Stylish Ways To Upcycle Old Vases

Do you have a shelf somewhere in your home where you have collected a bunch of vases? I have a few stylish ways to upcycle those old vases so you won’t want to keep them hidden in a closet anymore!

Thrift Store Vase Upcycles

One spot I always hit at the thrift store is the vase aisle. I always keep my eyes open for interesting shapes and sizes that I can makeover. Here are a few stylish ways that I came up with for you to upcycle some of your old vases at home.

Ugly Ceramic Vase Makeover

OK, I’m all for a little pop of color in your home…but I’m not sure about this neon green!! Sometimes you have to look past the bad paint job (just like on the HGTV show where they are looking for a house and cross it off the list because of the paint colors…c’mon people, that’s like the easiest fix in the world…I yell at the TV every time!!)

The shape and design of this vase are so pretty that I had to grab it! It’s been sitting in my garage all winter waiting for it to be warm enough to be able to spray paint again. Spray paint comes out lousy if you are trying to do it when it’s cold out.

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This was an easy upcyle!! All you will need is a can of paint. For this project, I used one of my favorites Rust-Oleum Universal Metallic Spray Paint in ‘Flat Soft Iron’. Personally, I love the trigger handle on this paint line because it’s so user-friendly…pushing the little button down on the traditional cans kills my finger and I always end up with paint on it too!!.

One coat of spray paint covered most of the green…user error: I missed a couple of spots on the first go-round!

After the first coat of paint was completely dry I went over with a second light coat of the spray paint.

…And that was it! What a difference paint can make! My crabapple tree is just coming back to life and I cut a few of the branches that were hanging too low. The contrast between the red leaves and the dark vase looks so dramatic.

Faux Mercury Glass Painting Technique

Last winter I used this method of making faux mercury glass on a set of Christmas ornaments. It’s a cool technique!

On my last thrift store haul, I picked up this glass vase. I liked the tulip shape and the base so I put it in my cart but didn’t know what I would do with it.

When you are making DIY mercury glass projects you have to use mirror paint, there are a couple of different brands but I am using the Krylon Looking Glass Paint.

When using this specialty paint you spray the inside of your project to get the mirrored effect.

It is quite thin…almost watery, but this is normal. The trick was spraying the paint inside the vase, swirling it around, and turning it in my hand. The paint will move around the inside and coat the glass.

The paint dries quickly and the mirrored effect gets stronger as it dries.

Before the looking glass paint dried, I sprayed the inside of the vase with a 50/50 vinegar & water solution.

Over the wet vinegar & water solution I sprayed gold paint next (I am using Krylon Hammered Gold because that’s what I had on hand but any gold spray paint will work)

Once the vase is dry you will be able to see the cool mercury glass effect!! Doesn’t it look pretty..it is amazing how paint can transform a piece!!

Pottery Barn Inspired Vase

This Pottery Barn Inspired DIY Vase vase has been one of my popular DIY projects and a Top 10 Reader Favorite from last year.

It was a thrift store find and I transformed it using joint compound and a combination of paint colors.

Seagrass Vase

This was another glass vase that I had in my thrift store stash. To give it a fresh, fun look I took the old vase and wrapped it with twisted seagrass rush.

Don’t you love the textured look of it?? Much more interesting than the original boring glass vase for sure!!

This was a simple project, all I did was wrap the seagrass rush around the glass vase securing with hot glue.

To hide the hot glue and any of the glass vase peeking through I lightly brushed the vase with white chalk paint.

When that dried I lightly brushed over the vase with Waverly antique wax.

This vase worked perfectly for my Spring entryway decor.

You could achieve the same look by using a jute cord or nautical rope too.

DIY Textured Vases

My last idea to upcycle some of your old vases is to make two-tone textured vases. This would work on any shape and size of vase to make it more modern looking.

I want my vases to have that cool textured look that is popular right now. It’s easy to achieve too by adding Plaster of Paris to my chalk paint.

If you don’t have Plaster of Paris on hand you can use baking soda mixed into your paint.

Mix a little bit of the Plaster of Paris (or baking soda) into your choice of paint and brush on the vase.

I wrapped painter’s tape around the neck of the vase because I want a two-toned effect. After I was done painting the bottom of the vase I removed the painter’s tape and let the paint dry.

Today I’m joining my friends Stacy from Bricks N Blooms and Kim from Shiplap and Shells. We have been having so much fun sharing our thrift store finds with all of you over the past few months! Wait until you see what they have been up to this month…

Kim’s home is so charming and pretty! I love scrolling through her pictures and always leave so inspired Kim will show you how you can Create a Tabletop with Vintage & Thrifted Finds. It’s a good thing Kim lives on the opposite coast from me or I would be trying to swipe some of her vintage pieces when she wasn’t looking!!!

Stacy has been having so much fun decorating her new home with items she has found when she has been out thrifting. You have to check out all the updates they have made since they moved in last Christmas too! You have to check out the steal she got on that mirror hanging over her piano…what a bargain!! So go check out her Thrift Store Finds and How I Styled Them

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