Sending flowers is such a thoughtful gesture, don’t you think? But I never know what to do with the vase they come in. The glass flower vase is usually pretty blah at best, ugly at worst. It would be such a waste to throw it out though.
Instead, you can do this easy upcycling project to turn a basic glass florist vase into a chic plaster vessel.
In this post, I’ll show you how to make a DIY faux pottery vase using plaster and a scrap of leather.
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How to Make a DIY Faux Pottery Vase
To make a faux pottery vase you simply coat a basic glass flower vase with a few coats of plaster, then embellish with a small leather remnant. In order to prevent the plaster from chipping off the vase, you need to first create a solid, textured base for the plaster layer to grip.
Materials Needed
- Glass vase
- Plaster cloth gauze
- Plaster of Paris
- Scissors
- Chip brush
- Leather scrap (I used an old skirt or you can buy them here)
- Glue gun (this is my favorite budget model)
Step 1: Cut your plaster cloth into strips
First, you’ll cut your plaster cloth into roughly 2″ wide strips. In order for your plaster to adhere to the smooth glass surface of the vase, you need to create a strong base layer for it to grip. Some people simply spray the vase with primer or paint, but in my experience, this will still leave the plaster vulnerable to cracking off the glass down the road.
Instead, I use plaster cloth gauze — the material that casts are made from — to create a strong shell with a rough texture for added durability. The added bonus to this is that it will smooth over any undesirable details, like the 80s style swoosh that my vase had.
Cut a bunch of strips and, one by one, dip them in water and smooth over the vase in overlapping sections. Let dry overnight.
Step 2: Paint a thick layer of plaster
Prepare a small batch of plaster in a 2:1 ratio and paint a thick layer all over your vase.
To prepare, I mixed 2/3 cup of plaster and 1/3 cup cold water together until well combined. You want to keep your batches small because plaster starts to thicken and dry quickly.
Using a cheap chip brush, paint your vase in thick, horizontal strokes until the entire surface is covered. For my 15″ tall vase I only needed one batch of plaster.
Let dry overnight.
Step 3: Apply final layer of plaster
Using the same 2:1 ratio, mix another batch of plaster for your final coat. For this coat, use random criss-cross and up-down strokes to create an organic texture for the final piece. This will also serve to cancel out any remaining horizontal ridges caused by the plaster cloth layer.
Step 4: Add leather cuff
Cut a wide strip of leather and wrap it around the center of the vase. This step is purely optional, but I had a bunch of leather scraps leftover from my coaster and napkin ring projects, so I figured why not be extra and add a leather cuff?
It’s easy! Simply cut a length of scrap leather to your desired width, wrap it around the center of the vase, and hot glue to secure in the back.
Your faux pottery vase is complete!
So what do you think? Would you give this project a try? If you love DIY and are looking to decorate your home on a budget, be sure to check out my full collection of DIY posts!