So much fun to make and just as much fun to receive, a “bottled” gift! This is an unique way to give a gift or party favor. I’m making teacher gifts for the first day of school, I went to a Dollar Store and found Post Its, glue sticks, small candy bars, fun shaped paper clips, Sharpie pens, colored pens, tape, apple shaped pad, Tic Tac, a package of shredded paper and small hand sanitizer (from Bath & Body). It cost me $11.00, but they were package in twos, and I’m making two gifts (the hand sanitizer was a $1 each)! Not so bad, the clear bottles that I’m using were 2 for $1.00, so for about $6.00 each I have a great welcoming teacher gift. The possibilities for “filling” a bottle are endless!! What a great way to recycle your clear plastic bottles.
Materials
- Items that will fit into your size bottle ( I have 9 items plus 4 small candy bars and 10 fun paper clips)
- Clear plastic bottle (I’m using a 1 Liter water bottle, 10″ tall)
- Scissors
- Tape
- Duck tape
- Shredded paper
- Card stock 2 colors
- Double stick tape and or Zots clear adhesive dots
- Goo Gone (to help remove all the label)
- Optional curly ribbon
Directions
Open and pour out liquid from your bottle and wash it out. Remove all the label off the bottle, I used Goo Gone. If you do not mind a mess do not open bottle from top cap, cut right into the bottle and pour out the liquid. With scissors pierce a hole in middle of bottle (the cut line will be covered by paper, but you do not want it too high or too low) and start cutting around to bottle. If you feel like you can not cut straight, use a ruler and mark with a Sharpie your cutting line. Make sure the inside of the bottle is clean and dry.
Let’s get to “bottling”, gather up the items that you want in the bottle.
The items I bought were packaged in 2’s, so I opened all the items and made two piles.
Start by adding a little shredded paper to the bottom half of the bottle, and start adding your items (you do not want the bottle top heavy, so keep that in mind as you fill).
Push some shredded paper into the top half of the bottle, add your items. Tightly screw on the top to the bottle if you haven’t already! Place some shredded paper in the center, you want the items packaged tight, slide to top half on to the bottom (it’s a little like putting a puzzle together)! I found that you can gently turn the top half of the bottle until you find just the right place where it will fit back and be straight.
With clear tape, tape the top and bottle together, take a look and make sure you like to way your items look in the bottle (now is the time to make any changes). Run a strip of Duck Tape or any strong holding tape, around the cut sealing the bottle.
For the “label” on my bottle, this is what I printed, with the font and size.
Bottled Exclusively for Algerian 24
person’s name receiving gift Harrington 36
Distributed by (name of giver) Harrington 18
Complete satisfaction guaranteed Blackjack 14
I printed the label on card stock, cut them to size and backed it with a large piece of card stock. I cut a 1 1/2 ” strip of card stock (this needs to cover the tape) and used double stick tape and Zots to hold strip and label in place.
Tie some curly ribbon to the top and your gift is ready!
I know the teachers will love their “exclusively bottle” gift!
Just for fun I added….The best year ever to the back.
For the next birthday party, I’m making “bottled” party favors!!
