How Do They Make Impossible Bottle?

It’s quite amazing to think how big objects fit inside a bottle with a very small opening or mouth. When I was young, I used to think that the bottom of the bottle is cut with a diamond in order for these objects to be put inside and then glued back. But I have learned that’s not the way how it is done.

image source

This impossible bottle contains a miniature house. It was carefully and patiently handcrafted by an inmate to earn a living while inside the prison. It was sold to me by a friend of the inmate.

Before going any further, let’s define what an “impossible bottle” is. Well, an impossible bottle is a type of mechanical puzzle. It is a bottle that has an object inside of it which does not appear to fit through the mouth of the bottle like the picture above.

image source

A traditional and common type of impossible bottle contains a ship like the example above which is a replica of the “Sinking Titanic”. Other ordinary things used include knots, scissors, racket balls, matchboxes, decks of cards, tennis balls, Rubik’s cubes and padlocks.

One great designer and craftsman of impossible bottles is John Rausch. The two impossible bottles below are his creation.

image source

The first bottle which is a tomato juice bottle contains a fully-functioning, unmodified Rubik’s cube. Other objects that it contains include a tennis ball, a ping pong ball and a seven-inch pair of scissors.

image source

The second impossible bottle is a Martinelli apple juice bottle. The inside diameter of the neck is about one inch. The Rubik’s cube is fully operational. This is one of the more difficult impossible bottles that he created.

image source

In creating these impossible bottles, the object inside has been carefully disassembled and reassembled inside the bottle. For instance, to get a deck of cards inside a bottle, the empty box is first rolled up and inserted, followed by each card one at a time. Using some long forceps and other tools, everything can be put back together again and the result is something that looks impossible to one who does not know the secret.

image source

To put a “ship in a bottle”, it is first assembled outside of the bottle and then placed inside. Some ships are assembled whole with the masts hinged and lying flat against the deck. The ship is placed inside the bottle and then the masts are pulled up. Other times, especially with broader beamed ships like motor boats, the ship is reassembled in the bottle.

image source

In order to be able to complete an “impossible bottle” this requires specialized long-handled tools, a keen eye and good coordination. This handcraft is suitable to people with a lot of patience and to people who are inside prison cells. Engaging in this kind of craft eradicate boredom and at the same time give them the opportunity to earn while waiting to be free men again.

For more article on HOW TO see

Emergency (Salt and Cooking Oil) Lamp

Steps on How to Make Squid Look Clean and Yummy

Little Tricks to Amuse Your Friends and the Kids

Project Ordinary to Extraordinary: Bottled Chalk and salt Powder

How to Make A T-Shirt Bag?