Since it was October, I also made other Fall and Halloween related items. The bottle decor took on a life of its own.
I drilled a hole in all of the bottles and inserted a small string of lights, battery operated. Unfortunately these were completed too late for Halloween shoppers, but have been stored for next year's early shoppers.
Enter the Christmas Collection. The constant is the drilled hole, the lights and the "grape cluster." My sister has a stash of antlers that she found on her ranch property. She has always said that she does not know what to do with them. I asked her for some to see what I could make with them. I made her a Fall themed centerpiece and added antlers to the wine bottles.
These projects got me started into doing more of the bottles - to sell at a craft show. I also found some glass bricks that I have had for many many years, They were reincarnated into something new. Christmas decor was in full swing with wine bottles and burlap items
This was my display at the craft show at the mobile home park. These shows are popular here in December, January, and February when South Texas hosts the Winter Texans. I sold the wine bottles for $10 or $15 if I used antlers. The glass blocks also went for $15. Several people were surprised by the prices, too low. Hummm!
The wine bottles were a hit and the burlap items were not. After Christmas, all the burlap items went into storage for next year. I have to remember to start selling and making these in October.
The unsold glass items were re-purposed for the next selling season Valentines Day and Spring decorated items.
After Valentine's Day, I will do one show a month. Weslaco has an event on Texas Blvd. (main street). Vendors, crafts, foodies, live music at 6 p.m. I learned to restrain myself with this project. Buy materials only as items are sold. At one point, I went to the liquor store looking for pretty bottles, not caring whether I likes the wine or not. I did not buy any. I realized that I needed to look for a 12 step program for crafters.
My former neighbor was a collector of cardboard to sell. He also collected trash that he sold or tried to sell at the flea markets. I asked him to look for wine and liquor bottles and that I would buy them. Three days later he had a load of about 40 bottles. A week later he had more. Currently I am stocked for the next year. I simply have to be very creative and use what I have. A flower stem with leaves is .97 at Walmart. I can decorate 4 bottles from the one stem. The most expensive item used is the drill bit. It has to be a diamond coated bit and I have learned to be very selective of what I drill and how many. The bits do not last and soon the bottles begin to crack and break. Live and learn.
The burlap crafts will take a backseat to wood. I will begin collecting wood planks, scraps and make signs such as
Stay tuned to see what happens.
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