13+ Beautiful Ways to Decorate with Amber Glass
What is amber glass? How do you style amber glass? The rich brown color of amber glass makes it the perfect decorating Accessory for home decor. Learn how to decorate with amber glass beautifully throughout the year.
Amber glass bottles and vessels have been around for a long time. Amber glass was first used in the 18th century for decorative objects. It is still widely used for packaging and decor today. Let’s learn a little bit more about it and how you can use amber glass in your decor. Hopefully 13+ Beautiful Ways to Decorate with Amber Glass will inspire you to collect it yourself!
This post is part of our Lifestyle of Love series, dreamed up by Cindy at County Road 407. We’re a group of bloggers who love everything vintage, antique, repurposed and farmhouse. Every other month Cindy chooses a theme and we all share ideas for using it. Today is all about amber glass!
If you’re visiting from County Road 407, welcome! I’m sure you enjoyed Cindy’s 5 easy ideas for decorating with amber glass. The rest of the ideas will be at the end.
What is Amber Glass?
Amber glass is a type of glass made by adding a small amount of manganese dioxide to the molten glass. The more manganese added, the darker the color will be. Coloration can vary from a lighter golden color to a deep brown. You can find out more about how amber glass is made HERE.
What are the Benefits of Amber Glass?
Amber glass has been the preferred choice for years to keep liquids and lubricants shelf safe. The glass absorbs the widest range of light waves of the light spectrum. It is the best choice for protection from ultraviolet rays. Amber glass keeps products safe and unchanged and has better insulative value than clear glass. For many years it has been used to package foodstuffs, beverages and chemicals. To learn more about the benefits of amber glass in packaging, visit HERE.
Where do you Find Amber Glass?
Once your eye is trained to spot it, you can find amber glass bottles and vessels everywhere. Because it has been used for packaging for many years, a wide variety of sizes and shapes are out there. Look at thrift stores, estate sales and any type of secondhand shopping venues. You will also find new products packaged in amber glass and can simply clean them out and use decoratively!
How Do You Style Amber Glass?
Now that we’ve learned more about the pretty brown-hued glass, let’s get to the fun part: how to decorate with amber glass. Amber glass decor ideas are why you came here; I’m hoping you’ll be inspired to decorate with them throughout your home in any season!
13+ Beautiful Ways to Decorate with Amber Glass
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Style Large Amber Glass Vessels with Branches
Many love to decorate with amber glass vessels in the Fall because of their rich brown hue. For a simple but striking decor accent, place a real or faux branch in a large amber glass bottle or vessel. Group several together in a bay window or on a kitchen island; instant wow factor!
Cotton branches would also be a lovely neutral-looking display all year round. And a great textural accent in the winter months.
Fill Wider Mouth Jars with Legumes
For interesting texture, add dried beans or legumes to wider mouth vessels. Votive candles can be tucked in, too and look lovely glimmering out of the amber hue. Group them as a centerpiece for even more impact.
Style with Feathers
For Spring or Fall decor, add feathers to amber glass bottles and vessels. They can stick into dried legumes along with battery operated candles (get my favorite birch tapers HERE). If the mouth of the bottle is skinny, a couple feathers can be a fresh change from flowers. (find pheasant feathers HERE). Add bird themed decor for a pretty Spring theme.
For Fall Decor, Fill with Corn Husks
Decorative corn and corn husks are a great texture to add to amber glass as Fall and Harvest decor. The rustic texture is the perfect compliment to the shiny glass. (tuck in a faux taper candle, too)
Candles Look Beautiful in Amber Glass
Real or faux candles are beautiful when placed inside amber glass. Place small votives in wider mouth vessels so you can see the candle through. Battery operated candles are a safer option and can still flicker beautifully.
Line Up Amber Glass Bottles for Impact
Anything makes a statement when you display it en masse. Line up a collection of different sized amber bottles in a long container or on a long vintage piece. Place real taper candles in each and let the drips gracefully create their own art. For added interest, add a filler around the bottom. (Get 35+ decorative vase filler ideas for Fall Here)
Some container display ideas:
- metal chicken feeder
- old shutter
- wooden trough or dough bowl
- old metal or wood toolbox
Fill Jugs with Grasses
Large vintage Hi-lex jugs look impressive with tall grasses. Forage cattails or grasses roadside; they will dry in place and look great for weeks. (Tip: Give them a squirt of cheap aerosol hairspray to keep intact.)
Display a Small Vase Collection Together
Many smaller amber glass bottles can be found inexpensively. Displayed together they make a pretty vignette. They’re small enough to fill a cubby display. Add dried flowers or a fresh flower from the garden. Simple twigs could add an early Spring vibe with nests alongside.
Pair Amber Glass with Plants
The beautiful goldy brown of amber glass is lovely paired with plants and live botanicals. Green and brown is a natural combo and could add a boho vibe with macrame and woven textures alongside.
Add Faux Succulents
For a unique twist, add different faux succulents to a variety of amber glass bottles. This would be a fun look in a bathroom where lack of light may be an issue. (Find a nice succulent variety pack HERE)
Fill with Fresh Garden Flowers
Of course, when the summer garden is at it’s peak, fill old bottles with brightly colored fresh cut flowers! Amber glass works with any color flower. Group them for even more impact.
Enjoy Amber Glass on a Widowsill
Amber glass bottles and vessels come in so many different shapes and forms. For a simple way to enjoy their beautiful color, place a grouping of them on a windowsill or on a piece of furniture near the sunshine. The glow will cozy up your home instantly.
How To Clean Amber Glass
When you find bottles and vessels secondhand, it’s common that they’re dirty. They may have traces of chemicals, foodstuff or beverages inside. Giving them a good soaking and cleaning is always where I start before I have fun decorating with them. See my post, How to Clean and Enjoy Sparkling Glassware for my best tips.
Find more of our Lifestyle of Love series HERE.
Shop vintage amber glassware HERE.
Did this post get you excited about finding more amber glass to decorate? I hope so! For more beautiful ideas, visit Common Ground next; I’m sure you’ll enjoy Debra’s beautiful amber glass Fall display ideas.
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i have only a few amber bottles that i always bring out in the fall. hadn’t thought to put feathers in them so thanks for that idea.
All of your ideas are fantastic Lora! I never knew how we got such pretty brown colors and now I do! Thanks for the added info. Love this post.
Such lovely decor for the Fall season!! Amber bottles are one of my favorite things to look for at thrift shops. They make such an impact with little effort! Those grasses in them are my favorite of yours: ) Pinned!!
Thanks Lora, you have some great amber bottles and the way you display them is wonderful.
Lora, somehow I knew you’d be the big collector of amber glass. You’ve shared so many great ways to use it. Love the long grasses and using dried beans as a filler with candles. You’ve shown how groupings can make a huge impact. Those gallon jugs are amazing. I remember my mom buying apple cider in brown glass jugs when I was a kid. love this post! Happy weekend and Happy October.