How to Decorate a Red Vase
When you need a romantic table decoration for a Valentine's Day meal, a creative gift idea or a way to transform a flea market find, use simple techniques and basic craft supplies like rub-on transfers and paint to embellish a plain flower vase. Turn a basic red vase into an eye-catching home decor accessory whether your decorating style is classic, contemporary or country. Use wide-mouthed vases to hold items ranging from wildflowers to loose candy and pens.
Things You'll Need
- Red vase
- Cloth
- Rubbing alcohol
- Newspapers
- Decorative rub-ons
- Wood stick
- Glass paint
- Fine-tipped paint brush
- Stencil brush or sea sponge
- Dimensional accents
- White glue
- Acrylic spray finish
Instructions
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Clean the outside of the vase by wiping it thoroughly with a cloth coated with rubbing alcohol. Washing the vase with water may leave spots or moisture that will make it difficult for embellishments to adhere to the surface.
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Protect your work area by using old newspapers to cover your table and protect it from paints and sticky embellishments that may be difficult to remove.
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Add an eye-catching "border" to the embellished red vase by applying decorative rub-ons that coordinate with the tone of your room decorations around the top and bottom of the vase. Use scissors to cut the desired rub-on from the sheet, peel off the protective backing and hold it against the vase. Use a wood stick to rub the design onto the vase and slowly peel the backing away.
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Create a hand-painted design or add texture around the center of the decorated vase with opaque or translucent glass paints that coordinate with the decorative rub-ons. Paint flourishes onto the glass with a fine-tipped paint brush or press paint on with a stiff stencil brush or sea sponge for a mottled finish.
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Affix dimensional accents like rhinestones, sequins or buttons to the vase, if desired. Add a rhinestone to the center of a hand-painted flower embellishment or sequins along a pretty swirl, for instance. Attach each accent with a dab of white glue.
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Allow the painted vase designs and glue to dry overnight, and then spray the outside of the vase with an acrylic spray sealant. The sealant will prevent the rub-ons from scratching off, keep embellishments secure and provide some moisture resistance. Let the sealant dry before using the vase to prevent smudging.
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Tips & Warnings
If you make a mistake when applying decorative rub-ons to the vase, remove the undesired rub-ons by placing a piece of sticky tape against the surface. Use a knife to scrape any remaining bits away. Wipe the area with a cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol to give the new rub-ons a clean area to adhere to.
When you want to decorate a red vase but don't have one available, simply coat a clear glass vase with a layer of metallic red spray paint. If you don't want to spray paint, you can also add red food coloring to the water inside the vase to create the illusion of a red glass vase.
