A pirate or romantic ship in a bottle, surrounded by fish, is a wonderful souvenir that is impressive and fascinating at the same time. The sailboat in the bottle seemed to hit the modern shelf from the pages of an adventure novel about sea robbers. How do ship models in a bottle? About this in the article.
Ancient ship from book stories
The inventor of the "bottle" ships was the usual school teacher Harry Eng. He was full of ideas and figured out how to make unique souvenirs. With his skillful hands, a large number of such crafts were created, inside which were not only sailboats. The bottle got: ships, books, tennis and baseballs, padlocks of an unusual shape.
Today on the shelves of stores a large number of such souvenirs. Many buyers have a question, how to put a ship into a bottle. Someone for a long time turns the bottle in their hands, trying to understand the secret. Someone is sure that the bottle is simply cut and then glued. Then they are very surprised if they do not find any signs of bonding.
But the secret is pretty simple. And for a person who likes to do something with his own hands, it will not be difficult to make such a souvenir. This interesting and creative work will bring great pleasure. The main thing is to understand how the ship gets into the bottle.
Bottle frigate
There are several ways to put a ship in a bottle. Consider the most popular.
The first option is quite simple. From the materials you will need:
- glass or plastic bottle with a wide neck;
- folding model of a sailboat;
- threads, hinge;
- decorative cover or cork.
A boat can be purchased in a store (you need to choose a model with removable parts) or make it yourself. An important condition is the flexibility of the mast, which can be tilted to the sides. For this, a hinge is provided at its base, providing sufficient flexibility. Rigging threads are attached to the mast. When folded, the boat can freely pass through the neck of the bottle. For clarity, all stages of the work are shown in the picture.
- First you need to establish the base to which the boat is attached. Then carefully place the vessel inside the vessel and gently pull on the threads so that the mast straightens.
- When the sailboat has taken proper position, cut the threads. It remains only to close the bottle neck with a cap or stopper.
A simple way to assemble a souvenir
There is another way to make a ship in a bottle. In this case, the ship does not have a flexible mast and is a complete product.
- A plastic bottle is used, the top is carefully cut in it. The inside of the bottle is ready for use. Inside, you can easily place any item.
- A stand is attached to the bottom of a horizontally laid bottle with hot glue. From above, its base is also lubricated with glue. The boat is fixed on it. The inner walls of the bottle and the space around the ship can be decorated with artificial algae, figures of fish, gulls, a mermaid or a starfish.
- The cut off part of the container must be returned to its place, greasing the edges with hot glue. Some use tape. To hide the seam, you can use small shells, algae, sand. The final touch will be the original cork or a folded piece of paper in the form of a note.
Men - inventors of a ship in a bottle
Many are keen on collecting such fakes. Someone is waiting for them as a gift, but someone understood how they put a ship into a bottle, and makes such models on their own. Moreover, instead of a sailboat, the inside of the bottle is filled with airplanes, cars, trains and other elements of modern technology. Dexterity and special tools help in the work.
Such structures are becoming more and more magnificent every year. Manufacturing methods are being improved, new models are appearing.
Some craft makers know how to stuff a ship into a bottle in parts. They collect it directly in the container with the help of long tweezers and magnets. This method is one of the most difficult. But he is within the power of the master.
A fine souvenir is a great gift idea. It is used for interior decoration to create an atmosphere of mysterious adventures in distant lands and romantic maritime stories.