No problem, though; I came up with a display option that was super fun to make, and only costs about $3!
Ta-daaa!
This little purple bottle is the perfect size for the stopper, and Hobby Lobby has a whole range of colors to choose from. (They're normally $5, but you can pull up a coupon on your phone.)
The real fun, though, was making that label! If you look closely you'll see it reads "Madame Leota's Elixir," and the symbol in the middle is the classic Haunted Mansion wallpaper face:
Then at the bottom, in tiny print, it reads "Gracey Potions." Hehehehe.
I started with this free Halloween label, carefully erasing all the text and images and replacing them with my own. Then I aged it up with some warm yellowish browns, and, voila!
Click the pic to embiggen & download, so you can print your own. Depending on your printer you may have to adjust the color a bit; mine prints a lot more reddish, so I really had to bump up the yellows. If you use the same size bottle I did, print your label at 1.8 inches high.
Once I cut out the label & glued it in place with a glue stick, I used some watered down brown paint to add a few more spatter marks, smears, and drips. That extra wear & tear really helps sell the look!
And then, of course, I had to redo our back accent table in a Haunted Mansion theme, just so I'd have the perfect display spot:
I like it.
:)
Fun fact: the green gargoyle, Agnes, is the first gift John ever gave me. She looks right at home with my various antique finds and Haunted Mansion Mickey ears, don't you think?
*****
Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!
This is so clever! My dining room is Haunted Mansion (I've got the stretching room portraits), and this would be cute on the table. I've got a teapot on the table, too, so maybe I can make a potion bottle that actually holds loose tea!
ReplyDeleteOmg! Beth, I'm Huey's sister! Too funny!
DeleteI LOVE this blog. Jen, this is fabulous.
Cue "It's a Small World After All"! Hi, Karen! :)
DeleteYou named your gargoyle!!!??? I LOVE it. She looks like an Agnes, too.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome use for a wine stopper. I am not a wine drinker either and always pass by any stoppers, with a sigh, whenever I see ones I'd like. Now, if I just had a place to put a display of them..... hmmmm......
Just one problem, Jen. I will NOT shop Hobby Lobby. Among other problems, they do not provide complete health care insurance for their employees, mainly reproductive health care.
ReplyDeleteI do not mind the owners being Christian, but they are force their views upon their employees just to keep more money in their pockets.
For Pete's Sake! Buy the bottles some place else! Way to be a Debbie Downer on a fun page. Sheesh.
DeleteHobby Lobby is the Debbie Downer, not Holkie. Let's not shoot the messenger.
DeleteIf anyone wants to know more... http://www.autostraddle.com/hobby-lobby-continues-to-make-crafting-look-bad-with-birth-control-lawsuit-230596/
If they were worried about "money in their pockets" they would probably be open on Sundays.
DeleteYou're right, Holkie. I was really hoping Epbot wouldn't mention/use them anymore.
DeleteShe's welcome to shop wherever she wants. Not everyone feels the need to boycott businesses that meet their purchasing needs because of politics. And quite frankly, the Hobby Lobby insurance issue has been totally blown out of proportion. Did you know that they actually don't want to ban birth control; the only things they don't want to cover are emergency contraceptives like Plan B. People should do some research before just jumping on the anti-bandwagon because of overstated headlines.
DeleteLet's just leave all these politics off Epbot, once and for all. Just enjoy the amazing creativity that Jen shares with us so freely and with so much enthusiasm.
If only these bottles were available elsewhere. Like every other craft store, Walmart, goodwill, whatever... Oh, right. They are.
DeleteGuys, guys.
DeleteIiiii-iiin, oooo-ooout. Iiii-iin, oo-oout. Deep breaths.
Now, hush. Don't get into this arguments on a page that's supposed to be fun and uplifting please!
Eek, sorry for stirring the pot, guys! I only mentioned HL in case anyone wanted to know where to get the exact same bottle, not as an endorsement. I try to keep it politics-free here, although I'm cool with anyone sharing links/expressing views, so long as it's done civilly. And while I'm not a HL boycotter myself, I understand those that are - and I'll promise not to mention the store here again.
DeleteHere's hoping we can all still come together on geeky crafts, at least!
Our Mansion wine stopper has been sitting on a decorative plate in our kitchen since we got it. THIS is the perfect way to display it. Thanks for posting!
DeleteHolkie - I'm with you. Their 401K program actually puts money into the drugs/companies that they are trying to prevent their employees from having covered.
Deleteheath, Plan is often used in the case of rape. So HL is even worse than I stated. It's not blow out of proportion.
DeleteThe very first gift John gave you was a gargoyle? That's perfect. Absolutely perfect. You can tell Agnes likes the new addition.
ReplyDeleteIt's like Halloween in May! I love the little potion bottle idea!
ReplyDeleteFor us non-Dizgeeks, please explain the "Gracey Potions" giggle?
ReplyDeleteHi Miss Mindy!
DeleteThe Haunted Mansion is owned by the Gracey family. In the movie, the main ghost was Edward Gracey.
Sorry, huge HM fan here. Technically no the Mansion is not owned by the Gracey family. The Eddie Murphy movie uses an old bit of HM lore surrounding the Master Gracey headstone. When composer X Atencio wrote the epitaph for Imagineer Yale Gracey, he used the British title "master" meaning a young boy. Gracey was known for having a childlike sense of curiosity and wonder. However when the Mansion opened, Americans mistakenly thought the title meant "master of the house." Some visitors took it a step further by inventing stories about other character being related to Master Gracey. Yet there has never been an official Gracey connection other than the headstone. In recent years, Disney merchandise has implied the Dorian Grey-style portrait is Master Gracey. That is all the further they have taken the story though.
DeleteThere's a low tech sticker maker on the market that you may also want to look into instead of just gluesticks and such. Not that this doesn't look perfect, but oh, how I love my sticker maker. It was easily under $20 at Joanne's.
ReplyDeleteAt some point when we were growing up, my sister put some googly eyes in a film canister (remember those?) and labeled it "Eye of Newt". She then put the canister in Mom's spice rack. It stayed there for YEARS.
ReplyDeleteNow that we're all grown up (ha!), I'm pretty sure I spotted a more sophisticated version of this prop in my sister's kitchen.
It's amazing how hidden geeky items can make one more at ease.
Oh Jen! That's so cute!! What does the Elixir do? Warp you to Disney Land?
ReplyDeleteDarn it. Now I wish I had ordered the stopper when i ordered the hourglass during the sale online last week......
ReplyDeleteThat's so beautiful! I also always love to see your vignettes! Do you have to do anything special to keep your kitties away? Mine think any trinkets not nailed down are toys, so anything nice has to stay high up.
ReplyDeleteSo cute! I have never been able to do anything like that in my house. Too many soccer balls, hockey pucks, dogs with big tails…
ReplyDeleteI love the label that you made; it looks very professionally done.
Fabulous! I love it.
ReplyDeleteI keep wondering how much dusting you have to do every week. I used to do vignettes at home but stopped after our last move because of all the dusting I had to do to keep them looking tidy.
Although, this vignette would look absolutely right with a bit of dust and cobweb... ; )
Ok I didn't have a reason to the get the stopper when on vacation this year. Now I have ordered one! What a cute idea! Oh, and I may have accidentally ordered another Haunted Manor Candle holder. :) Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDelete