By Anthony Christian

PEARL'S HOUSE of GLASS http://stores.ebay.com/Pearls-House-of-Glass

People Collect Old  bottles for many reasons. They are a part of History. To own a bottle that someone used and held in there own hands 200 years ago brings a feeling of touching the past--- A kind of time travel. It lets us imagine whos lives it might have passed through--- how they dressed-- What were they thinking and feeling as they picked up that bottle?--- What was their world like at that time?

Some people collect bottles because of their rarity or value. There are bottles worth at least 5 Figures, like the BRYANTS STOMACH BITTERS bottle that sold for $ 68,750 in a 1998 auction.  Others desire a bottle beacuse of it's beauty and color, or to know that each bottle was hand made and Free blown or Mold blown,( before they had machine made bottles ); This adds to the fact that every old bottle has it's own character----It  has it's own color variations, it's own set of air bubble clusters, and stretch marks. Each bottle has it's own characteristics of age and use --- It's own nicks,  scratches, bruises, and even beautiful cloudy film residue formations . In essence EACH BOTTLE IS A ONE OF A KIND PIECE with it's own Personality and...... Aesthetics ! 

AESTHETICS  is our point here. There are many other reasons people collect bottles, but this guide is about one of the practical uses of antique bottle collecting--HOME DECORATION !!;  Even  if you don't care about the bottle's history or rarity, everyone can make use of the beauty they can add to your room, apartment or house. The shapes and color variations you can use are endless.

We collect bottles for all of the reasons above, but I and Val D'Franco of  PEARL'S HOUSE of GLASS, http://stores.ebay.com/Pearls-House-of-Glass as well as being lifetime Antique Collectors, have backgrounds also in Interior design and Home decorating, so I thought it would be fitting to write a down to earth, practical Guide, listing the many ways we have used bottles to decorate our home and other people's homes. The Ideas are almost infinite, so we understand that this is not a comprehensive list of ideas. Some of you will already have great Ideas of your own. I hope many of you Find this guide helpful in getting your juices flowing so that you might come up with some decorative uses for bottles for yourself .  Just let your imagination run wild as you read over our list. I know that , in no time at all , you will be coming up with your own wonderful Ideas to decorate your home with antique bottles.

WE WELCOME  YOUR OWN IDEAS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US ALL, THAT WE CAN ADD TO THIS LIST. ( we will credit you for your contribution under your ebay name unless you ask us not to.) JUST CONTACT ME. http://stores.ebay.com/Pearls-House-of-Glass

Note:  Antique Bottles, Flasks and Jars come in Uncolored Glass, and many colours and variations of those colours; The main ones being variations of :  Cobalt Blue, Cornflower blue, Ice blue, Teal Blue, Aqua Blue, Aqua Green, Olive green, Emerald Green,  Black Glass ( Very Dark Olive), Yellow, Citron, Amber, Yellow Amber, Honey Amber, Red Amber, Purple,  Lavender, Red, brown, and if you really search, you can find almost any color and shade you can imagine.  Opaline, Opalescent,  Orange, Pink, and some of  the other more rare colors can be found more easily in Perfume, Barber, cologne, and scent bottles. ---- THE SKY IS THE LIMIT !!!!

Ideas For Decorating with Bottles:

1.) An old whicker basket full of small antique bottles and tied around with a pretty colour ribbon makes a wonderful display piece in the bathroom.

2.) Also for the bathroom, you can  find old bottles with wide mouths and use them for what they are --- containers !!! Put your q- tips in them, cotton swabs, toothbrushes, razors, and other toiletries. Wow !!! This really can raise the elegance, charm and beauty level of your bath room. . Note: The colors and shades of bottles is so great you will have no problem matching color themes.

3.) Try filling your bottles, flasks and jars with Marbles or sea shells. You can even get more creative and put a layer of sand or colored pebbles, followed by a layer of sea shells, followed by another layer of sand, colored pebbles etc. ----- Use your imagination on this one and the beauty you can create is endless. Note: ( this works better with uncolored bottles or aqua glass bottles.)

4.) Some of the old Milk Bottles make wonderful Vases. ( Great for countryside wild flowers )

5.) Long Pussy willow can make a beautiful room decoration ( on the floor by the door as you come in etc.) when displayed in a tall 12" or more 19th century amber bottle, or Black glass bottle. --- Note: make sure that the willow  are not heavy enough to tip your bottle over. Thick heavy glass bottles work best. Long Twigs work well too.You can even paint them.

6.)  Display your old bottles , in the colors you choose, ON THE MANTLE OF A FIRE PLACE. When the fire is lit you will be amazed at how much magic and color they will bring to the room as they glow. (PLAYING WITH LIGHTING CAN BE FUN and THE RESULTS CAN BE SPECTACULAR WITH BOTTLES). ( Old electrical glass insulators work this way as well)

7.) An Old BLACK GLASS, OR OLIVE GLASS WINE BOTTLE makes a wonderful candle holder. Try other tall bottles of other colours as well. note: make sure your bottle is big and heavy enough so that it won't tip and cause a fire.

8.) Many Antique Bottles ( especially those unmarked medicine bottles in uncolored glass) are very common. Make sure you are not dealing with a rare bottle ( this idea could stain it permanently). Try filling it with oil or water that you have died with food coloring. ) the effects can be very antique, old, nostalgic, and New Age at the same time. --- experiment.

9.) We, among countless others,  Have found the natural light of the sun to be spectacular when Placing Colored Bottles on Window Ledges.

10.) To add Great charm and Antique richness to a room, Try lining your bottles up on the floor against one of your walls. - Find A wall that just looks empty - Looks like it needs something or lacks something. Take your bottles and arrange them from medium size up to your tallest. _ like an organ.  - arranging them by size can be a wonderful effect.

11.) On the subject of arranging by size, we make what we call A GLASS CASTLE. Take them to the Place in the room where the castle will catch the light and look the best.We take a collection of bottles that we hand pick for their shapes and colors ( we usually use about 20 or more ). Next We arrange them by size with the smallest up front and the largest in the back. We Bring them together almost touching each other, and Tie a Thin copper wire around them so they don't fall. The Effect is of a small Glass Castle.

12.)  Great Big Glass or Stoneware Jugs Look Great On The Porch, Veranda, or Deck.  The Bigger the Jug, the better. Big Old Water Jugs, or Wine Jugs work best.

Within these Decorating Ideas I've Given, You can think of combinations and adaptations infinitely. Like I stated earlier, WE WELCOME YOUR IDEAS AS WELL. We will share them with our readers.

HAVE FUN !!!!! Tony & Val.

http://stores.ebay.com/Pearls-House-of-Glass