OK, kids, the artsy-craftsy portion of our program will now begin.
Inquiring minds want to know: You finally got a full bottle of that amazing fragrance that you love. You’ve worn the dickens out of it, decanted it and sampled it to share with friends, sprayed your sheets, etc., and now it’s all gone. The empty bottle is far too pretty to throw away, but somehow, it looks a bit – well — empty.
I finally got that Reem Acra number I was coveting, but it’s one of those that will need a lightly tinted amber or pale gold background inside 
to show the bottle design off to full effect. I’ve heard of collectors who will fill empty bottles with colored water or some other liquid. How does one go about doing this, does anyone know?
I’m thinking you need a very small pair of pliers (needle nose?) to gently get the sprayer off, but what then? And what to do once you get the liquid in — do you use the pliers or something else to crimp the top back on or try to seal it some other way? Sheesh, maybe you need an engineering degree to do this right, eh? This ought to be interesting because I am definitely NOT noted for being handy or crafty.
In my empty bottle explorations, I’ve seen photos of bottles that became flower or bud vases and even reed diffusers, and I’m sure you all have some other great ideas. At any rate, it’ll be nice to actually display something, rather than have it locked up tight in a dark, cool storage spot, yes?
Would love to hear your tips and suggestions, and also creative things you’ve done with your beloved empty bottle. Speaking of bottles, which ones are you currently coveting? I know I am drooling a bit over that gorgeous opalescent Amouage Fate Woman beauty. And that LE bottle of the latest Serge, Vierge de something or other, also looks rather interesting.
The Amouage Gold bottle is one of my prized possessions and I’m very bad because I cant bear to shut it away, so it sits on my vanity (half full). I am an estate sale addict which in turn, feeds my perfume addiction so have been lucky enough to acquire lots of empty or nearly empty treasures. I also love the L’Air du Temps double dove bottle and have several in different colors. I’m a Guerlin ho, so of course, the iconic Shalimar flacon is prominent in my collection. The EDC “donut” bottles are so simple but they still really apeal to me. I recently found a bottle of Guerlain Atuana at a sale – ravishing bottle! I’ve never thought of filling my empty bottles with colored water but I like the idea of colored paper. And a Shalimar lamp!! I’m going to give that some serious thought…
Wow, Sally! You have some amazing finds there. I need to start visiting estate sales — you just never know what you’ll discover. We’ll all have to put our heads together and figure out how best to do the colored paper thing.
I just let ’em over the vanity, getting the light they were not allowed to when they were functioning fume bottles. But now that I read this post, I want to make a Shalimar lamp.
How cool would that be, Solanace! If you do it, let us know and share photos.
If you want to put a foreign substance (colored water) into a perfume bottle, be sure and add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the mixture. Those cloudy bacterial ridden waters look disgusting in a beautiful bottle. I think I would simply make a colored paper background to display the bottle. Help me out here you scrapbookers. Crafty I am not.
Good thinking there, Jan! Cloudy water would be pretty gross. Need to think about how your colored paper idea might work. Thanks!
I have never finished a full bottle of anything let alone contemplated tinkering with the bottle because it is fabulous. The Amouage bottles are the only “cool” bottles in my collection.
Ah, those Amouage bottles — gotta love ’em! So am I crazy for wanting to “tinker”? 🙂
omg! you people need to PUT DOWN THE BOTTLE! and get over here and help me move this damn dirt! 😀
OK, OK! We’ll be right there! Seriously, though, what would you do if 10 or 15 of us showed up unannounced on your doorstep? 😉
assuming you were dressed to move dirt? Go bake up some brownies, put on the coffee and dance the Dance of Joy! xoxoxoA
Wish I could go move some dirt and eat your brownies. 🙂
Me, too!
Musette, if I lived closer to you I would totally help you with that dirt.
Hi, Ann – hmm, what is this empty bottle of which you speak? Ha! I’m afraid to finish anything, including decants, for fear that maybe I’ll never replace it! That said, that Amouage bottle is breathtaking, isn’t it?
I know, I know! I’m not even quite there yet myself as far as completely emptying one It does make you feel a bit anxious, doesn’t it? If I had the $$$, I’d buy several things just to display because they’re so gosh-darn beautiful.
Personally I’d keep the bottles intact cause they’re so pretty!
Oh and thanks for the recommendation, Portia, I actually went to watch the video you recommended and it looks really cool!
Wish I could keep the bottles pristine. In an ideal world, you could have two bottles of a favorite scent: one to use and one to display. Must watch that video as well.
Hey there Ann,
I was watching a Keedon Wong (the splitter) video recently where he shows how he decants: with a cut short medical syringe down into the tube and sucks it up. I think you could possible reverse the process with fragrance of your choice.
Portia xx
That sounds interesting — will definitely have to go watch it and take notes, ha! Thanks, dear!
I took the top off a spray bottle once by cutting through the upper plastic part first with metal cutters and then prying the rest of the metal of with smaller clippers. Haven’t tried to fill or reclose it, though.
Most of the SL LE bell jars are great – I like the one with the cat especially. 🙂
I confess that when I heard Lubin Idole was being discontinued I bought it mainly for the bottle. It looks great in person and the box is really nice, too.
Thanks for the tips — I can sure use them. Those bell jars are lovely, aren’t they? And so glad you got the cool Lubin bottle, too.