Looking to jazz up your old vases on a budget? Here are a TON of ideas for ways to update and even make vases from scratch!
Vases are – it’s funny to say this – really trending right now.
It’s funny to me because vases are kind of this timeless thing. You got flowers? You need a vase!
But, vases and ceramic vessels in general are the most popular current pick for holding flowers, houseplants, and everything in between.
So, dust off your old vase collection and let these ideas inspire you to get crafty and update them!
What can I use instead of a vase?
No vase? No problem. How about:
- tin can
- jar
- canister
- piece of old crockery
- pitcher
- tea pot
- bucket
- bird bath
- watering can
- mug
- wine bottle
If you want to turn a random vessel into a planter for a plant, be sure to check out my tutorial for how to drill holes in ceramic pots!
What can I do with empty flower vases?
If you want to display unused vases, you should! Pretty vases can stand alone on a shelf, or set them on top of a stack of books for a layered look.
To add height, you can add sticks or branches to a vase. Or, add a candle or candlestick (whatever fits the opening).
A heavy enough empty vase makes a great bookend on a bookshelf, too!
How do you decorate a plain vase?
The easiest way to decorate a plain vase is with paint! Paint the inside or out for a unique look.
You can also use modge podge to add fabric or craft paper for a textured look.
Here are some more DIY flower vase ideas!
Easy DIY Vase Ideas
Want to make a beautiful DIY vase? Here are a ton of ideas!
Add sticks or branches to a vase for a rustic wood vase look. All you need is hot glue for this simple DIY project!
Take a mason jar - or any jar - and use hot glue to cover it in rope for a unique look!
You can easily upcycle any old jar into a fun and colorful vase with paint! Check out this hack for painting them so they stay durable!
This wooden wall hanger holds several test tubes creating a really unique bud vase type set up!
This tutorial uses plaster of paris and lime for a unique lime washed look! She took several tries to perfect the tutorial so be sure to check it out!
DIY a Cheap Vase into a Handsome Antique Treasure with Decoupage and Paper Napkins
Pick up a pack of beautiful paper napkins and decoupage them onto an old vase! This is a super simple tutorial but I absolutely love how it turned out and no one would ever guess those were napkins!
Here are 5 ideas for covering vases - I really love the look of the skewers! It's really a super modern and very inexpensive vase project!
This is an awesome tutorial showing how to etch a monogram onto a glass vase! It sounds fancy but all you need is vinyl or a sticker and etching cream, which you can get at the craft store!
This is a tutorial showing how to paint a vase with a brush. This is great for upcycling thrifted or discount rack vases! This brush method gives a nice pottery look.
Love the look of concrete vases but don't want to actually pour concrete? Here is an easy DIY project to hack the look for less!
If you want to actually pour concrete vases, here is a tutorial for how to make vase molds out of everyday ordinary items!
I love this hack because it puts old promotional or unwanted beer mugs to better use! Perfect for St Patrick's day or even a man cave, if your man cave needs a vase!
Love glitter? Here are two methods for making DIY glittered vases! Perfect for adding bling to an event or room in your home.
I am blown away by these gorgeous wooden vases! If you like the rustic look of a birch log, you have got to make a few of these wood vases for yourself!
Unicorn spit is a unique gel stain usually used on wood. However, you can use it on glass for this cool, colorful, crackle look!
A variety of specialty spray paints transformed these dollar tree vases into beautiful romantic boho pieces!
Love the look of mercury glass? Here is how to DIY hack it at home!
Here are 4 ways to paint a glass vase to get a soft, clay-like, ceramic look.
Fluted wood is really on trend! Here's how to get that look on a vase that you have laying around.
These glass vases were spray painted, but the spray paint she used is SO cool. It's iridescent and multicolored - it looks just like a mermaid tail to me!
This is a great tutorial showing how to give a regular clear jar or vase a sea glass look! Perfect for a beach house or any home with a coastal vibe.
If you love a farmhouse look, check out how easy it is to make these white canisters with faux vintage labels.
If you are a fan of bling bling, it doesn't get any easier than these jeweled vases using sheets of peel and stick gems! All from the dollar store!
Love the look of hurricane style vases but don't want to spend the money? Here's how to hack the look with Dollar Store items.
This is a great tutorial on how to use plaster of paris to turn an ordinary vase into a beautiful ceramic-looking piece! Very on trend.
How to Make A Vase Look Like Textured Stoneware Using Paint and Baking Soda
Love the look of textured stone wear? Here's how to use BAKING SODA (yes, baking soda!) to get the look with paint!
This vase was made from a plastic bottle! Yes, like a juice bottle! Such a good upcycle and a creative craft!
This is a great tutorial for wall-mounting a wine bottle to create a unique wood and glass vase.
Love cats? This is a cute and quirky tutorial for making a concrete vase with a cat design on the side! So funny and would make a great gift for the cat lover in your life.
How to Turn the Ugliest Thrift Store Vase into a Beauty with DIY Textured Paint
This tutorial shows how to use baking powder to make your own chalk paint! Then use the chalk paint to paint your vase. Pretty genius!
This is a great idea for the music lover in your life - use sheet music to decoupage a vase! So beautiful, I love the black and white.
This is a great tutorial showing the easiest way to fully get labels off of old bottles and jars to use them as upcycled vases!
These vases were painted halfway up with chalk paint, giving them an almost dipped look. I love the contrast in the textures! This is a really cool idea!
Frosted glass is a unique way to give previously clear jars or vases an opaque look. This transforms them to look high end and romantic! Here's a tutorial on how to do it yourself.
She used spray paint and DIRT to get a vintage look on these vases! It sounds wacky, I know, but it turned out great!
Using a pitcher as a vase is a very Joanna Gaines thing to do. I love this tutorial for making over a thrifted pitcher for that perfect farmhouse look.
Kate Spade makes some beuatiful, bold pieces. However, they are pricey. Here's how to get the look on a DIY budget!
This acorn vase is whimsical and extremely random, but really good for fall! Love the copper but you could use any metal tone!
This spooky vase is perfect for Halloween or if you just want to decorate with a goth or Nightmare Before Christmas aesthetic.
Use rope + shells to create this mesh "netted" beach house style vase.
If you have a rustic style, you will love this super simple tin can vase idea!
This is a genius idea: turn an old soap dispenser into a vase! It could be damage or just not needed any more. I love keeping things out of the landfill and this turned out so cute!
Here's another tutorial for getting that DIY textured pottery look, but this one uses drywall compound! Pretty cool!
Grab some paint stir sticks and make this pretty wooden vase! Super simple and could work for a lot of home decor styles
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Hello, I’m Morgan, half of the creative force behind CharlestonCrafted.com! With a passion for DIY that dates back to 2012, I’ve transformed three homes and now I’m dedicated to helping others craft their dream spaces. Let’s turn your house into a home together!