Today I have a fun Fall Welcome Sign that your kids will love to help you with!
The idea for this project came to me last week when I cleaned the inside of my refrigerator for the first time in 6-9 months!
I couldn’t believe how many bottles of condiments and salad dressings we had that were expired!
Rather than toss them all in the trash (seriously, I had about 10-12 bottles!) I did the following:
Gather, Clean & Take Off the Labels from Various Bottles- glass and plastic both work just fine! Run them under some water and let them dry real good. Take off the labels- you may want to use some Goo Be Gone to get the sticky stuff completely off. Some labels are easier to remove than others!
Squirt Some Paint Inside Your Bottles- the size of your bottle will determine how much paint to use. Start with less than you think ’cause you can always add more. I chose some fun fall colors with white to make “ghosts” on both ends. My kids loved this part.
Shake it up! If you toss the caps of your bottles in the trash prematurely (as I did!) just use a napkin on the open end while you’re shaking. Cover the entire inside of your bottles, adding more paint as needed. (You may need to help your kids cover the entire surface) Let this dry completely.
Break out the Puffy Paint! I was originally intending to use my vinyl machine to cut out letters and ghost faces, but it was even easier to free hand letters and faces with some good ‘ole black puffy paint! Let it dry completely.
Embellish!- You can stop before this step and just leave it plain (I actually LOVE the plain look!) or you can add ribbon, silk flowers, buttons etc. and add even more character!
Display it!- I got a simple shelf at Hobby Lobby for a few bucks with my coupon. I painted it black, then I added some Command Strips to the bottom of each jar to stick to the black shelf and hold them in place. Now this cute little project is on display in my entry way- safe and secure and ready to greet my spooky guests!
And that is it!
(This idea was originally published on Somewhat Simple in 2011)
About Stephanie
Oh this is adorable! I love it!!! Great way to upcycle! Isn’t it amazing how much stuff just expires in there?
No kidding! I was amazed at how small of a shelf life salad dressing has! My family has been using expired condiments for months now! Ha Ha!
What a great idea! Love it!
Thanks Lois!
That is so cute! And you could really do it with any holiday!
That is true! And seeing as how fast condiments seem to expire, I just might have enough for a Christmas craft!
AAH! This is sooo cute! My kids would love this and it’s super environmentally friendly! I’d love if you would share this on my WhateverWednesday link party!
Thanks! I will check out your party right now!
That is one cute and green project! I love it!
Thanks Laura!
This is awesome! I have a bunch of containers that were going into the recycling bin, this would be a great reuse! And my kids were asking about a new craft today! Thanks for posting!
your kids will love it!
I love this! Such a fun and cute idea!
totally fun – thanks for the idea!
So far, you are readers choice. Your link has the most clicks! I shared your link on FB ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Momma-Hen/123880607653210 )
These are adorable! Great for so many occasions throughout the year. I’m definitely going to start keeping more of my bottles now!
Quick Tip! To take of labels without leaving any stick behind. Use a blowdryer to heat up the edges, then slowly peel back. Once you have an edge up direct the heat from the blowdryer to the underside (where the adhesive is) and continue peeling. Voila – labels AND adhesive gone!
Steph, this is an adorable idea! I can’t wait to do it! Can you let me know what type of paint you used for the insides of the bottles.
I love your site and have pulled many ideas off of it. Thanks for all the inspiration!
-Sara
I just used regular craft paint- probably a variety of brands (Plaid, Apple Barrel, Martha Stewart etc.) depending on the colors I had on hand.
This is awesome! Great job. A very creative way to recycle old bottles! I’m looking forward to making a similar sign with my son who is 7.