Monday, September 30, 2013

34 DIY Floral Vase

As I have been cleaning out my secret storage areas, I have been working on creating new piles.  But we are talking about the good kind of piles.  Piles to keep, piles to donate and piles to Craigslist.  One of the rules I am making for the keep pile, is to do something with the item now {or super soon}, or else it can't stay.  I have found that many of the items I was saving, were items that I eventually intended on doing something with, and then never did.

And can we talk about taking on these organizing projects of epic scale?  Sometimes, a happy little craft project in the middle of a giant and stressful purge project, is just what the Doctor orders.  

While looking at my piles, I noticed quite a few home accessories.  Many of them, just old, generic vases from gifted flowers.

So I grabbed one of those boring vases, and gave it a little attention.


This was a super simple, 15 minute project, that left me grinning cheek to cheek.  Gotta love those the most right?

So I started with the glass vase, and first, wanted to glam it up a bit with a gold rim.  So, I taped it off with painters tape.  To avoid having to tape the entire inside, I just stuffed a plastic bag inside below the first row of tape.



And I was left with a vase that already looked much more expensive than it did before I started.


I wanted to add a little bit of a graphic pattern up the front {not on the back, as I didn't want it to compete with the front through the clear vase}.  I have been really crushing on giant floral patterns lately, especially in fabrics and clothing.  So I went straight to my paper stash, and snagged a piece that had a pattern I loved.


I found this paper from Archivers within the past few weeks, for those who may love it as much as I do.

I could have used either a craft knife or small scissors.  The pattern was large enough in scale, that I opted for the easier route... Scissors.

Once the pattern was cut out, I grabbed some Mod Podge.  Because I would be placing the floral pattern on a glass vase, I selected the glossy finish.


I started by brushing the back side of the cut-out, with the Mod Podge, and then positioned it onto the vase.  I then brushed another thin coat over the top of the graphic.


I had tested the finish in a small area on the bottom of the vase, prior to adhering the graphic, and there was a slightly noticeable difference from the Mod Podge to the glass.  Therefore, I tried to keep it as contained to the graphic as possible when applying the top coat.  I then used a rag to clean up around the edges of the graphic and remove any excess adhesive.

Pretty darling little project right?


The gold rim really was the perfect touch to give it a nice, chic effect.


I had all of the items I needed on hand, so this project came in at a whopping FREE price tag {with the exception of the pretty Trader Joe's flowers}.  What I really love is that it can easily be replicated with cutout fabric or gift wrap as well.  The sky is the limit!

  
It also got one more thing out of the storage room, and onto our shelves!  That in itself is a win in my book!

Update!  You will want to add a few coats of protective clear spray finish {similar to this} to the vase, to ensure your hard work doesn't go down the drain the first time you carefully wash it by hand.

Anyone else playing the "Use it or lose it" game?  What other creative ways do you use your stock of simple glass vases?



34 comments:

  1. Can you get that wet (washing the vase later)?

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    1. Great point Ronnie! You will have to add a protective spray finish prior to hand-washing. I have updated the post.

      xo!

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  2. Very good ^_^ i like this vase and your idea:) Thanks for them :)

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  3. That's just beautiful!!

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  4. i've been repurposing my vases in the sewing room; one holds scissors, once holds sewing machine needles, etc.

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    1. Love that idea! Those vases make great storage all over the home!

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  5. I love the way you added not one, but two fab details. So much prettier than just a plain vase!

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  6. Beautiful! Love some Trader Joe's flowers :)

    BTW, you have inspired me to clean up our basement this season! We needed to do it anyway, but I have all kind of plans now to get it organized--including using mason jars to store our small amount of paint. Thanks for the inspiration!

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    1. That is awesome! Good luck to you as you take on one of those less exciting spaces! At this rate, you will have yours done long before I will, lol. :)

      xo!

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  7. This is adorable!! Sadly, I just threw away pretty much everything glass in the house. I've broken THREE glass items in the past 2 weeks, and I just couldn't take it anymore! Maybe I'll get a plastic vase instead ;)

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  8. I'm drooling over your styling/photography as much as that adorable vase! Love the gold rim...and let's talk about your Bacon book!!!

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  9. Jen, love the vase, so very creative! I wish I had the time and space for those crafts! The use it or lose it rule is in full effect at my house as well. I live in an apartment that is less than 800 sq ft so when a new item comes in one has to come out as well!

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  10. Wow, it looks gorgeous!

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  11. The simple as the gold rim did it for me, great idea.

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  12. Yeahh...cool!~ modpodge is quite expensive here..around RM50..huhu..but i always wanted to have one..one day, maybe

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  13. great idea i love seeing all your amazing projects and organizing tips!

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  14. Love how simple & beautiful this DIY is! Adding it to my fall/winter projects "To-Do!" list :)

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  15. I like to decorate the vases with washi decorative tape for the different seasons. I really like the gold trim on the top. It adds a little touch of class.

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    1. Great idea to use Washi tape! I bet that creates some super lovely vases!

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  16. Beautiful and easy - love it!
    Mod Podge is the bomb - is there anything it can't do?

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  17. That looks wonderful! I spray paint all my vases different colors. They look like much more expensive vases and costs next to nothing since I have stock piles of spray paint! :-)

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  18. This is so cute! The flowers remind me of the bouquet that my husband got me for our anniversary. He bought them at Trader Joe's too. Tuesday is our 25th Anniversary!!!

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    1. Happy 25th Katharine! I hope you have a really memorable day!! xo!

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  19. Hi Jen, great result, i loved the new vase. One day, i am going to try to do that.

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  20. Love this idea! I've painted vases with different tones but this vase just looks so much bolder and cheerful! Thanks for posting!!

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  21. Ooh I just LOVE the gold rim! What a perfect subtle touch. So beautiful! Hope you're having a great week, Miss Jen!

    ~Abby =)

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  22. Oh my! This is stunning. I need to try mod podge one day. And I agree with the others, the gold trim takes it from homemade to anthro. I'm like where can I buy one of those!

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  23. This is so lovely... Just moved into a new home will have to make a cheapo vase pretty :) Clare Elise

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  24. Love that gold rim, why didn't I think of that! Your too clever Jen!

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  25. What a pretty gold! Could you please share the brand of paint you used?

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    1. Thanks Stacy! I use Rustoleum Gold Metallic spray. Love it like crazy, I may have three cans on hand at all times ;)

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