If you’re looking for a craft or hobby to help you de-stress after a long day, bottle painting can be extremely therapeutic. Using acrylic paints, paint brushes, and Q-tips, you can turn your empty bottles into gorgeous designs in mere minutes. We’re sharing bottle painting tips for beginners below, along with 8 easy designs to help you get started! These bottle painting projects look beautiful displayed on a windowsill or as a dining table centerpiece, and they make the perfect homemade gifts to give to family and friends.
8 Bottle Painting Tips for Beginners
1. Clean and dry your bottles first. This will ensure the surface of your bottles are smooth for a more professional finished look.
2. Prime your bottle to avoid chipping and peeling. A spray primer works best as it allows you to apply a thin coat and dries fairly quickly.
3. Apply your base coat with an artist sponge. If you use a paint brush to apply your base coat, it can be really difficult to avoid the appearance of brush strokes. Using an artist sponge will ensure your base coat is evenly distributed over the surface of your bottle.
4. Use acrylic glass paints. Acrylic paints are best for bottle painting projects as they will adhere properly to your bottle.
5. Give glass painting markers a try! While paints and paint brushes allow you to mix colors and create designs of different sizes, glass painting markers are a great option for beginner bottle painting projects.
6. Paint your bottle right side up. This will ensure any drips are towards the bottom of your bottle, making them less likely to be seen and easier to fix.
7. Invest in a pair of detail paint brushes. This will allow you to apply intricate designs to your bottles.
8. Apply a finishing varnish. This will help protect your finish piece from chipping.
8 Bottle Painting Essentials
Before you give any of these bottle painting projects a try, check to make sure you have all of the supplies you’ll need on hand.
Empty bottles
Spray primer
Artist sponges
Paint brushes of various sizes
Detail paint brushes
Acrylic glass paints
Paint trays
Bottle painting markers
Q-tips
Toothpicks
Pencils with erasers
Sharpie markers
Finishing varnish
9 Bottle Painting Projects for Beginners
Quick and Easy Bottle Painting for Beginners | SABIRA SHAMEEM
If you’re looking for basic bottle painting ideas you can do with your kids, this is a great one to start with. There is nothing precise or detailed about it, but the finished product is quite stunning. Make sure to cover your work area with some kraft paper roll as this project can get a tad messy!
Easy Bottle Painting For Beginners | craft gallery
I love the way she mixes her base colors in this tutorial and then creates texture on her bottle using acrylic paints and a sponge!
Easy Plastic Bottle Painting | lovelybull
If you don’t have any empty glass bottles on hand, you can create all of these designs using plastic bottles as well. You will likely need to use a different kind of paint (choose one that is designed for use on plastic surfaces), but can still create beautiful works of art with whatever type of bottle you have on hand. This bottle painting project uses fabric paints, and it’s a great craft to do with kids!
Beginners Bottle Art | Jyoshita Ghate
This bottle painting project is so colourful, and I was mesmerized watching her create her Mandala art with a sharpie!
EASY Dot Mandala Bottle Painting | Lydia May
This bottle painting project looks advanced, but it’s actually quite easy! All you need are toothpicks, Q-tips, and pencils with erasers.
EASY Rainbow Dot Bottle Painting | Lydia May
This is similar to the idea above, but a little bit easier for beginners and kids. She shows you how to create different sized dots, but you can use the same sized dots to keep things simple if needed.
Beautiful Red and White Glass Bottle Painting Idea | mystiqueART
I admit I thought this design looked too complicated when I first saw it, but she uses HER FINGERS to create the beautiful flowers showcased on this bottle painting art! You will still need a small paintbrush to add details to the design, but you will be pleasantly surprise at how easy this project is!
Glass Bottle Painting | Craft Arena
This is another design that looks difficult to recreate but it’s surprisingly easy to do. All you need is black glass paint outliner and glass colors. It takes a little practice, but once you get the technique down, you will be amazed at what you can create!
Diwali-Inspired Bottle Painting | You and Craft
This looks like a more advanced bottle painting project, but I promise it isn’t. The gold acrylic looks stunning against the black base color, and the finished piece makes for a beautiful gift, table centerpiece, or holiday decoration. You’ll need a glass bottle (obviously!), PVA glue, black acrylic paint, and metallic acrylic paint.
Whether you’re looking for a new hobby to help you decompress after work, or on the hunt for homemade gifts kids can make, I hope this collection of bottle painting projects inspires you!