DIY Wine Torches

One of my favorite things to do is to spend time on our back patio, sipping wine, listening to music. Basically catching up with my husband and relaxing. Where we live we can enjoy sitting outside from about May through October. Because of the amount of time we spend on our back patio, I'm always looking for ways to spruce up that area (see painted pots post for example). One night, while sipping on some red wine, I was gazing sadly at the empty bottle when I realized I could use it to add some lighting to the area. 

~ Empty, clean wine bottles

~ Stencils

~ Pouncers

~ Paint (acrylic or any that works on glass)

~ Marbles or stones (enough to fill up about half of each bottle)

~ Lamp oil

The stencils I used were already adhesive and designed for glass surfaces, however, stencil adhesive can be found at most craft stores.

I wanted a gold metallic type paint. Because many metallic types of paint can be a bit thin and lack color, I got a gold metallic as well as a mustard yellow and mixed them to achieve the color I was looking for.

 

Painting on a curve can be tricky but as long as the stencil is secured and flat, it can be done.

Each bottle received a bottom trim stencil, a main middle stencil, and a small top stencil design. The stencils had a few different patterns so I was able to mix and match for the different bottles. Glass is the most forgiving surface to stencil because any little mistake can be corrected with a simple scrape of a toothpick.

 Using glass marbles, shells, or any typical candle/vase filler, adds weight to the bottle and takes up room, requiring less lamp oil. Each bottle was filled half way with glass marbles and the rest with lamp oil. 

I use the above wicks which I found at Winelight by Vintage Concepts. They have various types but I chose the rosebuds because they were on clearance and I love me a cheap deal.

Once I inserted the wicks into the bottles, I made sure to let them soak in there for about 30 - 40 minutes before I lit them.

This project was relatively easy. I already had all the wine bottles, which I certainly did not consume over one weekend but rather over an extended period of time*, one set of stencils, some paint, marbles, and lamp oil.

*My mother reads this blog.

Now I'm going to go out back and enjoy them.

Cheers!

~ B

Terra Cotta Terror

I'm not sure how many plants need to die before I admit I do not have a knack for gardening. I cannot grow something from the very beginning, a seed, but if you have a plant already growing and need help keeping it alive (by simple watering) then I am your gal. I recently decided that I would forgo buying dried ingredients to use for cooking and just grow (maintain) my own. I had seen little herb plants in the grocery store and Home Depot and by God my homemade marinara deserves fresh oregano. But those terra cotta pots are pretty ugly. 

It's easiest to spray these upside down so I flipped them and covered them with primer spray paint. The containers around them are to hold down the paint tarp. It was windy that day.

Only the top rim parts were being painted. I used painters tape to section off where I wanted the paint.

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Now all top sections are painted. Per usual I used Martha Stewarts All Purpose Craft Paint from Michaels.





Once the paint had dried, I used more painters tape to prep for the chalkboard paint I was about to apply.

Chalkboard paint is becoming pretty popular in the craft world. While I used it in regular bottle form, you can also find it in a spray paint.

The instructions stated that at least two coats were needed. I did three coats on two and four on the other one (the yellow, being light, needed a bit extra).

Each pot received a stencil as well, you know I can never resist.

The chalkboard paint needs 24 hours to dry before it is ready to be used. Once the chalkboard paint was dry, I removed the painters tape and "cured" it by rubbing chalk across it a few times, then erasing.

It's been almost a week and my herb plants are still alive!

Moral of the story, even if you cannot grow a plant to save your life, just buy them already grown and make a decorative pot to put them in to compensate.

~ B