DIY Chalkboard Painted Wine Bottles

Have you seen those sarcastic and sassy electronic cards floating around the internet? If you haven't been to their website, I'm sure you've seen them pop up on your Facebook or Pinterest feed; one friend is wishing another a happy birthday ("If I lived closer I would almost definitely try to come out for your birthday") or complaining about their case of the Mondays ("May your Monday be as swift and merciful as an execution").

But there's one in particular that I love:

Unless you're a real rugged mountain woman, this probably applies to you. I know it applies to me! While I like a good hike every now and again, it's pretty hard to beat sipping some vino on an outdoor patio. And it's a win-win if that patio happens to be located at a winery in the mountains or overlooking the river here in Richmond (you get the best of both worlds).

Speaking of wine and patios, I recently did a mini project involving these two things. It's been a little while since I've done a DIY project (blaming the miserable winter), but now that spring has sprung, I've been a lot more active in the DIY realm. Active as in...I've been drinking lots of wine, cleaning the bottles, and spray painting them on my teeny patio.

If you're a wine lover like I am, then you already have 1/3 of the necessary supplies for this project sitting in your fridge or on your counter. So, drink up - and let's get started.

Supplies:

• Chalkboard spray paint
• White or colored chalk
• Dark or green wine bottles, labeled removed

First things first: the wine label has got to go. Soak the empty wine bottles in a sink or bucket filled with warm water and soap for 20 minutes. Take out of the water and scrape the rest of the label off. I used a mixture between my fingers and a dull kitchen knife. Keep rinsing and scraping until the wine bottle is completely clean. Don't forget to remove the foil at the neck of the bottle, too.

Spray paint your wine bottles with a couple of coats of chalkboard spray paint and let dry. One can was enough to fully paint six bottles for this project. I give each bottle about 3 coats and tried my very best to spray evenly while staying far enough back from the bottle. As much as I tried to avoid it, some drip marks showed up on a few of them (from the paint being too thick when I would spray too close to the bottle).

But they look so cool when they're done that it's easy to ignore the drip marks!

I put the bottles on a circular table and worked my way around it with the paint.

Painting tips:

• Paint outdoors in an open space on a clear day.
• Lay down lots of newspaper or cardboard to cover the area. I used cut up paper grocery bags and rotated the bottles in and out while painting.
• Stand wine bottles up and apply three or four coats for maximum coverage.
• If necessary, you can flip wine bottles on their side and apply another coat to the bottom.
• Use dark or green wine glass bottles (they'll hide any chips better than clear glass).

Let the bottles dry completely. 

Then, chalk it up! I found that using thicker chalk (think: drawing hopscotch on a patio) worked much better than the thinner chalk (think: from a classroom). 

I used them for centerpieces at a bridal shower. Instead of displaying table numbers for a seating chart, I (or my sister who has better handwriting than me) decorated them phrases relating to marriage, the couple's wedding date, the bride's new last name, etc.They'd be perfect for as table settings for a dinner party, baby shower, or holiday party - I can't wait to use them all year!

Directions:

1. Wash out the wine bottles and remove labels by soaking in warm water and soap for 20 minutes. Let the bottles dry completely.

2. Cover an open area with newspaper and spray paint the bottles with chalkboard paint. Use two or three coats to make sure the bottle is completely covered..

3. After several hours, once your bottles have dried, give them some personality with chalk. Wrapping twine or burlap in a bow around the top is also a nice addition.