Here’s how to you can DIY a splash of color to your garden. You’ll need to have a tree frame, bottles and your gardening essentials.
Bottle Tree Frame: Don’t cheap out on your bottle tree frame. See tips for best frames in the FAQ.
Blue Bottles: The number of blue bottles depends on your tree frame. But even the small tree frames need at least ten bottles.
Gloves and Shovel: Grab your garden gloves and a small shovel and you’re ready to roll.
You’ll need to assemble the tree frame and plant the frame firmly in the ground.
Make sure it’s secure! I like to dig a little trench to make sure my tree frame is solidly in the ground.
Arrange your bottles in a way that feels right to you. I like to have a mix of bigger and smaller bottles.
Do I have to use blue bottles?
Nope! I was raised to believe that blue bottles trap and ward off evil spirits. Blue is a color associated with tranquility and protection, so that’s another reason I use blue bottles.
While blue is traditional but knock yourself out. A rainbow of bottles can add a eclectic flair to your bottle tree.
What kind of tree frame should I use?
When picking out a tree frame, you need to get a sturdy frame. I get my bottle tree frames
from Cubbys Bottle Trees.
Expect to pay at least $75 for a sturdy frame. You can find cheaper tree frames on Amazon but don’t cheap out on the frame, it will save you later.
Where can I find bottles?
There are two ways to find blue bottles, the convenient way or the budget way.
Convenient Way
You can buy blue bottles from a garden or home store. This is the fastest and most convenient method. But you will spend a small fortune on blue bottles for your tree. For example, six blue bottles from Vivaterra gardening store start at $79. I love VivaTerra, beautiful resource for garden inspiration. But most trees need at least 10-20 bottles so the price adds up quickly. And shipping costs for bottles can be expensive!
Budget Way
I am a cheapskate so eBay is my go-to for blue bottles. I bought a combination of larger cobalt blue wine bottles and smaller cobalt blue beer bottles for my tree. Using eBay is less convenient and can take longer.
The savings were worth it to me. I bought six cobalt blue beer size bottles on eBay for $8.96! I purchased 12 cobalt blue bottles for $35.00 in 2023. Shipping costs were a fraction of a retail garden store because I opted for slower shipping.
How do I maintain my bottle tree?
Give your bottles a quick wash every spring. You can use a mild soap and water.
Ready to get started? Roll up your sleeves, gather your bottles, and let’s make your garden even more beautiful by adding a living art of the blue bottle tree.
