Fallout Sunset Sarsaparilla Bottles and Star Caps (free PDF Print-out Included)

After a ton of requests, I’m finally releasing the tutorial for my version of Sunset Sarsaparilla bottles from the Fallout franchise (with FREE pdf-file ready to print!). Most of the steps are the same as my original Nuka Cola Quantum Bottles and Caps tutorial (which can be found here), but I’ll go over them again for the sake of the tutorial.

I base my replicas on the bottle design featured in the games in the series prior to Fallout 4, since the later versions are tougher to replicate and I prefer the more realistic shape. Someday I’ll add a rocket-shaped Nuka Cola to my collection, but for now, these are based on the previous game installments.

Bottles: Finding the right bottles took forever. Shoutout to the liquor store staff who probably died a little inside when I said I didn’t care about taste since I’d be dumping it out anyway. The best match ended up being Ginger Joe by Stone’s (not sponsored, I promise). Their 330ml bottle has a longer neck and straight body with the correct proportions, plus it’s brown glass, so no need to tint it.

Old bottle caps: I asked a local restaurant if they had extras, and they happily dumped a pile into my hands. The color of the Sunset caps vary across games and merch, but I found that I really liked the look of my orange printout on gold bottle caps the most.

Sharpies: I used a big set I had happened to have lying around, but I mostly used gray, black, yellow, and brown/orange.

Print outs: Back in 2015 I edited a free design to fit my 330ml bottles, but this time I made my own vector labels with proper logos, ingredients, and silly extras that I could sit and giggle at. This means I’m releasing them free to use for anyone who wants them - just credit me so others know where to find them too. You can find the pdf files here in the tutorial. Enjoy!

Paint: I used black nail polish, but you can also tape off and spray paint if you prefer. Can’t personally guarantee you that all spray paint will adhere properly to to metal caps though!

Sealant: To seal the vinyl star cutout, black paint, and logo print on top of the caps. I used matte top coat nail polish inside of the caps, and semi-matte spray on the outside.

Blue Vinyl/Paper: For the star cut-out on the inside of the bottle caps.

Glue: Cyanoacrylate super glue works best for glass and metal with minimal mess when it comes to really light objects (like paper).

Acetone/alcohol: For cleaning and removing residue.

Aluminium foil (optional)

Scissors and craft knife: For cutting out print-outs and vinyl.

Clay tools/any round smooth tool: For smoothing out the bottle cap labels later on. You'll see what I mean!

Paint brushes: For creating a spattering look on the labels.

Sandpaper/nail file: For making the labels look aged.

Removing the label takes time and patience, so maybe meditate a minute first. I find the easiest way is peeling it off in one piece to minimize scrubbing later. Some heat from a blow dryer so soften the glue before peeling helps it come off way cleaner. The leftover glue is the worst, but Goo Gone or Label Off (Sweden) works wonders—just spray, let it sit, wipe off, and rinse. Repeat if needed. No remover? Use a microfiber cloth/old t-shirt (not paper towels) with hand sanitizer or acetone and rub it off with some good ol' elbow grease.

The “best before” print also comes right off with acetone.

I wanted to make some rare Sunset Sarsaparilla star caps among the normal ones, which meant some extra prep work on the caps. Bottle caps have a little rubber gasket inside that I pried up gently with a plastic tool. Any residue came off with a splash of acetone and a quick scrape with a metal tool.

In-game, the star caps have a dark interior. For small projects, I LOVE nail polish. It’s self-leveling, smooth, and quite durable. Opacity varies, but stamping polish (made for nail art) is my favorite since one coat covers perfectly and lasts longer. Using my go-to black polish, I painted the insides and let them dry a full 24 hours. Trust me - don’t touch too soon unless you want fingerprints.

If you have a star paper punch - congrats, you’ve saved yourself some work! I don’t, so I cut mine out by hand with a craft knife. I used blue adhesive vinyl I had lying around, which made sticking it on easy. To finish, I sealed it with a matte nail polish top coat.

Start by cleaning the caps. I put them in a warm water bath first, and then wiped them with some alcohol when dry. Print out your cap labels in the correct size (26 mm in diameter) Before gluing, “dirty” them up with Sharpies (or acrylic/watercolors, but I like Sharpies since they’re fast-drying and minimize warping/bleeding). Dab the ink with your finger or a brush, and smear and dab the print-out. You can also use a tiny crumpled up ball of aluminum foil to dab it on for a more spattered effect than using fingers. Mix techniques for the most natural look. I also ran a matching Sharpie along the free-edges for a nicer look.

Glue the paper down with some cyanoacrylate glue. It’s strong and fast but messy when working on small objects, so prepare for sticky fingers. Dot glue around the edge of the face of the bottle cap, press the image on, then while the glue is still wet, rub the paper edges with a rounded tool (I used a clay tool). This rounds the paper edges and makes the label blend more seamlessly into the cap.

Once the bottle cap prints were applied, I used the same dirtying technique on the metal caps themselves. Seal them with thin layers of matte or semi-matte spray (too thick of a coat and the ink runs the risk of bleeding). In my previous Fallout Bottle tutorial, someone mentioned sealing the ink by using a clothing iron directly on the paper, so that's an option too! Light sanding with some coarse sandpaper adds a nice "has been out in the wasteland for years"- look.

Using the same techniques as with the bottle cap prints, I dirtied the paper up sufficiently and then glued them onto my Same idea as the caps: dirty the printouts, glue them on, then age them. As you can see between the 3rd and 4th photo, using some sharpie ink close in color to the printout actually gives some additional grimy-ness to the label. A quick sand and even a little tearing of the paper sells the weathered look. The easiest way to do this is to put some strategically-placed water droplets on the label after it's been applied to the glass bottle. This weakens the paper. Then scratch it lightly with your fingernail for a roughed-up look.

The Sunset label has two parts: the big straight piece for the body and the curved piece for the neck. Glue them snugly and you’re all good.

Done! Pat yourself on the back, crack open a sarsaparilla, and go look for more star caps!

If you want the caps back on the bottles, they can kind of be bonked back onto the bottles with some taps of a screwdriver handle. But if you’re actually planning to bottle your own homemade sarsaparilla with these bottles, there are bottle cap applicators available for purchase that will snap on fresh new caps on your bottles and ensure a good seal (and then you can apply the bottle cap label when the cap is securely in place).

As always, the printable PDF is available to download for free down below. A printed ruler is included in the file to ensure your print is the correct size, but as long as you choose "100%" in your printing software menu, you should be all set. Pro tip: print your test page in black and white to save ink!