Remember our fun cloches from soda bottles tutorial? Well they also work wonderfully as specimen jars for your spooky Halloween decor. I hit up the local Dollar Store which has an endless supply of ghoulish things to stick in them. I chose a skull on the spooky end and a pumpkin for those who enjoy the lighter side of Halloween.

The same basic instructions are followed to make the specimen jar. It’s basically a 2 liter plastic soda bottle on a wood base. It’s so easy and looks so awesome. You could whip up a bunch of these in different heights and display all kinds of creepy things in them.

This is a short and sweet version of the jar using a black wood ball on top. If you want a detailed version with more varieties view our original post here.

Specimen Jar Halloween Decor Supplies

2 Liter Bottle
Hot Glue Gun
X-acto type knife
Wood Base: Aprox. 5.5″ (Good idea to measure. You want the base just a tiny bit larger than the bottle.)
Wood Ball: 1 1/4″ (aprox)
Moss etc. if desired.
Fine tooth hand saw to cut off threads of bottle.

Assembly Instructions

Remove the label from your plastic bottle. I use Goo Gone. Works great!
Measure your bottle so it’s the height you want for your item.
Using an X-Acto knife cut the bottom off the bottle carefully and as straight as possible.
Using an appropriate fine saw cut off the threads on the top of the bottle ABOVE the lip part that sticks out at the base of the threads.
Paint the wood base. Paint the round wood ball.
Put a fine line of hot glue on the top of the bottle for holding the ball in place.
Add moss around the base if desired for sitting your item on top of.
Insert your display item. I place a dab of glue at the base on the back to hold the bottle in place.

Photo Instruction

Measure and cut your bottle so it will be the size to fit whatever you will put in it.
Saw off the top below the threads but ABOVE the ring that sticks out. (This is very hard plastic.)
Paint a wood disk that’s about 1/4″ larger than base of bottle. Crafts stores carry these or cut one yourself.
Paint your base and ball.

Hot glue around the top ring of bottle and add your ball. Optional: I added a silver spray painted pearl string around the bottom and base of ball. Glue some moss if desired on bottom wood to set your item on. Cover with you bottle.