How can I make a blood vial / blood bottle necklace?

Question

I really want a blood bottle necklace. But the ones on eBay and etsy are really expensive. Also, I think I'd rather have a more classic looking bottle than the simple jar-ones you usually see. So I thought, maybe I can make one using an empty perfume bottle.

Point is I don't really know how to do this. Ofcourse I'll have to get a bottle & clean it carefully, but from there I'm stuck.

Like, what do you use for the blood? I've read in the description of a vial online they used dove blood ink. That looked pretty real (I also really want it to look real and not just like red water). I've even seen people use real blood for it - which actually sounds like a pretty good option if you have no money! XD

Then, whatever I use for the blood, how can I put it in the bottle and seal it so it won't leak? Normal perfume bottles have a plastic or glass cap ofcourse (I'll certainly get one with a plug in it, so not a spray), but if I glue that into the bottle would that hold? Or could I better glue a cork in it?

Then for the label on it. I'm good with Photoshop, so creating a label won't be hard for me. But how do I apply it to the glass? I don't want it to fall off, and I want it to look like the labels on real bottles. Would glueing still be a good option then?

And then last; how do I make a necklace of it? If I use a cork as a lid, I figured I could just push a pin in it and apply a necklace. But if I'd use a glass or plastic lid, then how can I properly make it a necklace?

Answer 1

OK, here is the thing, and I am talking by experience here:

It will be far less expensive for you to buy an already made necklace than to buy separately each and every component you need to make just one. The people who sell them have already tried several methods and perfected a technique so their creation looks good and authentic. By trial and error you will waste a lot of money on components to make your necklace look good.



BUT, if you are set on making your own, here is some info:



1) Don't use real blood, be it your own, someone else's or farm animal's blood. It will clot, no matter what you read online about adding vinegar or home-made remedies. For it to not clot, you need an anticoagulant, that you can only get at a pharmacy with a prescription or if you are a nurse or health care professional.



2) Using a water-based liquid for the blood you risk that it will eventually dry, leaving your bottle empty. I have made necklaces that those, and I found that the thing that it looks more like blood is clear soap dyed with a red candle dye. It prevents spillages and it won't dry and disappear. You can buy soap and red candle dye at your local Michael's. Don't use red soap dye because in the end it will turn pink.

I have never used red ink, but if I were to use a water-based liquid I would use tap water with red food coloring, like the ones they sell at Halloween or to decorate cakes.

You can also use makeup stage blood (they sell it at Halloween stores).



Here is info on a website about how to seal your necklace (I have never tried this method):

http://www.vampirewear.com/fillvial.html

If link does not work, go to vampirewear.com and click The Laboratory.



For gluing the caps you can't use superglue because once dried it will turn white and may ruin the filling or cloud the glass in white.



For gluing a label, if you intend to use it as jewelry, I would use regular white glue (the one that kids use in school) or a glue stick - the white glue is better and label will probably not fall. You can always seal it with clear masking tape or a clear varnish, but I have never done that.



How to make it into jewelry if it has not a cork or a plastic cap with a ring? I have no idea.



Good luck on your project.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I learned how to make a glass vial necklace here:

http://www.pilotvials.com/VialNecklace.html

Hope this helps!