If you are looking for a quick and easy project for Halloween this one is for you. I am sharing how I made this simple DIY skull bottle using easy-to-find items. This is also a great project for beginners who would like to get into doing mixed media art. My idea for this project was to use a ceramic bottle and decorate it to look like my skull bottle was wearing clothes.

It is also time for the next challenge for our International Blogger’s Challenge Club (IBC). Each month we get together to create a project around a common theme.  Our theme this month was” Ceramic craft” The challenge was to create something using any type of ceramic material. More about (IBC) at the end of this post.

How to make a mixed media art skull bottle

Materials needed

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• Empty bottle
• Craft Glue
• Paper serviettes
• Buttons
• Rope
• Netting sack
• Recycled zipper
• Acrylic paints
• Plastic skull
• Dolls hat
• Beads
• Hot Glue Gun

Making the skull bottle base

To start you will need to add a zipper to the front of your bottle using a hot glue gun. If you do not want to buy a zipper you could also harvest one from an old pair of jeans like I did. Glue the zipper to the bottle with the zipper open so it looks like the front of a jacket.

If you are using 2-ply serviettes you will need to split them into single-ply so they stick better. Next, add a generous layer of glue to the surface of the bottle you wish to cover.

Next, place the serviette on top of the glue and gently use your fingers to push the serviette down into the glue. For a more detailed surface, you can gently push the serviette on the surface to cause creases in the paper. If you have a soft brush you can also use this to push the paper sereviette down into the glue.

To add some more texture to the surface I used some netting mesh that came on a bottle are alcohol I bought. You can also use the sack that you get your onions in from the supermarket.

Next, add another layer of glue and push the netting mesh into the glue. To speed up the drying process I used a hairdryer to quickly dry the glue.

Next, I used a hot glue gun and glued some recycled buttons to the front of the mesh. I added a layer of rope to the top of the bottle this will stop the skull from flopping all over the place. I did add a piece of rubber as a collar for the shirt but this did not stick well, so I replaced it with some beads.

Painting the bottle

Next, paint everything black using acrylic paint. I use a cheap brand that you buy from budget stores. To speed up the drying process you can use the hair dryer again.

To add some definition to the surface you can add a second colour. I used a bronze wax paste which I applied using my finger. I dipped my finger in the wax and lightly rubbed it over the surface of the bottle.

The idea to to only highlight the raised surfaces and leave the rest black. If you don’t have wax paste any acrylic paint will give you the same effect. Add a very small amount of paint to your paintbrush and remove all the excess onto some paper towel. The brush should be almost dry, then simply brush the surface lightly to get the same effect. This method is called dry brushing.

I used a silver colour for the inside of the “shirt” to make it stand out more.

Preparing the skull

I bought a skull from my local budget store for $1 but I thought it looked a bit boring and needed more definition.

You can use black acrylic paint and paint all the crevices in the skull.

I roughly painted over the areas then used a baby wipe and wiped off the excess paint.

This will leave paint in all the crevices which will make the skull look a little more creepy.

Cutting the skull

Next, I measured the diameter of the bottleneck and cut a hole into the bottom of the skull using a Stanley knife.

The skull will now slide over the bottleneck and will be held in place by the rope. I did go back and add another layer of rope to the last row as a lip for the skull to sit on.

To finish off the look I glued a hat to the skull and added a peacock feather. I bought this hat from Temu but you can also make your own, you can find the tutorial here.

If you are interested in learning other ways to decorate a bottle using mixed media art, you can find a tutorial here.

More about IBC

If you follow my blog you will know I am part of the IBC (International Bloggers Club) which is a group of talented bloggers from around the world. We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Each month we come together and create a project with a common theme.

To see the “Ceramic crafts ” contributions from my fellow bloggers joining us this month keep scrolling, please feel free to jump over and give them some love.

Michelle from A Crafty Mix shared really cool bowls made from clay and paper napkins

Sara from A Birdz of a Feather shared a stunning tile mosaic

Rachel from Tea and Forget Me Nots shared how to paint a ceramic with a vintage feel.

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