Crafty Keepsake How-to: Make a Glass Vial Treasure Bottle Necklace

glass vials and beach pebblesMy favorite beach in the world, located on California’s Central Coast, has distinctive sand. It’s more teeny-tiny pebbles than sand and each very small pebble is a different shade of green or blue or orange or grey, and is just gorgeous.

I don’t make the journey halfway across the country to California very often, and so the last time I was there I pocketed a small handful of tiny pebbles from my favorite beach, and when I came home I made this glass vial treasure bottle necklace that will allow me to wear a little of my favorite beach around my neck anytime that I’m lonesome for it.

Are you, too, a collector of sandy souvenirs? Although this treasure vial necklace takes less than five minutes to put together, you may find yourself spending a long time at your craft table, constructing little necklaces from all your natural treasures. Read on for the tutorial:

fill the glass vial with sand or pebblesSince the vial that you’ll be using is so small and light, go ahead and buy a real glass vial with a cork stopper instead of a plastic one. It’s unlikely that you’ll drop your necklace, but even if you do, the vial is so light that it’s unlikely that it will break.

I bought my little glass vials new in the jewelry aisle of my local craft store. They were inexpensive, and came with the eye pin already mounted into the top of the cork stopper. If you prefer to use an upcycled vial, however, you can hunt around for old test tubes, plastic pill bottles, or vintage glass jars, and then obtain a cork stopper to fit them.

If your glass vial doesn’t come with an eye pin, simply push one into the top of the cork stopper, pull it out, put a dab of very strong glue on the tip of the eye pin, and then push it back into its hole in the cork stopper and let it rest while the glue cures.

When your cork is ready to go, fill the glass vial with your sand, or pebbles, or rich Arkansas dirt, or whatever else you want to show off.

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2 thoughts on “Crafty Keepsake How-to: Make a Glass Vial Treasure Bottle Necklace”

  1. Central Coast Mama

    I think you’re referring to Moonstone Beach in Cambria, CA. You’re right; it’s an amazingly beautiful place with unique “sand.” Fortunately we live only 40 minutes away and it’s one of our most favorite destinations. 🙂

    1. Ooh, close! This one is Bean Hollow State Beach, a little north of there. Next time we’re in California, I’ve got to convince my in-laws to take me down to LA so I can try yours on the way!

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