Message In A Bottle

 by: Lynda K. Smith

This Valentine's Day, create, and give a unique Valentine that they will cherish and remember; a heart felt, "Message In A Bottle". You may have seen them in Gift Stores or Personalized Gift Stores (I have seen these Retail between $9.95-$24.99). You may have heard about them from a friend or maybe you have made one or more yourself.

Here are just a few suggestions to try but... whatever you do, "Just Be Creative!"

To start with you will need about a 7"(inch) glass bottle with a removable cork top. These are small bottles and they come in different shapes, colors, and sizes. I suggest using a 7"(inch) bottle but, you may choose to use a larger bottle.

Because, the message that will go into the bottle is the most important part start with that first. Choose the paper that your personalized message will go on or written on. I suggest a nice piece of Parchment Paper. An Off White or Light Beige works the best.

Next think about what message you want to give to your Valentine(s), Your Husband, Children, Friends, Family, etc... You can write a message from your heart, or you can obtain a sentiment or poem from a number of online resources. Whatever you choose to write, "Make It Special."

Cut the piece of parchment paper or paper of your choice in half or quarters, for larger bottles you can use a whole piece of paper.

Once you have your message, Write it on the piece of paper, or use a project software program such as "Print Shop" or whatever program you happen to have. You can use decorative valentine borders, and write/type your message inside the border.

Next you will want to prepare the message bottle with "fillers". You can use the following fillers; (the possibilities are endless, use your imagination)

• Art Sand (fill bottom with ½ to 1 tsp)- (Suggested colors are; White, Beige, Pink, or Red)

• Miniature Sea Shells (Place a few on top of sand)

• Miniature Metallic Heart-Shaped Red or Multi-colored Confetti (Use this instead of sand and sea shells)

• Heart-Shaped "Red Hots", or plain "Red Hots" Candy (Use only a few & Make sure you know the person likes them)

• Miniature Artificial Floral Picks (Palm Tree, flowers, etc.../ One pick)

• Paper Tiki Drink Umbrella (Red, Pink or Natural)

Now for the final touch. Once the message bottle is filled with the fillers of your choosing, take your message and roll it into a tight scroll. You can secure it with a very small rubber band, yarn, string, ribbon, raffia, craft string, or whatever you prefer. Place or position the message into the bottle. replace the cork top. Tie a piece of string, yarn, ribbon, raffia, or craft string around the "neck" of the bottle... You may even want to tie a "To & From" gift tag unto the message bottle. And your done!

People enjoy receiving unique gifts, and especially gifts that are made from the heart.

Note: You can find the fillers at most craft stores, and you can find the glass bottles at most craft stores that carry Art Sand supplies. You can purchase some really neat glass bottles at the Oriental Trading Co. http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=GpBKQzQ31W0&offerid=10012&type=3&subid=0

The bottles can be purchased by the dozen so, you can give a "Message In A Bottle" to more than one person and best of all these bottles come in different shapes and colors.

**If you need a valentine graphic image or border for your message, you may download or print one or more from here: http://www.craftsxcetra.com/valentine_printables.html

To download Image; Right Click on image and click "Save Picture As" or just print it on your message paper if you plan to use a whole sheet of paper. If you are planning to resize the image you will need to "download" it first. Note: These images can only be used for personal use.