pine Needles
This bottle originally contained spices, so I decided to repurpose it as a "Pine Needles" bottle. I created fern details using air-hardening clay and a silicone mold, then glued the pieces to the bottle with school glue. After adding a simple label, I painted the bottle in dark green tones with acrylic paints. To finish, I highlighted the details with iridescent acrylic paint for added depth and shine.
Conclusion
That’s it! You've now got four charming and creative Halloween potion bottles made from repurposed materials. Each one is a unique, artistic representation of its contents, bringing earthy charm to your décor.
Materials:
- Bottles (from food, vitamins, or other supplements)
- School glue
- Air-hardening modeling clay
- Light foam clay
- Hot glue
- Acrylic paint
- Silicone molds
- Napkin paper
- Labels
These potion bottles are perfect for Halloween, and the best part is that they’re made from upcycled materials. Happy crafting!
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