Great Growler Makeover

So, here's a fun fact for you: Montana ranks second in the nation for number of microbrews per capita. Y'all, we like our beer. And as a result, there are all types of growlers in the thrift stores. For those of you who do not know, a growler is a container for beer bought by the measure (official definition there!). People take their growlers to the breweries to get them filled and take their beer home.

I had been keeping my eye open for a clear one because many of them are brown (which are a fun, warm color for display). I finally found a clear one that looks like it might have been used for home brewing.

After removing the label, I painted the growler with Martha Stewart glass paint. Mine is at least five years old, but I think you can still get it at craft stores. 

I decided to build a wood crate for the growler. Using scrap wood, wood glue, and my brad nailer, I hobbled together a crate for the jug. Historically, large 5 gallon jugs would be shipped in a wood crate that looked similar to this mini one I built for my growler.

I clipped some bamboo branches from our solarium to add a bit of green to our otherwise too snowy, too white world. Bamboo is supposed to bring good luck. It grows like crazy.

Always look at the jars and for growlers at the thrift store. There are so many different ones and they make great display pieces. Line up a bunch on a sunny windowsill, use wide mouth jars for STUFF, or use them for a centerpiece like I am.