Via the wonderful folks at Halloween Forum (a source of excellent advice for Halloween goodies) I present you with scans of antique victorian poison bottle labels.

What can you do with these, I hear you ask? Lots of things! Why not adapt one of these scans as your wedding invitation/STD cards or reply cards?

(If you wanted some wonderful victorian words to use, look through this Victorian slang dictionary)

Or these would make macabre labels for wine bottles at the reception. I’d imagine the conversation going a little like this.

Guest 1: ‘Is that red any good?’

Guest 2: taking another swig ‘it’s a fruity palette with dark oat flavours…

Guest 1: ‘Yeah, yeah, but it’s alcoholic right? Give it here!’ Pours himself glass. ‘You know, that really is good. What kind of wine is it? I might buy some for my piss-up next week.’

Guest 2: ‘the label says ‘tinct: fishberries. POISON.’ And there’s a picture of a skull. Oh dear…’

Guest 2 looks at his drink, then discretly spits mouthful back into glass.

Guest 1: ‘Fishberry, eh? I guess that explains the fruity palette…’

Guest 2: ‘I don’t feel so good…’

Or – if you can source a large amount of tiny bottles or jars – make poison favors. Pack them instead with liqueurs, jams, candies or soft drinks. You could personalise the labels with your names and wedding date.

I am totally using these labels in an upcoming project. I just love them