Horse Illustrated Magazine

The aesthetic appeal of jewel-toned glass bottles is undeniable. Set them near a window and they produce a prism of color. Fill them with tiny baubles, flakes of glitter and faux pearls and they become containers of mysterious powders and potions. As holiday gifts for your horse-crazy friends, add whimsical labels and small charms so they receive some laughs along with a rainbow of color.

Charming Glass Bottles

• Colored glass bottles
• Cork stoppers (if not included with bottles)
• Horse or equestrian charms
• Fillers (sequins, glitter, tiny stars, etc.)
• Colored craft wire
• Labels, printed at home on cardstock
• Metal pendant bezels
• E6000 adhesive
• Modge Podge, glossy finish
• Sponge sticks

Directions: Lift the cork stoppers from the bottles and set them aside while you wipe off any visible smudges on the bottles. Next, compose some cleverly worded labels that pertain to the gift recipient’s riding goals or perhaps the temperament of her horse. Print these labels on cardstock so the wording will fit inside the pendant bezels.

If you plan to glue the charm or bezel onto the bottle, remove the loop at the top with a pair of wire nippers. Put a tiny dab of E6000 inside each bezel and press the labels in place. In a few minutes the E6000 will become tacky; use a sponge stick to apply a thin coat of Modge Podge across the top of each label as a protective coating. Set the labels aside to dry.

Determine which fillers look best inside each bottle. Darker glass, like cobalt blue or ruby red, will obscure fillers other than white, gold or silver. Once you’ve decided, fill each bottle about ? full. Place several dots of E6000 on the sides of the corks put them back into their respective bottle.

Separate several 12-inch strands of colored craft wire for each bottle. For each bottle, wrap these strands tightly around the top of the bottle. When you have only an inch or two remaining, twist the wire strands together to create an informal knot. Bend the wire ends upward into small curlicues.

With small amounts of E6000, glue a label onto the side of each bottle. Lay the bottles down so the adhesive can set for about 30 minutes. Then you can set the bottles upright and attach the horse charms and/or jewelry. Depending on the size of these decorations, glue them on the side of the bottle or closer to the top, wherever they seem to look best. If a charm has a pendant hanger or loop, you can opt to let it dangle from the top of the bottle. Simply snip off a short piece of craft wire and thread one end through the wire wrapped at the bottle’s top and then bend the end into several curls to secure it. Thread the other end of the wire through the charm’s hanger or loop and bend that end backward into a tight curl, too. Now the bottles look like a collection of potions and powders, bottled just for a special horse owner.

Crafter’s Tip: Colored glass bottles are inexpensive and widely available at craft stores and home décor outlets. Vary your selection of jewel-toned colors, but be consistent in the size of the bottles. Smaller bottles (6 to 8 inches tall) are best. They already resemble containers of perfume or exotic oils. They also require less filler and several will fit comfortably on the recipient’s shelf.

See all Homemade Horsey Gifts >>