Basics

• The exact method of getting a ship in a bottle depends upon the proclivities of the person doing the building. One technique is to build the ship on the outside of the bottle, then collapse the masts and the sails before inserting it. The other is to build the ship completely inside the bottle from scratch. Most hobbyists use some combination of the two, based on the size of the ship, the narrowness of the opening and the skill of the builder in question.
  
  

The Hull and the Sea

• The hull of the ship and the sea beneath it are usually the easiest parts of the process. The hull simply needs to measure less than the diameter of the bottle width to fit it inside. The material for the sea can be made of flexible materials such as putty or sponge which lets it fit through the opening as well. Ideally, the sea will be sufficiently viscous to hold the hull firmly in place. If the hull entails multiple parts, it can be assembled outside the ship--provided the total package can still fit through the opening--or treated with glue and carefully placed in the bottle, one piece at a time, until it is fully assembled.
  
  

The Mast and Sails

• The really tricky part comes with the mast and sails, which provide the ship in a bottle with its depth and illusion. If assembled inside the bottle, they're usually put together piece by piece like the hull. The ends are treated with glue and then each mast, sail and piece of rigging is inserted individually and allowed to dry. In such cases, the rigging is often stiff, providing the illusion of line without actually using any thread. The builder usually works backward from the stern of the ship: assembling the rearmost mast and sails before moving forward to those closer to the opening of the bottle. The other method is to use collapsible masts and sails, fitted with hinges or flexible materials. The builder usually puts the assembly together outside the bottle, collapses it, slips it inside the bottle and then carefully raises it again. These sorts of ships are typically affixed with the thread for the rigging, which can extend beyond the ship itself and through the bottle opening. The builder pulls the thread to elevate the mast and sails, then snips the thread away once the ship is complete.