Cross Bottles

I have been making cross bottle art for about 6 years (I think) now.

I love it. 

Before that I made beaded wire crosses and before that . . I can't remember, probably something country crafty (I used to be kinda into that, not anymore.)

I first saw a cross bottle in a little boutique here in Palm Springs that's closed now and LOVED it. I thought to myself, I bet I could make that!

I went home and began to try to figure it out. I had never done stained glass or anything with a soldering iron so it was trial and error for me. I asked around to a few friends and eventually figured it out! 

I decided the first year of making them that I would only give them as gifts and not sell any. It was so fun for me to look for a special bottle that perfectly fit each girlfriend (we are pretty big on birthday parties!) I love to look in antique stores and sometimes get carried away. I have more bottles than I know what to do with!

(Not really, I could never have too many!)

One of my friends husbands name is Tom and I found an antique Tom's soda bottle to make her cross on. My youngest daughter has been wearing the same perfume for a few years now and the bottle is a cute little red bottle with a rose on it, so I made a little one for her. My good friend Dana loves anything to do with the sea and wanted a collection of bottles with shells and starfish on top.

This week I've been working on one for a friend whose daughter was married in Italy. She saved a wine bottle from their wedding and asked me to make a cross for their first anniversary. Another mom saved a Jones soda bottle from her sons wedding and some sand from the beach they were married on. I put some of the sand in the bottle and made a cross on the top for them. 

What wonderful gifts for these newlyweds! 

What wonderful moms to think to save the bottles :)

Six years later I have made so many bottles for so many people I've lost count. Each bottle is unique, speciall and has so much character just like it's owner.

Pretty is . . . a cross bottle.