Day of the Dead Bottles

$15 - $20 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes three bottles

The Dia de Los Muertos portion of 2017’s haunted house required dozens of wreaths and flowers for an intricate funeral scene. To prevent myself from using the same design for each prop, I did variations on the sugar skull motif. For this version, I repurposed three witch bottles from 2015’s voodoo theme and transformed them into vases for the altar.

• Three glass bottles in various sizes
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• At least four tablespoons of black tea (e.g. Darjeeling, Earl Gray, English Breakfast)
• One piece of 8” x 11.5” copy paper with potion labels printed on it
• One pan large enough to soak the copy paper
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Three to four yards of colored twine
• Three wooden skull cutouts
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat blue*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat orange*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat purple*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat turquoise*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat yellow*
• Forty-eight artificial gerbera daisies in various colors

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint the bottles with the stain. I discovered that applying a thin coat and patting it with paper towels produces a hazed appearance. Likewise, brushing the rim and base with a swift downward motion creates the illusion of grime buildup. To help the stain adhere, roughen the glass with sandpaper.

2. Boil enough water to completely submerge the copy paper and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I found that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the paper into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the leaves over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry.

3. After the paper dries, cut out the labels, leaving a small boarder around their edges. To roughen the labels’ appearance, use sandpaper to fray their sides and create holes. You can also crumple the paper to produce creases. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, glue the labels to the sides of the bottles. You can use olive or vegetable oil to add further stains. I discovered that applying a small amount of oil to your index finger and patting it on the paper works well.

4. Wrap the necks of the bottles with twine, leaving strands at the bases to attach the skull cutouts. Since most of the twine will be covered by the flowers, you may use whichever color you desire (for aesthetic purposes, select a hue which matches the flowers). Although you can skip this step, the twine will give the hot glue a rougher surface to cling to and make it easier to adhere the flowers to the bottles.

5. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint the wooden cutouts. Your designs can be as fanciful or frightening as you desire. Since these were used for a Dia de Los Muertos haunt, I stayed with playful imagery; however, you could paint bloody symbols or cryptic messages on them for a darker theme. Also, I did both the front and the back, but you could cover just the side which will be displayed to save time.

6. Attach the cutouts to the excess string. I used hot glue, but you could use superglue for a sturdier hold. Depending on how low you want the skulls to hang, you may need to trim the strings prior to adhering the cutouts.

7. Glue the flowers to the bottles’ necks. Their placement and color depend on your desired appearance for the prop. You can cluster them together for a lush arrangement or scatter them along the edges for a haphazard placement. Likewise, you can select a polychromatic mixture or stick with a single color to emphasize a particular theme. For added bulk, utilize multiple layers.

8. For additional detail, consider employing colorful beads, paper butterflies, or other decorative trinkets.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.