I visited Santorini, Greece a couple of years back and have been planning to make something to remember the trip. We had such a good time with exploring new places, long walks, the beaches. A very beautiful & lovely place. Its a place i want to visit again and NOW !!

Which is y this project is born !! We will be using the below techniques in it.

Mixed media is an artwork in which more than one medium or material has been employed.

Decoupage is the art of decorating an object by gluing coloured paper / tissue cut-outs onto it in combination with special paint effects, gold leaf and other decorative elements.

Reverse decoupage is a technique when print and paints are applied underneath the glass.

Supplies

Basic Supplies:

1) Decoupage Glue

2) Glass Bottle

3) Image Prints

4) Acrylic Colours

5) Sponge

6) Flat Brush

7) Masking Tape

8) Water

9) Napkin

Additional Supplies :

1) Beads

2) Artificial shells

3) Thread

4) Thick paper for base

5) Waterproof pen

6) Lace

Step 1: Let's Prepare the Base !!

One of the most important and basic step in any art form is preparing the base in the right way.

We start with cleaning the bottle with soap & water. This helps to remove any stickers and impurities on the bottle which in turn helps in the finishing & helps everything adhere to our project well.

Once done, we need to decide the base layout of our project.

I wanted an image on the back of the bottle to be visible from the front. So mark the height & width on the bottle and used a masking tape to block of the part of the glass that i wanted exposed. Everything that is outside the tape line will be coated with paint.

Note: The tape should be applied towards the internal line that was marked.

Step 2: Reverse Decoupage Your Focal Image

Select the image that you want to be visible from the from the front and cut it a little bigger then the required size.

Adequately moist your napkin and lay it on a flay base. Place the image and close the napkin, making sure the image is not folded on the inside. This step will moist the paper and help in better absorption of decoupage glue.

After about 3-5 min and once the paper is moist, carefully remove it from the napkin and very very carefully tear of the edges. We are trying to achieve a look of uneven edges. This process helps with the merging of image to the background as we do not want a defined paper line in our finished product.

Apply an even coat of mod podge on the area of the bottle where the image will be applied with a flat brush. Slowly place the image facing down on the bottle. With the help of a thin plastic, smooth out the image, starting from the centre moving to the edges. This will help remove any wrinkles or air bubbles that could be trapped inside. Again apply an even coat of mod podge on the back of the image. Let it dry.

Step 3: Get the Paints Out !!

Using white acrylic colour & a sponge, dab the back of the paper with colour to give an even coat.

Leaving just a little bit on the top of the image, cover with white paint on the entire decoupaged paper on all the other sides. Apply the paint on the base of the bottle at the front as well as the back.

This is the moment to cover any area of the bottle that you want white painted.

Let the first paint coat dry completely. Add a next coat of white over it. We will need to do at least 2 - 3 coats of paint, making sure the paint dries well between each coat.

Using the shade of blue acrylic that you desire, start from the top of the bottle dabbing the colour with a fresh sponge onto it, Slowly moving towards the centre of the bottle.

Let the paint dabbing overlap the white colour a little. This will give a nice merging between the 2 colours.

Again, let the first layer of blue colour dry completely. Add the next coat. We will need to do at least 2 - 3 coats of paint, making sure the paint dries well between each coat.

Once all the paints are dried, Slowly remove the masking tape ensuring that the paint does not get peeled off in the process.

Step 4: More Decoupage

Select the images you want to apply on the front as well as all over the bottle.

Since the base colour is done, I selected a few beach article images and cut them neatly, not leaving excess border as done earlier.

Using a flat brush, apply an even layer of mod podge on the area and carefully place the image in it. Starting from the centre of the image moving towards the edges smooth out the image with the help of a thin plastic sheet. Apply an even layer of mod podge on the top. Let it dry completely.

This is a good time to add any more images you would like as per your bottle layout.

Note: Unless intentional, do not add any image on the glass area that we would like to keep clear.

Step 5: Accessorize Your Bottle !

I believe, Its all in the details. This is the step you do that.

I added a few decorative stones all around the open glass area with the help of white glue to act as a border between the glass and the paints.

Next, with a waterproof pen I wrote down my favourite quote at the back.

Next, i randomly added a few beads in the way that were pleasing to my eye.

The next thing i wanted was to add a few tags, so print & cut out the words "Santorini", "Oia" & "Fira". Using a black marker, carefully brush the edges of the words to create a faint outline. This step defines and gives depth to your image. Stick the individual words in a thick paper to add a little weight. Using a thread, i tied one end to the mouth of the bottle and the other to the word.

Next, i added a lace on the mouth of the bottle covering the threads that were tied around and topped it with a shell.

Last and final step, i added small heart shape designs with a waterproof coloured pen randomly to bring the whole project together.

Step 6: Finishing & Touch Up's !!

The most important step is the finishing.

All you need to do is apply an even coat of mod podge on the entire project with a flat brush. This step gives an overall shine and helps to seal and protect your project. Mod Podge give your project a layer of protection and increases the durability of your project.

....and your project is ALLLMOSSTT done....

All you need to do now is CLICK a nice image of your project and post it in the comments below. Thank you !!