DIY Ombre Vase // 5.18.14

These stones and sand were meant to be inside the vase, but I love to find inspiration from the reinvention of materials. Sometimes that can mean going on quite the adventure to complete a project, but this vase was super simple. No need to drag an unsuspecting victim into my crafting whirlwind! With fresh cut flowers from the yard, this vase is such a pretty addition to my windowsill, especially when the light comes in and makes the stones and sand gleam.

DIY Ombre Vase

Time: 2-3 hours

Materials:

1 glass vase or bottle
Sand
Glass stones
Glass & bead glue
Hammer
Plastic bag
Plates

Optional Materials (not pictured):

Foam brush
Multi-purpose spray adhesive
Clear gloss spray

Steps:

 1. Place the glass stones into a plastic bag. Then use a small hammer to crush the stones until they are in sizes to your liking.

 I kept some bigger pieces and pounded some into very small shards, so I would have plenty of options.

2. Use a foam brush or spread the glue directly onto the glass vase. I suggest glueing small sections at a time, so the glue doesn't dry out.

3. Sprinkle the sand onto the section with glue and dump off the excess. Continue this process until the top two thirds of the vase are covered. There may be some uneven patches of sand. If you want a more even and thick look, use spray adhesive to add another layer of sand. I also mixed in some of the smallest shards of the glass stones to the sand to draw a little color upward and add cohesiveness.

4. Start glueing small sections and individually placing the glass stones on the bottom part of the vase. It's fun to strategically fit the pieces together and creates a customized finished product. Turn on some music and you might find it's quite therapeutic!

5. I sprayed a gloss coat onto the finished product as a sealant to (hopefully) keep the sand from shedding too much. I also like how it looks polished and clean.

Play around to see what patterns you can make. Maybe a chevron design? I'll save that for vase number two! My vision for this one was a mixed media approach to the painted ombre trend.

<3 Taylor