DIY: Painted Bottles

Hi Everyone, I'm finally back with a new post! Things have been very busy around here, but finally starting to settle down a bit (I think!). Anyway, this project has been one of my favorites so far, I just LOVE how these bottles turned out! They were originally Belgian beer bottles that a family friend had brought over for dinner one night. My mom thought they were very cool and decided not to throw them away, thinking maybe we could do a project with them someday.

Fast forward 2 months, and I'm at Target looking in the home decor section and find some painted bottles that I thought were very chic. There were 3 different sizes, meant to be a set. They were red, beige and grey, 2 colors per bottle. I was so tempted to buy them except they were $18-$25 each, (depending on the size) and those colors weren't exactly what I was looking for. I fought back the urge to impulse buy (which is typically so hard for me!). A few days later I'm visiting my Mom and see those beer bottles - bingo. DIY project! I still had leftover teal and beige paint from a previous DIY project (the teal end table) and my mom had some rust/red color paint. My original plan was to include all 3 colors in each bottle, in different orders and different sized sections. I first peeled the labels off the bottles and used painters tape to section out the bottles for each color.

After a few coats of these sections dried, I took the painters tape off and ran into a snag. Turns out, I should have purchased glass paint because the tape did not come off completely clean and the paint would easily scratch. It wasn't too bad, so I touched up the edges and decided to leave one section the natural brown color of the bottle. I ended up liking it better this way because the texture of the bottle showing added dimension.

I had purchased a can of Martha Stewart clear protectant spray that is good for glass to seal the paint and give it a little gloss. This spray is really great, it dries enough after 10 minutes to repeat coats, with full drying in about 6 hours. I did 3-4 coats on each bottle to make sure the paint would not get damaged. Not only does it protect the paint from chipping or scratching, it makes them look much more expensive and polished.

And here is where they live now, in my bay window! I am obsessed with my little kitchen nook. The vases on the left were done with the same paint and spray as the bottles. Most of the other items were purchased at Target and TJ Maxx.

Recap!

Hi Everyone,

I know I've been slacking on the posts lately, but I've had a lot going on! I made a lot of apartment changes and I started a new job! I never thought leaving a job where I was overall pretty comfortable but not very satisfied would be so tough! Although it was time for me to move on, I will miss so many of my coworkers. My new job is similar in title to my previous, but with a higher level of responisbility and more potential for future growth. It is largely a marketing position with some executive level administrative work. I still work in the same industry - architecture and engineering but this company is located in the East Bay, only 20 minutes away from my apartment (compared to my previous hour commute to San Francisco). I am very excited for what the future holds at this company and in other avenues of my life. I'll continue to fill you all in on the upcoming events and a new DIY project post this weekend!