Are you the type of person who heads to bed with a glass of water in case you wake up thirsty in the middle of the night? If yes, then you, too, should make these etched glass monogrammed water bottles!
I made them for each member of my family and we’ve been using them for a while. We keep them by our bedside table and they’ve proven to be convenient {each of us has its own, no mixing, no sharing!}, environmentally friendly {less use of plastic bottles} and safe to drink from {no PVC, BPA or other chemicals found in plastic}, monogrammed {so classy}, a money saver {we now rarely buy cases of mineral bottled water}, a luxury {such a better feeling than drinking out of plastic}.
About three months ago we all realized that the number of cases of plastic bottled water that we were hauling from Costco had somehow increased – apparently, most of us had gotten into the habit of taking a couple of bottled waters into our rooms for the night. But, like in any other home, there is fresh and free water (well, not completely free, but very inexpensive), so there is no excuse for drinking water out of plastic bottles.
I looked for ideas that could replace the convenience of an Arrowhead bottle (Ozarka, here in Texas) for our bedside tables and each had their pros and cons:
- The simplest idea is to have a glass of water on the bedside table and that ensures fresh water every night. But one glass is not always sufficient and it’s often risky (I’ve seen a couple knocked down by my kids during their sleep).
- The glass carafes that come with a drinking glass on top (such as these) are an elegant solution but water drips down on the bedside table when the drinking glass is put back on the carafe. Most of them are also somehow fragile ~ we had a couple of those in the past and the glass chipped easily.
- Reusable water bottles… they’re perfect for the outdoors & for office use and yes, they are very convenient, but I don’t find them stylish at all for a bedroom.
- Glass bottles that are actually designed for water are too high so they don’t fit under the refrigerator’s water dispenser to get refilled. They also have narrow necks and it’s difficult to refill them from the fridge dispenser or from a water filter pitcher (such as Brita). Plus, most of them can’t be monogrammed because they already have either printed text on them (i.e H20 or other related quotes), or embossed icons or color.
Sooooo…. the solution was to buy {from the grocery store} juice or water that comes in clear glass bottles and re-use the bottles for our bedside tables.
I was looking for the perfect bottle with: no printing on it, small in size so it would fit under the refrigerator’s water dispenser (16 fl oz. – about 500 ml), in a nice looking and modern shape, with a smooth surface to etch a monogram, with a large neck for easy refill, and with a neutral color cap.
There are plenty of juice brands that fit the above description, but I chose these, not only because this brand’s glass bottles have all the above characteristics but because I love drinking kombucha fermented tea, so they basically came free!
Here’s what you’ll need:
And here’s how you will make them:
1. Remove the labels from the bottle. Make sure to also remove any glue residue as the tiniest trace will leave a mark on the etched part. Wash the inside of the bottle and the cap with warm water and dish soap {it will take a few washes before the smell of the previous content goes completely away}. Place the cap back on the bottle and dry well the exterior of the bottle.
2. Place the letter sticker on the bottle, away from the bottle’s seam. I chose these vinyl letter stickers from the hardware store; they are the kind that are used on a mailbox ~ these adhere strongly to the glass and are resistant to the etching cream.
3. With the painter’s tape, create a square around the letter sticker, as such:
4. Read and follow the safety instructions on the etching cream container. Wear gloves and eye protection.
5. Apply the etching cream using the brush, around the letter sticker but inside the square of tape. Make sure to cover all this area, especially the corners for sharp results, brushing in all directions. Also, make sure that a thick coat of etching cream stays on all the time. There are several videos online that show you how.
6. Let the etching cream stay on for several minutes (up to five) then rinse under cold water, remove the letter sticker and the painter’s tape ~ your etched monogrammed bottle is ready!
7. With a cotton pad and rubbing alcohol, you can remove the expiration date printed on the cap.
I made two for each of us, so there is no stress to refill one every single day. We’ve been using them for more than three months and they usually get refilled every couple of days on average.
Since everyone of us uses his/her own bottles there’s no need to wash them on a daily basis. Every couple of days or so – or when they show up in the kitchen for refill – I rinse them and wash the neck of the bottle and the cap with a little dish soap.
Now, every family member is responsible for refilling his/her own bottles and taking them to his/her room before going to bed (although, upon the request of some cute little voices, I do a provide night time room service every now and then 😉 ).
THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST.
