Steampunk Bottle

Hello Makers!

Get ready, full steampunk ahead! Get my word play there, lol! Today I have a fun steampunk altered bottle, upcycle project, using a discarded bottle and black Makin’s Clay®. I’ve made these bottles before and they are well equally liked by men and women. These bottles make a fun home décor or to give as gifts (think of upcoming graduations and Mother’s Day). It also makes a great masculine gift, just in time Father’s Day.

Materials:

Makin's Clay®– Black 
Makin's Professional® Cutting Mat
Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine
Prima Finnabair Aged Brass Metallic Wax
Glue
Black Gesso
Glass Bottle
Metal or chipboard gears
Alumilite Amazing Mold Putty (optional)
Screws (optional)
Screw brads (optional)
Drill bits (optional)

Instructions:

Making the Sheet Metal

The idea is to make the bottle look like it’s made of sheet metal with screws, rivets and divots.

Select a bottle, wash it out inside and out and dry completely.

Roll out a sheet of black clay through the Makin's Professional® Ultimate Clay Machine®, beginning on the 1st setting and ending on the 4^th thickest setting.

Using scissors cut square, rectangle and other shapes. Or you may choose to make them all the same shape. Roll out a quarter size of clay at a time. You’ll want very fresh clay; it adheres better to the bottle and makes it easy to shape (bend) onto the bottle.

Glue the sheets very close to each other. Makin’s Clay® shrinks slightly when dry, therefore, you’ll have a slight gap; which is what we want.

Apply glue to the clay, then adhere to the bottle. Once the entire bottle is covered with the clay sheet metal, you are ready to add screws, rivets and divots.

You will get dry glue skin flakes on your project. Clean it off with paint brush. You might get glue on the surface and small imperfections. It’s okay, you will cover it with black gesso.

Making the Screws, rivets and divots

I like to vary the look by using a combinations of different types and size of screws, rivets and divots on the sheet metal.

Begin by marking divots (depressions) first, while the clay is fresh. Using a stylus make depressions into the clay. Vary the divots throughout the bottle.

To make the rivets, roll a ball of clay with your fingers, then squish the ball of clay.  This makes a semi flat and round-ish shape. Glue the rivets to the clay sheet metal.

To make the screws. There are three options.

Option 1. Make a screw mold using real screws and molding making materials. I used Alumilite Amazing Mold Putty. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the package, make the molds. Roll up little ball of clay, place in the mold, unmold and glue to the bottle.

Option 2. Roll a ball of clay with your fingers, then squish the ball of clay.  This makes a semi flat and round-ish shape. Stamp the clay with tools to make the screw design. Here are some techniques, which I used in my project.

• ·      Using a drill bit or dull side of knife stamp a slit, this makes, to what referred, as a slot screw.
• ·      Using a drill bit or dull side of knife stamp a make a cross; this makes a sort of a Phillips screw.
• ·      Use various drill bits, like the star shape, stamp make a variety of screws shapes.

Option 3. Use screw brads from the craft store, usually found in the scrapbooking section.
Cut out the back of the brads with tin sheers or wire cutter (use heavy a duty one, not jewelry grade, the brads will break your wire cutter). How do I know? Lol! Then simply glue the screw.

Making the bottle stopper

I made the bottle stopper out of black clay. 

Using a small round rock or dowl, wrap clay around it. This will be kind of a like an armature. Place on the bottle’s opening; ensuring to add some clay to the inside as well as on the outer part of the opening. At this point you can shape the stopper, stamp on it or adhere gears.

Another bottle stopper alternative is to use a dresser knob pull, like in the image above. Craft  and hardware stores sell them. Stick the dresser knob pull in the bottle’s opening and apply the Apoxie Sculpt clay to seams. Stamp or add markings to the clay areas, so that it like an intentional design.  

Allow the clay to cure for 24 hours. 

Finishing the Bottle

Paint the entire bottle with black gesso. This will help the metallic wax to better adhere to the clay. Using your fingers or cotton cloth rub on the metallic wax in the desired metallic color.

I’ll leave you with images of the completed bottle. I hope you give this project a try. Happy claying!