Homemade Kahlua Experiment - Part 2

After three weeks of steeping on the counter, it's time to bottle up the DIY Kahlua.   

First, straining the liquid.  I hated to throw away all those yummy beans, but couldn't think of what to do with them (and really don't need one more project - maybe next time).

All ready to bottle up, but of course needed to do some quality control testing first.   Added a splash to my coffee - yummy!   I was worried that the cinnamon might be too overpowering, but it is just right - background, not the main event.

Add some labels and baker's twine and done!  Well, not quite.  As I was uploading the photos of my bottles, I noticed that some of the labels were stamped "Kahlua", but most were "Kahula".  Arrgghh - maybe  that's what  you call it when you make it yourself!  Some new labels and now we're done.

Another Pottery Barn Knock-Off

I love these numbered jars from Pottery Barn.  It dawned on me that I already HAD jars so making these would be easy and {gasp} require no new supplies!

Here's what I used:

Black acrylic paint, cosmetic sponge, stencil, tape and glue to secure stencil to glass.  Really simple project - decide where you want the numbers, tape on the stencil and sponge on black paint.  I tried some repositionable glue to help keep the stencil flat, but it didn't stick very well.  Taping kept the stencil secure and I just held down any areas that wouldn't stay flat.

The paint on the PB ones looks a bit scrubbed up.  My stencils didn't have  smooth lines and the cosmetic brush left a nice texture, so I didn't do any additional distressing.  If your stencil had really clean edges and your painting isn't textured, you could dab off some paint with a paper towel and scratch it up a bit with something sharp. 

Here are my knock-offs:

The jars are Burken jars from Ikea.  They  come in many sizes and have silicone inside the lids so there is a pretty decent seal. I use them for all kinds of storage.

Isn't the little guy  - "1/2" cute?  I smile every time I see it!  Love my new PB-inspired jar upgrade.