DIY colorful recycled glass vases

Happy Friday! Thanksgiving is right around the corner and fall is leaving us soon. I wanted to share a very simple DIY project that would make a great final fall centerpiece or decoration to your home. Painted glass vases are so pretty and when grouped together they can really make a statement. And what I love about this project is that it uses only recycled glass jars and craft paint- that’s it!

This project was just recently featured on a lifestyle magazine blog for an ABC affiliate out of Seattle called Yesterday on Tuesday. woot woot!

I used the colors of fall for these vases but I did add a pop of an unexpected color because I just love blue. But you can change the colors and personalize them for any occasion – reds and pinks for Valentine’s Day or all deep greens for Christmas would be so pretty too.

Here are the steps to create your own:

Gather a few glass bottles in various sizes and shapes. I had a few small bud vases and I also used old food bottles {soy sauce, soda and cocktail sauce ones are great}. Clean your jars by soaking them in very hot, soapy water. Then peel off the labels as best as you can. For stuck on glue, use a light scrubbing pad. Be sure your bottles are completely dry before applying the paint.

For the paint, I used Martha Stewart multi-surface craft paints that I got at Michaels – there’s also a line of glass paints you could use. I picked a mixture of seasonal colors and added the caribbean blue. This color was the perfect compliment to all the orange and brown tones. You could also do the ombre look and get one color in varying shades.

To color your bottles, simply pour a few tablespoons of paint into your bottle. Roll your bottle around to evenly distribute your paint along the sides. I had to tap the side of the bottle against my hand to help spread the paint around too.

When the sides of your bottle are painted, set them upside down to remove any excess paint. I used a cookie rack on top of a baking sheet covered in wax paper. After about a day, I turned the bottles right side up to help speed up the drying time. Your bottles will need about 2-3 days to fully dry.

These DIY Painted Glass Vases look perfect with some twigs and fall clippings – or you can fill them with other options like feathers and flags. Be sure not to fill them with water though – or any other liquid; the paint will pull away from the sides of the bottle.

I just love the colorful, finished look of these vases. I put 6 of them on this wood pedestal I got at Michael’s {$8.99 with coupon} and it’s an instant fall centerpiece.