"Filled with Hope" Bottle of Hope by Candice Windham

"FILLED WITH HOPE" BOTTLE OF HOPE

Designed by Candice Windham

The Bottles of Hope project was started in 1999 by a Rhode Island cancer survivor and has spread internationally. Bottles are made by artists, students, survivors, seniors and many more who volunteer their time and love.  For more information, click here.

I had so much fun making this bottle. The base came from Goodwill, my go-to place for project beginnings. It’s filled with Bible verses, all about hope, and comes equipped with a set of tweezers for pulling a verse out when a little hope will help cheer anyone up.

Here’s how I did it:

Supplies:

Makin’s® Ultimate Clay Machine™ ((#35054)

Makin’s Clay®, Grape Leaf, 60 grams (#34009)

Makin’® Texture Sheet, Lace, Set C (#38003) 

Makin’s® Professional™ Cutting Mat  (#35203)

Makin’s® Tool Kit, round tip tool and handle with curvy edge attachment from the

  Makin’s® Professional™ Clay Tools Set (35060) 

Makin’s® Clay Cutters, Alphabet (#37001)  and small heart (#36007) 

Makin’s® Clay Mixing Ruler™ (#35003) 

Mica Watercolors (Art Craft)

Laser cut heart  (Kaiser Craft)

Twine, about 24”

Beacon® Quick Grip Adhesive

Tweezers

Sponge makeup applicator, craft knife, toothpick

Instructions:

Measure the circumference of your bottle and roll the clay out on the #2 setting on the clay machine. Make sure you have about ½” more clay than the circumference.

Use the texture sheet to impress the clay, then measure the width to fit your bottle and cut the edges using the curvy edge tool.

Find the center of the strip and mark the spot. Place the Clay Mixing Ruler along the bottom edge of the clay, about ¼” from the bottom, to help keep your words straight. Cut the first HOPE, centering the word on the mark. Cut a small heart on each side, being sure to leave about ¼” between the cuts and the word. Cut the second and third HOPE on either side of the first word and repeat until you fill the strip, cutting hearts between each word.

Lift the strip from the cutting mat and wrap it round the bottle, overlapping the ends. Use the craft knife to cut a line from top to bottom on the double layer of clay. Remove the excess and use the round-tip tool from the Makin’s Professional Clay Tools Set to press the clay together to hide the seam. Use the Lace texture sheet if necessary to add more texture.

Use the toothpick to insert tiny bits of Quick Grip Adhesive under the clay and to attach the centers of the O and P.

Mist the Mica watercolors with water and use the sponge tip applicator to paint the high texture points on the label with copper paint. Add blue, green, rose and lavender as desired.

Paint the laser cut heart with blue, green and copper mica watercolors. Loop the heart onto the twine and wrap the twine around the bottleneck, tying it off in a double knot.

Print out verses of hope from a bible website. Cut the verses apart, fold and insert into the bottle. Place the tweezers in the bottle to make removing the verses easy.

That’s it. This would make a great gift for anyone going through a rough time or anyone who just needs a little encouragement.

What will you do with your Bottle of Hope?