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A great way to recycle ordinary bottles and jars is to turn them into colorful objects of art. Brightly painted jars can make an attractive desk set. Painted bottles can be used as vases, given as gifts, and can even be turned into lamp bases. Use your imagination, and you will come up with many more uses. And the materials you will need to get started are minimal and very affordable.
The materials You Will Need:
Bottles and jars. Keep your eyes open for unusual shapes and sizes.
Paint. There are special lacquers available for painting on glass. However, You can use poster or acrylic paints as well, but you’ll have to cover your finished painted surface with clear lacquer. You can mix the paints to get a whole bunch of shades. Experiment with small amounts. Have fun with it.
Brushes. You will need several brushes in different sizes, including a 1/2 inch wide for backgrounds, and some smaller ones for detail work.
A soft pencil, for drawing designs.
Newspapers to cover work surface.
Turpentine for cleaning brushes.
Small containers, to hold paints, such as baby food jars.
What You Will Do:
1. Wash bottle or jar thoroughly. Dry with clean cloth. It’s very important that the bottle be very clean, or the paint won’t adhere properly.
2. On a table covered with newspapers, apply the undercoat to the bottle with a wide soft brush. Use long, even strokes, working quickly. You can leave the bottle a solid color if it has an interesting shape. A very nice effect can also be obtained by applying the undercoat to the inside of the bottle. You do this by pouring a little paint into the bottle and turn it around and around until the entire inner surface is covered.. Now allow the bottle to dry thoroughly. This may take two days. Apply a second undercoat, then let it dry again.
Be sure to clean your brushes after use. Swish them around in turpentine, and then wash them with soap and water under the tap
3. Once the bottle is dry, it is time to apply the design. Lots of different designs are possible. For simple flowers, load a small sable brush with plenty of paint and daub it onto the bottle in a little circle of dots. Then put a different colored dot in the center of the petals. Important thing to remember is that if you’re using more than one color in your design you must allow the fist color to dry before putting one next to it.
You can try more elaborate designs, such as large distinct flowers. In that case, first sketch the design on the bottle before painting it. You can do this with a chinagraph pencil available in artists’ supply stores. Here is your chance to be really creative!
Geometric designs, such as stripes, are easier to do than they look. Apply two rows of masking tape to the bottle, leaving a space between them that will be painted. Cut away any parts of the tape that cross this area, using a sharp knife of single-edge razor. Be careful not to chip the coat of paint. Make certain that the edges of the tape are tightly stuck to the bottle, so no paint can seep underneath. Now paint the exposed area, going over the edges of the tape. Let the bottle dry for 24 hours before pulling off the tape.
4. When the bottle is thoroughly dry, if you used acrylic or poster paint, give the finished bottle a coat of clear lacquer.
5. When it has dried, put the bottle into a cold oven, bring the temperature to 250 degrees. After 5 minutes turn the oven off. Allow the bottle to cool down in the oven. This will give the paint on the bottle a hard finish, resistant to heat and moisture.
Enjoy your beautiful finished bottle. Time to begin another one. Have fun turning ordinary bottles and jars into art!
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