How To Build a Ship in a Gin Bottle!

An impossible bottle is a craft that’s baffled generations – but, with a little help (and some willingness to bend the rules), getting a ship in a gin bottle isn’t the challenge you might imagine. Here’s how:

Pro Tip: If you don’t want to cut glass or hate the look of the seam, you can buy Ship in a Bottle kits from the likes of Amazon… or buy a collapsible ship to use in your own bottle!

What You Do

1. The very first thing you should do is put on your safety googles. Safety first!
2. Set up a workstation away from children and pets. Make sure you have a clean space and all of your materials laid out neatly and within easy reach before you begin.
3. Following the instructions for your glass cutting tool, cut the top off of the gin bottle just under the shoulder or at the base – wherever the seam will be the least noticeable on the particular bottle you’re using.
4. Carefully set the top or bottom of your bottle aside. Keeping the bottle sideways, fill the bottom with sand or seashells if desired, and then prop your model boat inside the bottle.
5. Draw a thin line of super glue around the rim of your cut edge, keeping it neat and as close to the middle of the rim as possible. Reattach the cut section to the bottle and hold until the glue is set.
6. Arrange your bottle so that the seam is as hidden as possible but the ship is in full view, and enjoy!

What You Need:

• An empty gin bottle. You’ll want to soak off the label, to better see the ship inside!
• A model ship. Make sure it’s short enough to fit in the middle of the bottle!
• A glass cutter.
• Safety goggles.
• Clear super glue.
• Sand, seashells, or any other decorations you’d like to spruce up your ship in a bottle.