halloween potions, poisons, powders and more – diy

DIY ghastly apothecary jars & alchemist bottles.

I made these grungy Halloween containers for any potion or elixer a witch or wizard might need to cast a curse or spell.

I made them from everyday household glass bottles, including sparkling water, jam, vinegar, even a candle, you get the idea. There’s only one bottle I had bought last year at a craft store for a different project that never happened so I had it kicking around.

I did this over a few days breaking up the steps so it wouldn’t overwhelm me.

Clean all the bottles, removing any labels. I ran most of mine thru the dishwasher. Don’t worry too much If you can’t get all the adhesive off since it just adds another layer of grime.

I spray painted all caps|tops black (many were already black, bonus!). Then I sanded all the containers to age the glass. This would be a great way to make a new jar look vintage quickly.

Then I mixed some dark gray & sunflower acrylic paints. Paint the bottles haphazardly and then wipe with a wet paper towel to reach desired effect.

While the containers dry, print & select your labels. Once again I used free printables just on plain copy paper. I used a variety of sources so the bottles wouldn’t look like a “set” rather a hodgepodge acquired & collected over many years of witchcraft. You can find some of the labels here, here and here.

Once the paint dried I decoupaged the labels onto the bottles. Once everything set I inked the bottles around the labels & containers with dark brown ink.

I filled some of the bottles and jars with the appropriate fillers although my paint was pretty opaque so not necessary.

Finally I embellished the containers with Spanish moss, twine, Halloween webbing, burlap or whatever I had kicking around in my stash.

Although there’s a lot of steps it’s easier than it looks.

The best part was that it didn’t cost me anything but time. everything I used I had on hand.

You can personalize this to your own look | style by the paint colors you use to the labels you choose and the embellishments you add.

I have a spooky vignette planned for these so stay tuned.

\Happy Crafting !

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sharing @:

saturday sparks @ pieced pastimes

vintage charm @ charm bracelet diva

bouquet of talent @ life on lakeshore drive

sundays at home @ love of home

spooktacular halloween party @ made in a day

amaze me monday @ dwellings-the heart of the home

motivate me monday @ keeping it simple

something to talk about @ karen’s up on the hill

metamorphis monday @ between naps on the porch

make it pretty monday @ the dedicated house

inspire me monday @ my uncommon slice of suburbia

inspire me tuesday @ a stroll thur life

tweak it tuesday @ cozy little house

what’s it wednesday @ ivy & elephants

vintage inspiration party @ my salvaged treasures

fall into fall @ diy by design

wordless wednesday @ oh my heartsie girl

wow us wednesday @ savvy southern style

wake up wednesdays @ god’s growing garden

flea market friday @ creative country mom’s vintage home & garden

home & garden thursday @ a delightsome life

share your cup @ have a daily cup of mrs. olson

treasure hunt thursday @ from my front porch to yours

home sweet home @ the charm of home

feathered nest friday @ french country cottage

morning cup of joe @ the cottage market

simple & sweet friday @ rooted in thyme

friday’s five features @ diy vintage chic

shabbilicious friday @ shabby art boutique

brag worthy thursday @ colour saturated life

halloween decorations @ celebrate and decorate

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15 Comments

Another lovely project!
I’m almost finished “making” for Halloween. Actually, I never stop–I’m likely to make Halloween figures at any time of year, but I do slow down.
My crafty blog is full of Halloween stuff, and on my reading blog, I’m always looking for spooky books. I no longer actively participate in Carl’s RIP reading challenge, but I do love witchy, ghosty books.

These are awesome, I love them! You did a great job!!

you have been busy. i checked out all your halloween crafts. i love them! you’re so creative. i have a couple more i’m gonna try to pull out before halloween. wish me luck! xo- mj

thanks cheryl. so nice to hear. i’ve been wanting to do this for a couple of years now & just could never get it going. i think i was worried they wouldn’t come out as i envisioned. well, i don’t think i could be happier than how they turned out. maybe it’s a good thing i procrastinated. lol. thanks for dropping by. xo- mj

Love these…they look so vintage!

These are awesome! You have a great eye for detail and the patience to pull off a great look. Love them all!

thanks jenna! that’s a true compliment for this vintage gal. xo- mj

thanks geneva. these were actually easier to make than i expected. xo- mj

Love these! Great idea to use a variety of labels so that they look collected over time. Thanks for sharing your bottles at VIParty.

Wonderful job! They look so authentic!

thanks for stopping by betsy & leaving a comment. have a great weekend! xo- mj

thanks so much for your sweet comment! made my day. have a great weekend. xo- mj

Mary Jo, these are fabulous! True works of art!! Thanks for sharing them with SYC.
hugs,
Jann

Your bottles look amazing! I really love the huge transformation from the everyday items to the end product. So creative! Thanks for sharing with us at the 2016 Halloween Blog Hop.

thanks mistie! they were a lot of fun to create & i always love breathing new life into trash! thnx for stopping by. xo- mj