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November 12, 2020

DIY Faux Pottery: Upcycle a Leftover Glass Vase

DIY

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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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Make an old glass flower vase into beautiful faux pottery. All it takes is cheap plaster of paris, plaster cloth, and an optional scrap of leather. Learn the secret to getting the plaster to adhere and NOT CRACK.

This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy. Thanks for supporting Bloom in the Black!

Learn to create this faux pottery vessel from and old glass vase and a little bit of plaster!

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.

STart with an old glass vase

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.

smooth plaster cloth onto vase

Cut a bunch of strips and, one by one, dip them in water and smooth over the vase in overlapping sections. Let dry overnight.

Use two parts plaster to one part cold water to create the correct plaster consistency for painting

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.

Paint on a thick layer of plaster using horizontal strokes

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.

Using criss cross irregular strokes, add final layer of plaster to your faux pottery vase.

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.

Cut leather if you decide to add a leather cuff.

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.

Learn to create this faux pottery vessel from and old glass vase and a little bit of plaster!

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!

About Brianna

Brianna Thomas is the founder of Bloom in the Black, a home decor and DIY blog showing people how to personalize their home through simple projects, smart shopping, and good design. She encourages her readers to stop striving for their house to be “done,” and instead, make small, impactful changes one step at a time. Brianna’s work has been featured in publications such as House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Today.com.

Where to next?

Easy DIY Homeschool Desk
DIY Napkin Rings (In Upcycled Woven Leather!)
How to Make a Clipboard Wall Plus My Life-Changing Organization System
Create This Modern Two-Toned Table Finish -- Plus The Secret To Perfect Edges
Previous Post: « The 18 Best Wood Coffee Tables (Top 3 For Every Style)
Next Post: 10 Affordable Christmas Gifts (For When You Feel Broke) »

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About Brianna

Hey, I’m Brianna! First, you should know I’m a homebody to the core. I love surrounding myself with pretty things, yummy food, and settling in for movie marathons with my family. Most of all, I love sharing what I know about making home beautiful…

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