How To Upcycle Vases Into Faux Terra Cotta + Stone
I don’t know about you, but I have a closet, or at least a shelf, full of vases that I did not pick out, purchase or even really like, but somehow they ended up in my possession. I hate the idea of these dollar store items ending up in the landfill. I came up with a way to upcycle the unwanted vases to fit my favorite home decor trend of the moment, terracotta. These creations look perfect styled with dried flowers or as a collection for a shelfie moment.
I tried a few different methods to achieve the desired look. The first method, textured paint, is so easy and if you are a crafty person, you most likely have the supplies on hand. This method is works best on opaque pieces, like ceramic vases or mugs or pitchers with pretty shapes. It will also work on glass, several of the pieces I photographed are glass, but you will need multiple coats to achieve the desired terracotta feel.
The second method I tried was to plaster the vases, then paint if you want a color other than white. This method worked great for glass vases. The plaster is an extra, more complicated step, but gives more texture than the baking soda. You can paint or leave as plaster. I advise spraying with a clear coat, especially if you want to use with fresh flowers.
METHOD 1: TEXTURED PAINT
METHOD 1 SUPPLIES:
- old or thrifted vases
- matte acrylic paint
- baking soda
- paint brushes
- clear spray paint
TEXTURIZE PAINT
Start with 1 tablespoon of baking soda and a about a 1/4 cup of paint. No need to actually measure.
MIX PAINT WITH BAKING SODA
You want a consistency that you are able to spread, but has some texture. You may need to add more of one ingredient or another to achieve the right texture.
PAINT VASES
I recomend using horizontal strokes as that would be consistent with real pottery. Finish with a coat of clear matte spray paint or decoupage.
METHOD 2: PLASTER + PAINT
METHOD 1 SUPPLIES:
- old or thrifted vases
- matte acrylic paint
- plaster of paris
- paint brushes
- clear spray paint
MIX THE PLASTER
Start with a fairly small amount of plaster, about 1/2 cup and add water to get the consistence of thick pancake batter.
PAINT THE PLASTER ON TO THE VASE
Use a paint brush to apply the plaster to the vase, again use a horizontal stroke so it looks more like real pottery. Plaster dries very quickly, between 5 and 10 minutes, so you need to work fast. But, if you don’t like the look as your painting dip your paint brush into clean water and smooth out your strokes.
PAINT IF DESIRED
Once the plaster is dried paint if you want a color other than white. If you are not planning to paint, you may need to do a second coat of plaster.
Comments