Craft Lightning: A Quick Halloween Craft

Hey, friends!  Who’s ready to get crafting for Halloween?  I know many of you have a ton of things on your plate, so you’re looking for projects that are quick, cheap, and easy, right?  That’s exactly what I have to share with you today!  I’m participating in a fun challenge called Craft Lightning that’s all about quick Halloween crafts that take 15 minutes or less!  Sound good?  That’s what I thought!  Take a look…

Here’s what I came up with!  It cost me absolutely nothing since I already had all the supplies on hand, and it’s actually an upcycle too; reusing my “trash” instead of getting rid of it!  How did I do it?  So glad you asked!  Read on!

If you visit One Artsy Mama on any kind of regular basis, you know I’m addicted to a certain Seattle-based coffee chain.  Since I can’t afford to indulge my craving for a Grande Iced Salted Caramel Mocha every single day, I like to keep a good stock of these guys on hand…I buy the caramel ones and the mocha ones, and mix them together.  Mmmmm…the perfect blend!

 Anyway, as you might expect, that means I end up with a whole bunch of these cool little glass bottles!  I can recycle them…OR I can reuse them, which is what I decided to do!

Materials:
– small glass bottle{s} with labels removed {soaking should do the trick; they come off pretty cleanly}
– tissue paper
– glitter decoupage
– sponge brushes
– assorted embellishments: stickers, google eyes, etc.

Step 1: Cut your tissue paper into small squares/rectangles.  Don’t worry about getting these perfect or all the same size; it really doesn’t matter.  And remember, we’re doing this quickly, right?  So just snip!

Step 2: Apply decoupage to the bottle and layer your tissue paper on top.  Smooth it down with more decoupage.

Step 3: Cover the entire bottle so no glass is visible except for the top, in case you want to put a lid on.  Then, go over the whole thing with one last coat of decoupage.

Step 4: Add embellishments!  I added big google eyes to the white one to make it look like a ghost…or maybe a mummy.  What do you think?

I was originally planning on making the orange one a jack-o-lantern by adding a face, but I found these cute polkadot alphabet stickers in my stash from a wreath I made one time.  I had a B and two O’s, and they fit perfectly…so that’s what I used!

All that was left to do was let them dry!  They got a nice glossy, glittery finish.  They’re somewhat waterproof too now.  I wouldn’t run them through the dishwasher or anything crazy, but you can use them with care as a vase, a beverage holder, etc.  Take a look at some of the ways you can use these guys throughout the season!

 A Festive Vase
Even though it’s fall, there are still so many gorgeous flowers blooming!  I picked these from my garden and the vases help to make a fun, seasonal display!  If only I weren’t allergic to flowers…sniffle!!

I mean, seriously…don’t you love this?!

A Beverage Holder
This is, after all, what the bottle was designed for in the first place!  Add your favorite drink, a straw, and you’re good to go!

A Candy Jar
Candy corn or other Halloween-themed goodies will look adorable in one of these.  Paint or cover the lid, put it on top, and it’s ready to give to your neighbor, a teacher, or a friend!  Who wouldn’t love to get one of these?!

These are seriously SO quick, cheap, and easy!  I literally spent no money because I already had all this stuff in my stash {yaaay for stash-busting projects!!}.  I made BOTH bottles in 20 minutes, and I betcha I could have gotten the two of them done in 15 if I hadn’t had to stop every five seconds to take a bunch of photos.  Ah, the life of a craft blogger…  Anyway, I forsee making a bunch more of these as fun little holiday gifts.  Especially since I have plenty of bottles.  I mean seriously.  I’m drinking my coffee while I’m doing this.  See?  Just keepin’ it real, friends.  Honestly.  {PS: Thanks to Carrie at My Favorite Finds for the uber awesome cup}!

So, what do you think?  Would you make these?  Would you love getting one as a gift?  What are your favorite quick and easy holiday crafts?

Hugs & Glitter,