Polymer Clay "Bottles of Hope": Bring Good Wishes to Cancer Patients

Polymer clay can be used to make objects both decorative and functional. It can be serious art, or just for fun. But there's one use that can be really meaningful to a special group of people - cancer patients. Here's a little about the history of Bottles of Hope, how to make them, and what to do with them.

A bit of history
Bottles of Hope were the brainchild of Diane Gregoire, a polymer clay artist who in 1999 was receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. She started collecting the empty glass bottles used by the nurses for intravenous treatments, then covered them with clay and gave them to the other patients.

The little bottles, with their bright colors and interesting designs, provided a temporary distraction from the realities of illness. They also became a symbol of hope because Diane told the recipients to write down a wish and put the paper in the bottle, and the wish would come true. For this reason they were first called "wish bottles," but they have since been renamed "Bottles of Hope." Diane's idea was a big hit with the nurses as well as the patients, and soon spread outside the hospital - and around the world.

How to make one
The only things you need to make a Bottle of Hope are polymer clay, a used glass medication bottle 2-3" tall, and whatever tools you need to create your design. The clay and tools are readily available; the bottles are less so, because the glass versions are gradually being replaced by plastic ones, which won't survive oven curing. Check with your local hospital or doctor's office for bottles. Also, many people have been able to get bottles from veterinarians' offices.

Remove all the extra parts from the bottle and wash it well with soap and water. When it's dry, cover it with clay in whatever design you like. Here are a few ideas:
- sheets of clay, including solid colors, marbled colors, and mirror images
- canes
- 3-dimensional objects like flowers, leaves, hearts, and faces
- symbols and words (you could print something on paper and put the paper on the clay, covered with a layer of translucent clay)
- textures, mica powders, and paint
- Make the bottle look like something else - for example, a miniature animal.

If you're still stumped about what to do with your bottle, check out these photos for inspiration.

Once the bottle is finished, cure it according to the clay manufacturer's directions. After it's cooled attach a tag explaining its purpose (you can get examples of text and the Bottles of Hope logo here). Then donate the bottle to a local hospital or oncologist's office so it can be given to a cancer patient.

Considerations
Make sure that the bottles you get have not contained anything toxic. Medical personnel have strict rules for disposing of these kinds of containers and probably won't give them to you. But if you're at all uncertain, just mention this to your contact at the medical office.

You can make a top for the bottle; just make sure it's not on the bottle when it goes in the oven. An alternative is to completely cover the bottle, but leave an opening for the heated air to escape during curing.

What else can you do?
You don't have to make your little bottles in isolation; set up a group project instead. Ask your family, friends, and coworkers if they'd like to help you make bottles. Or talk to your local hospital or oncologist's office - the place you got the bottles from. Health care workers may want to make them too, and so may patients and their families and friends. You can set up a workshop or just arrange an informal gathering to make bottles. And remember, polymer clay isn't just for grownups; children may want to participate too.

There is one rule to follow: Bottles of Hope must never be sold - only given away.

The Bottles of Hope idea has really taken off, and for good reason. It not only exposes people to the wonders of polymer clay, but it also communicates the love and caring of the bottles' creators. This comment by Jan B, made to one of the polymer clay mailing lists and published on Glassattic, says it all:

"It's a tiny bottle, with a gigantic impact."