These DIY color dipped bottles from last week’s cocktail party picnic are such a fun way to add a dose of color to any party – and the DIY tutorial couldn’t be easier! I chose a few bright summery colors for our little picnic, but you could easily choose just two colors to distinguish cocktails from non-alcoholic drinks or fit in with your own party. I hope you enjoy making these as much as I did!
Supplies and Tools
Glass swing bottles – Ikea has large 34 oz ones, or you can find a smaller 17 oz size here
Craft paint – I chose paints from the Martha Stewart Crafts collection since I liked the colors best (I used metallic rose copper, wild salmon, pool, and pollen) and it works on glass, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand
Paintbrushes
Painter’s tape
Rubbing alcohol (not pictured)
Start by prepping your bottles by quickly wiping them down with rubbing alcohol. Then wrap the painter’s tape around the bottle at a slight angle to get a nice dipped look. Don’t worry if the tape bunches up as you wrap it, but make sure you press down and smooth out the bottom edge to ensure a nice clean line. Squeeze a small amount of paint (you really only need a quarter-size dollop) onto a paint palette or other surface.
Apply your first coat of paint. You’ll get the best results by applying several light coats – and I found that each color needed around 3 coats to get to my desired level of opaqueness. You could also do this with spray paint (I’d wrap a plastic bag over the unpainted top of the bottle, under the painter’s tape), but I chose to use craft paint so I’d have more control and ability to avoid drips. Turn bottle over and allow to dry for 1-2 hours, then repeat for coats 2-3.
After the desired number of coats, remove the painter’s tape – and voila! If necessary, use the blade of an exacto knife to gently scrape away any errant paint along the dipped line.
Fill with your favorite cocktail or beverage – and enjoy!
A quick note: I recommend making these bottles about a week ahead to allow time for the paint to cure, otherwise condensation from ice or cold liquids could cause air bubbles to appear beneath the paint or for some of the paint to peel away from the glass. So just plan a head if you think this is something you’d like to use for your own party!
Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper
Thanks for the post! The bottles are beautiful. I’ve tried painting with acrylic paint and unfortunately, since it’s water based, it washes off upon contact and easily scratches off (making it tough to clean unless you’re naturally gentle with your dishwashing). Would you say the Martha Stewart paint will withstand wear and tear and water?
Hi Melinda! So yes, I would recommend using a craft paint that specifically says that it works on glass – not regular acrylic paint that is probably formulated only for porous surfaces like canvas and paper. I’d also recommend hand washing with a non-abrasive sponge on the painted areas, but that is also why I recommended giving the bottles some time to dry and cure before use: so the paint has time to fully dry and stick to the glass. I believe the Martha Stewart craft paint recommends a 30-day curing period, but I used and washed my bottles within about a week and they did just fine with a non-abrasive hand washing.
These look beautiful! I recently did this with a variety of old jars for the floral centrepieces for our wedding. We used gold spray paint and they looked amazing! And now we have 40 beautiful vases 😉
These bottles are gorgeous! They look perfect for summer! I need to try to make these now!