Black and White Potion Bottles

$10 - $15 (based on 2018 prices)

Makes five bottles

For the witch den, which was part of my office’s annual decorating competition, I unified the theme by incorporating alchemy symbols into many of the props. These potion bottles were part of this endeavor and I created two versions to accent the altar: the version featured here with twine wrapped around the bottles’ necks and a version with fake candles (which will be presented on a later date).

• Five glass bottles in varying sizes
• One pack of forty- to sixty-grit sandpaper
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• Three to four yards of light brown twine
• Five small plastic skull beads

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the bottles. If there is any sticker residue, use rubbing alcohol to remove it (soak a paper towel in the solution, let it sit over the area for a few minutes, and wipe away the remaining glue). After cleaning the bottles, roughen their surfaces with coarse sandpaper to help the paint adhere.

2. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the bottles an even coat of black spray paint. I used one coat, but you can apply more based on your desired coverage.

3. Draw alchemy symbols onto the bottles with white paint. You can add the markings randomly or put them in strategic places. While I elected to use alchemy symbols to unify the haunt’s theme, you could modify the prop by writing spells across the surfaces or using patterns of your own design.

4. Wrap the necks of the bottles with twine and knot the ends, trimming one and leaving the other with a two- or three-inch excess. Thread the beads onto the excess strand. It may help to use a needle and pliers during this process, utilizing the needle to guide the twine through the beads’ holes and the pliers to pull the twine through. Tuck the excess strand into the bulk of the wrapping and glue it in place.

5. Age the corks by giving them a wash of black. To achieve this, water down black paint and brush it over their surfaces, ensuring the liquid settles into all the cracks and fissures (you can also use a spray bottle for the application). Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes and then wipe it clean. You may want to experiment with the consistency prior to doing this: the more water you add, the fainter/lighter the wash; the less water you add, the deeper/darker the wash.

6. You can enhance the props by incorporating additional elements, such as aged bones, feathers, or drips of candle wax.

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