Painted Glass Vase for Springtime Decorating

A painted glass vase is nothing new, but when you turn things upside down, you can transform a plain glass vase into something that resembles a kiln-fired ceramic vase.

Now that I have another surface on which to display decorative accessories for the season or even on a whim, I had fun over the weekend creating something for my new console table in my living room.

When it comes to decorating there are rules that are written by some source or another that say…. everything needs to match… artwork needs to be so many inches up from a table… you can’t mix metals…. a chandelier has to be just so high… chair cushions need to have piping…etc….etc…

There are also unwritten rules when it comes to decorating a home and these are the ones I follow… the no-rule school of rules that allows me to do things as I please… make me smile and show my personal decorating style to the world, my friends and family.

The unwritten are more like methods that make your decor unique. This is what I am sharing with you today, something I created in my own style using nothing more than paint and a glass vase.

The fun thing about this DIY painted glass vase is that you don’t need any artistic skill to create it. It can be created in many different ways to achieve many different looks… like the spin-art creations you made as a kid at the county fair and proudly displayed in your bedroom.  Creating a painted vase can also be as permanent or temporary as you want it. More on this later in the post.

Last week when my latest surprise box from Waverly Inspirations arrived on my doorstep filled with pretty spring time colors of paint I knew I wanted to come up with something tall to place on my new console table. I only had one rule to follow and that was to create something for Easter and or springtime decor with as much of the paint as I could.

When I first think of Easter and spring decor, my mind immediately goes to forsythia.  I think this is because I grew up in a house where my mom every spring would clip the forsythia from our yard and bring them inside. She would put them in a vase of water and place it on the dining room sideboard where our Easter Baskets were eagerly waiting for the Easter Bunny. As the saying goes… the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as I like to see the same set up in my house, but I have one problem…. the yard at the lake house doesn’t have any forsythia. For the first time I had to go the fake route. :-)

I went to my decor stash of vases and found the tallest vase I own.  It was glass and when using fake greenery, glass vases are not the best vase to use since it doesn’t hide the fake looking stems. The power of paint can change that, I could make the tall glass vase look like it was made of ceramic using paint that would hide the plastic stems along with the fact that there is no water in the vase.

How to Paint a Glass Vase

When painting a glass vase using the method I did you need to set up your work area a little differently than you normally would since once the vase is painted you won’t be able to move it until the paint is dry. This can take a few hours or overnight, so place your painting set up where it won’t get in the way of anything else you need to do.

supplies needed:

• Waverly Inspirations Super Premium Paint in Semi-Gloss – Colors: Bubblegum, Lagoon, Lemon Lime, Sunshine, White, and Coral
• Glass vase
• Newspaper/Cardboard
• Plastic bag large enough to cover painting workspace – I used plastic grocery bags
• Small mixing bowls or paper cups
• Water
• 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon
• Popsicle sticks or paint stirrer
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Cotton ball or paper towel
  

1. Clean vase well with soap and hot water. Let dry, then use a cotton ball or paper towel to wipe glass surface with rubbing alcohol. Let dry.

2. Place vase UPSIDE-DOWN on a piece of cardboard that has a large plastic bag layered on top.

3. Mix each color of paint you plan to use with water in separate bowls or paper cups.

•  Ratio of paint to water is: 2 tablespoons paint to 1 tablespoon water. Mix well.

4. Once paints and water are mixed in bowls/cups, choose one color (the color you want to see the least) and slowly pour the paint over the bottom edge all around the vase so the paint drips down the sides of the vase and down to the top.

5. Repeat the process with each paint color, using the color you want to see the most of, last. If the paint is not running down the glass all the way, you can add a little bit more water to the paint and water mix. 

6. Optional – After you have added all the paint colors to the vase, swirl your finger around on the bottom of the vase to allow the paint to go down the sides. Note: this will create new colors of paint so if you like the colors just as they are on the vase, skip this step.

7. I removed the excess paint on the bottom of the vase with a paper towel.  You can leave it, but it will take longer to dry than the sides since the paint will be thicker. 

8.  Use a paint brush to brush away the excess paint that is on the plastic bag away from the vase. Let vase dry for about 30 minutes and then carefully tilt the vase to remove the plastic bag and all the paint mess.

9. Let the vase dry in place on the cardboard for about 4 – 8 hours. Drying times will vary depending on the weather.

When dry, fill with flowers and display it on a table.

Painted Glass Vase Painting Options:

• When you tire of the painted vase and you would like the vase to be clear glass again, simply place it in a bucket of water overnight and you will be able to remove all the paint without any damage to the glass.
• Love your creation and want it to last forever?  Simply brush-on Gloss Polycrylic (water-based poly) over the vase with a paint brush when the paint is completely dry. One light coat is all that is needed.

I added the poly since I like how my painted glass vase came out.  :-)

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