Gold Leaf Milk Bottles

Gold leaf milk bottles have been floating around on my to-do list for months. Each season brought about a new color scheme but I think it is kismet that it finally fit now. With talk of leprechauns, rainbows and pots of gold, it is perfect for today.

I’ve been captivated by the use of milk bottles as drinking vessels for a long while. Whenever they show up in a photo spread, my approval of said spread goes up ten fold. They are sweet and unassuming and, in the words of my Love Bug, fancy (meaning they are not plastic or a regular glass). When I’ve used them for gatherings, they have brought a smile to more than one guest. The gold leaf sets them apart just a bit more. They are not just distinct anymore but distinct and extra, extra fancy.

If you are unaware, you can ‘make your own’ milk bottles by cleaning up Starbucks coffee bottles available at most grocery stores (and online). Use some Goof Off, or another terrible-smelling but strong cleaner, to remove the adhesive and date print from the exterior of the bottle and then wash them thoroughly. I made my first set a few years ago and they were a big hit at Bug’s birthday.

Gold leafing a milk bottle is the same as gold leafing everything else. Brush on the gold leaf adhesive. Let it sit until it turns clear and very tacky. Apply gold leaf. Coat with gold leaf sealer.

These bottles will always be hand-wash only and I will even go a step further and get a brush to thoroughly clean the interior while treating the exterior with an extra gentle touch. I don’t mind. Some fancy things have to be treated differently.

Sometimes, we need a bit of sparkle and shine.

With a few colorful straws, we have the rainbow and the gold.

Cheers!