Nothing says Spring like fresh flowers and spring cleaning.
I’ve begun making the donation runs and re-organizing household items. In one cabinet alone I discovered I have 36 vases. That’s just craziness. Not only is there no way that I’m ever going to use that many vases at the one time, but quite a few of them I realized I would never, ever use just because I don’t like them and they don’t match my decor. Oh, and that number doesn’t include the number I have out on display filled with paper flowers, or fresh flowers.
So I decided it was time that I part with a few, and others I would use for various DIY projects.
I wanted to keep this vase just for me. For little bunches of flowers from the garden or that I pick up at markets. I painted this one day while my daughter was at school. An hour after she came home I found it in her bedroom. It hadn’t even finished drying properly … it was touch dry, but I like to set them aside for 48 hours to dry completely. I guess that won’t be happening with this one. I had to ask to borrow it to pop some flowers in and photograph it.
So this is how it looked before:
I can only assume it was given to me around Valentine’s Day. Who knows how long it’s been hiding amongst all of my other vases, but let’s face it, I probably wouldn’t even use it for Valentine’s Day let alone any regular day when I have fresh flowers to put on display.
So I cleaned it, sanded it slightly, and sprayed several coats of spray paint on to give it a fresh new look that’s perfect for Spring!
What You Need:
- An old vase from your cabinet or the thrift store
- Dish soap and warm water (for cleaning)
- Sandpaper or sanding block
- Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover 2x in a white semi-gloss
- Rust-Oleum Crystal Clean Enamel
Tips for Perfect Spray Paint
Clean it: Clean with a little dish soap and warm water to get off any grease or dirt. If it has stickers you can use Goo-Gone or a similar product to remove the sticky mess.
Sand it down: A quick sanding will allow your paint to adhere better.
Spray lightly: Make sure you spray light coats (otherwise the paint will run). 2-3 coats will offer great coverage.
Dry, Dry, Dry: Allow each coat to dry before applying the next.
Protect it: Finish with a coat of Rust-Oleum Crystal Clean Enamel to help protect it.
It’s so much prettier now and perfect for any occasion … you know when I can convince my daughter to let me borrow it now and then.
Tonya
Phil Bradford says
The article’s got a Spring-like fresh feel to it. The ideas are good and can be worked upon. Still, Tonya, would you be happy to discuss some DIY ideas for the upcoming Easter? I think that would go well too. Easter is round the corner and most of us would get busy preparing for that. Its celebration calls for a sizable amount of expenditures and so, any input from your end would help the readers here. Take for example, reusing previous years’ Easter baskets or adding a homemade cake to the Dinner. Things like these would certainly minimize the costs, if not over-stretch one’s budget.
Thank you Jessica :).
Its incredible what a simple coat of paint can do! My sister in law paints accent pieces like this every time she redecorates her living room - which is just about every season. I love it!
Wow, amazing! I always think DIY is hard but this is great for anyone!
So cute! I will look for a vase next time I’m at the thrift store
Tonya - You are always so creative! That is adorable.