St. Patrick’s Day Luck of the Irish Bottle Craft Project

St. Patrick’s Day always reminds me that spring is around the corner. Right after Valentine’s Day is over, I put up my St. Patrick’s Day decor. On my mantel, I put my Luck of the Irish bottle craft project. This is an easy DIY project if you have a cutting machine, such as a Cricut. You can upcycle empty glass bottles to make this cheerful display.

Get my “Luck of the Irish” SVG cut file by filling out your information below.

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A few years ago, I took a design workshop at Pottery Barn. The designer suggested propping a mirror on a mantel and then displaying vases or other decorative items in front of it. The mirror not only reflects the light, but it will make your decor have that much more impact so it really gets noticed.

Upcycling Glass Bottles

I have upcycled empty glass bottles to make decorations for my mantle for a variety of occasions. Check out my Easter bunny bottles, fall decor, patriotic 4th of July bottles, and beachy bottles. I always have a supply of matching glass bottles because I drink Ningxia Red juice daily. (Ningxia Red is a wolfberry juice made by Young Living and is infused with essential oils. If you would like to join Young Living to get a wholesale discount, click here. Disclosure: This is my Distributor link.) Being that I drink two bottles each month, I have plenty to decorate for all occasions!

A typical wine bottle is about the same size as a Ningxia Red juice bottle, so this craft can also be made with those bottles instead.

Before painting the bottles, remove any adhesive labels by soaking them off. Ningxia Red bottles have labels that are painted on, rather than adhesive labels, so they are not removable. Also, make sure to thoroughly clean the outside of the bottles, as any traces of oils will prevent the paint from adhering to the glass.

Spray Painting the Bottles

Since the labels on my bottles were painted on, I needed to cover them completely with a primer coat. I used two coats of Rust-oleum Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover Paint + Primer in Gloss Hunter Green. Then I followed that with two coats of Rust-Oleum Metallic spray paint in Racing Green Metallic, which does not seem to be available in stores anymore. If you cannot find metallic spray paint, you could use a total of four coats of the Paint + Primer spray paint instead.

It is best to use multiple thin coats of paint, instead of fewer thicker coats. Thick coats tend to drip. You only have to wait a few minutes between coats. Therefore, all four coats of the colors can be done in about half an hour.

Make sure to follow the directions on the back of the can. Shake the paint can for one minute, as well as during use. Spray the bottles from a distance of 10 to 16 inches away.

My advice would be to do the spray painting outdoors but in a sheltered area such as in a garage. I recommend wearing a face mask. The aerosol tends to float through the air so it is easy to breathe in if you are not protected. If you are looking to avoid getting paint on your hands, wear rubber gloves. I also have used this Krylon Snap and Spray Can Handle. I use a cardboard trifold board whenever I spray paint to contain some of the overspray.

Let the paint dry completely for 24 hours before applying the adhesive vinyl. You will have plenty of paint leftover in the can for future projects.

Cutting the Luck of the Irish Decals on a Cricut

While you are waiting for the bottles to dry, create the decals using a Cricut cutting machine. I used the Explore Air 2, but you can also do this on a Joy or Maker. To get the free SVG cut file to make this Luck of the Irish bottle craft project, simply fill out the form below. You will then get an email with a link to the file.

I formatted the design so that it cuts it out in three sections, one for each bottle. I have sized them to fit on the Ningxia Red bottles, with the widest piece being about 2 7/8 inches wide, and the tallest piece is about 8 inches long. If you need help with uploading and resizing an SVG file, refer to this video. You do not need to mirror the image when you are up to cutting the file since you are not ironing it on.

I used Cricut Glitter Vinyl in Glitter Gold. You could also use Siser Easy PSV Permanent Glitter adhesive vinyl in Glimmering Gold. You will also need to use transfer tape in order to keep the letters even as you apply them to the bottles. The Cricut glitter vinyl comes with strong transfer tape. Siser sells their EasyPSV Application Tape separately.

Finishing Touches for the Luck of the Irish Bottle Craft Project

To decorate the bottles, I wrapped the necks in gold twine. You can either attach the twine with Aleene’s Clear Gel Tacky Glue or a glue gun. You can add sprays of green and white berries such as these and sprays of baby’s breath flowers. Since the insides of the bottles are not coated in spray paint, you could also use them as vases for fresh flowers.

This Luck of the Irish bottle craft project can be used as a centerpiece or displayed on a shelf or mantel.

Print

Luck of the Irish Bottle Craft Project

Upcycle glass bottles with spray paint and adhesive vinyl to create St. Patrick's Day decor!

Active Time2 hours hrs

Drying Time1 day d

Total Time1 day d 2 hours hrs

Keyword: Bottle Craft, St. Patrick’s Day Craft, Luck of the Irish, Upcycle Bottles, St. Patrick’s Day Decor

Equipment

• 1 Cricut cutting machine Explore Air, Maker, or Joy

Materials

• 3 Glass bottles
• 1 Trifold board or cardboard box to use as a spray booth
• Newspaper or drop cloth
• 1 can Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Ultra Cover Paint + Primer in Gloss Hunter Green
• 1 can Rust-Oleum Metallic in Racing Green Metallic
• Rubber gloves
• Mask
• 1 bottle Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue or glue gun & glue sticks
• 1 spool gold twine
• 1 Luck of the Irish SVG cut file download
• 1 roll Cricut Glitter Vinyl in Glitter Gold
• 1 Green standard grip Cricut mat
• Strong Grip Transfer Tape
• 1 Cricut weeding tool

Instructions

Preparation

• Wear rubber gloves and a mask. Even with no breeze, you are bound to inhale some of the fine overspray, so masks are very helpful. Also, wear old clothes and shoes just in case the overspray lands on you.
• Wash and dry the bottles well. If you are using wine bottles, you can soak off the labels and then use an adhesive remover such as lemongrass oil or Goo Gone to create a smooth surface.

Painting

• Set up a “spray booth” by using a cardboard tri-fold board and newspapers. It is best to do this in a well-ventilated area that is protected from the wind, such as in a garage.
• Shake the can of spray paint for 1 minute. Spray from a distance of about a foot away. Spray on just a light first coat, no matter how tempting it might be to try to cover everything with a thick coat. A thick coat is bound to run, which will leave unsightly lumps on your finished product. Spray 4 coats of the Paint + Primer, (or 2 coats of the Paint + Primer and then 2 coats of the metallic spray paint). You only have to wait a couple of minutes between coats.
• Let dry completely for 24 hours.

Decorating

• Put a dot of tacky glue or hot glue at the top of the neck of the bottle, just under the rim, on the rear of the bottle. Put one end of the twine in the glue. Continue to wrap the twine tightly around the neck in a spiral. Secure the tail end of the twine with another dot of glue.
• Download the Luck of the Irish SVG by filling out the form in this blog post. Then upload the SVG into the Cricut Design Space software.
• Put the adhesive vinyl onto the green (medium grip) Cricut mat.
• Follow the on-screen directions to cut out the design.
• Use the Cricut weeding tool to remove the vinyl that is not part of the design.
• Remove the backing from the transfer. Smooth it onto the design. Cut apart the design so that "Luck" "of the" and "Irish" are in 3 separate pieces, one for each bottle.
• Flip over the designs. Remove the backing from the vinyl, so that it is now only stuck to the transfer tape.
• Place a design onto the bottle, and press down firmly on the application tape to secure it. Then peel off the application tape in a diagonal direction. Repeat with the other two designs.
• Add floral sprays if desired.

Video

Notes