Years ago, I picked up some vintage pharmacy bottles from an antiques store that was in its final days before closing. I couldn’t believe how good the price was, and later lamented the fact that I hadn’t scooped them all up. But, either way, I knew they would be PERFECT as Halloween poison bottles.
So, when I stumbled across some old glass bottles at a charity rummage sale, it dawned on me that I could make my OWN version of Halloween poison bottles.
I love creating Halloween projects with a sinister poison element, such as these coasters. Is that weird??
Anyway, back to the bottles that I bought. They had been found while bottle digging and were covered in clumps of southern red mud. Filthy, rusted lids, and a quarter each. How could I resist?
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Antique Poison Bottles for Halloween Decor
First, I gave the old bottles a quick wipe down (exterior only) simply to avoid covering my living room and mantle with the grub on the glass.
Next, I hopped online in search of options for Halloween bottle labels.
I thought I’d need to print my own, but had wonderful luck online! I found all sorts of vintage pharmacy labels for sale, and snapped some up.
If you can’t find any apothecary labels on Etsy, please reach out to my friend, Crafty Lisa’s Vintage. She sells vintage paper ephemera (much of it dead stock or never used) and often has poison labels in stock.
Then, I simply attached the vintage labels to the Halloween poison bottles. Since these were actual labels, they were easily affixed to the bottles with some water.
One by one, I matched up an old bottle with a vintage pharmacy label. It was really that easy!
Halloween Poison Bottles from Old Glass Bottles and Vintage Pharmacy Labels
And just like that, had an entire series of Halloween poison bottles. Won’t they be perfect as Halloween decor? And incredibly easy to create.
These poison bottles work wonderfully on their own as scary Halloween decorations. Grouping a few of them here and there on your mantel or a bookshelf or in a mad scientist vignette…
As long as they’re in a high or safe place where curious children and/or pets can’t knock them down, etc.!
Can’t find antique bottles or old bottles like the ones I used? Grab glass jars and bottles from your recycling bin and use dirt and water from your yard to “age” them.
Also, did you know that cow’s milk is a great adhesive? Used sparingly, the proteins in the milk will bind the paper to glass, which is perfect if you print up your own labels at home. It’s a secret of at-home beer brewers! Just don’t use too much or it might get stinky.
And if you enjoyed this upcycling idea for Halloween poison bottles, then you will also love these creepy candles from Christmas window candles, as well!
Craft on!
S
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Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
Your display is spooky. You took advantage of the condition of the bottles and they look perfect. Yeesh is right!
Thanks, Susan!!
What a fantastic collection of bottles for Halloween! And to have only paid a quarter each for the bottles, they were an incredibly frugal project. Love it!
Thanks, Jamie!!
Absolutely fabulous!
Thank you!
Super awesome blog post! Just wanted to invite you to recipe and DIY craft Link party Thursdays-Sundays for our celebration! I’m excited to see what you’ll bring. Feel free to submit 3 of your your own creations that are recipes or crafts.
http://www.themccallumsshamrockpatch.com
Thank you so much for attending week 8 of #PureBlogLove and linking your fantastic blog post. I would definitely think twice before touching any of those bottles! You did such an amazing job! I can’t wait to see what you have in store for our party next week Thursday 8 PM EST- Sundays at midnight. Your post has been added to the #PureBlogLove Pinterest board for all to see 🙂 Have a great day!
Nicole
http://picnicnz.blogspot.co.nz/
Thanks so much, Nicole! And thank you for hosting. 🙂
Super- creepy bottles – love the authentic labels. I did not know about the milk trick. Thank you for sharing this at Make It Monday.
Thanks for hosting, Donna!
Great bottles,,,,would love to see how your decor looked! Thanks for the milk tip!
Thanks for stopping by, JP!!
Thanks for coming and linking up at #TheWeekendSocial. Please be sure to come back this week starting Thursday at 9PM EST on KitchenDreaming.com ! I hope to see you there! Pinned
super cool and spooky!! I love the bottles and they are perfect for a Halloween poison display!! I haven”t heard of cow milk glue but pretty neat 🙂
I just bought some vintage poison labels from one of my IG friends for this project! And I have TONS of bottles waiting for a makeover!
YESSSSS!! Can’t wait to see yours!