DIY Potion Bottles – Free Labels

I used a mix of random glass bottles I had at home and a couple from Dollar Tree.

The labels are free to print and I'll share how I gave them an aged look.

To see the full tutorial and download the printable labels, hop on over to my blog...https://www.craftidly.com/easy-diy-potion-bottles-for-halloween-free-labels/

This is not a great photo but these are the bottles I used. One is a hot sauce bottle from the recycle bin, there's a Dollar Tree soap dispenser and salt shaker in there and the blue one is an old bottle that I picked up at a yard sale.

When picking bottles, find ones with interesting shapes.

I spray painted my bottles with Rust-Oleum Mirror Effect spray paint. But first I spritzed them with a water bottle. Paint won't stick to water droplets so this is an easy way to give your bottles a cool, worn look.

Check out the video below for a better look at the process.

How To Print the Labels

Because I had large, medium, and small bottles, I decided to print the label page in three different sizes.

You can do this easily by adjusting the ‘Custom Scaling’ settings in your print dialog box. I printed mine at 100%, 75%, and 50%.

Next, rip the labels out by hand. You could cut them out with scissors if you don't like the rough edge look!

On to aging...

How to Age Your Potion Bottle Labels

1) Mix a coffee pod with about 1/2 of a cup of water, stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

2) Put a paper towel over your labels on an old cookie sheet then spoon the coffee mixture onto the paper towel.

3) Top with another sheet or two of paper towel and blot.

4) Carefully remove all the paper towels before baking and squeeze just a little coffee from the paper towel over the top of each label. (This will make them darker, more aged, and splotchy :-)

Bake until dry in a 350-degree oven. NOTE: Watch carefully, your labels will burn if left in too long. Labels dry and brown in just a few short minutes!

More on this process in the video below or visit: https://www.craftidly.com/easy-diy-potion-bottles-for-halloween-free-labels/

Here's how my labels looked when I took them out of the oven.

Before applying the labels to my bottles, I dry brushed black acrylic paint around the edges. (optional step)

Apply the labels to the bottles using Mod Podge. I recommend using matte Modge Podge.

Apply Mod Podge to the back of the label, then paint a coat of Mod Podge over the top and edges to seal everything down.

To decorate, I used corks for the tops, old buttons, mini plastic skulls and bones, twine, and floral moss. Anything goes, so scavenge around the house or DT and have fun with it!

DIY Potion Bottles - Video from Craftidly.com