Are you ready to start decorating for fall yet, despite the heat? I’m going to show you how to paint a thrifted glass flower vase to makeover a boring, clear vase. I used fall paint colors so I could use the vase as part of my fall home decorations.
I have many different kinds of thrift store glass on hand, so I chose a clear glass flower vase to make a small flower arrangement for fall. It’s a very simple painted design ~ dots ~ I love me some polka dots! Follow along to see my painting steps.
HOW TO PAINT A THRIFTED GLASS FLOWER VASE
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SUPPLIES NEEDED:
- glass vase
- craft paint
- dot tool ~ I used the end of an artist brush
- oven
- flowers
- paper towels
SUPPLIES YOU MAY NEED:
My Goodwill vase was 50 cents. I’m a big spender!
I purchased my flowers from Walmart and they were very inexpensive. I chose a burnt orange rose stem, a cream chrysanthemum floral bush, and a dog tail stem.
HOW TO PAINT THE INSIDE OF THE VASE
I used Apple Barrel in Nutmeg Brown to paint the inside of the vase. Pour the paint inside and slowly turn the vase at all angles to let the paint swirl and flow to completely cover the glass.
If you are using a bud vase, like I did, don’t flood the vase with paint. You can add paint in stages so you don’t have an excess amount of paint left over. The picture below shows how the paint will look when you are done.
TIP: Carefully wipe any excess paint from the top of vase with a wet paper towel to create a crisp paint line.
HOW TO START PAINTING THE DOTS
My vase had beveled sections that I used to determine where I would paint my dots. I chose three fall colors of paint from Apple Barrel: Leaf Green, Harvest Orange, and Kings Gold.
Your style of vase may vary, so you’ll need to decide how to section off your vase and how many colors you want to use. Choose odd numbers, like I chose to use three colors.
The photo above shows the first section painted with dots. I used the end of an artist brush to make my dots. I leaned the vase slightly away from me to make my dots.
TIP: Occasionally, wipe the excess paint off the end of your dotter and start fresh. I find that this keeps my dots more uniform as I go along.
IMPORTANT STEP – BAKE THE GLASS
You must bake your glass vase to prevent your paint from peeling and scratching off of the glass.
- Place your vase on the bottom shelf of a cool oven
- Set the temperature to 325 degrees
- Set the timer for 30 minutes
- Leave the vase in the oven until the oven is cool
DIY PAINTED THRIFT STORE GLASS FLOWER VASE
I hope you got some inspiration for painting your own thrifted vase. Have fun thrift shopping for the perfect glass to paint!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO SEE:
HOW TO MAKEOVER A GLASS VASE WITH ACRYLICS AND FLOWERS
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AllysonAllyson is the founder and content creator of Southern Sunflowers, which shares tutorials for DIY crafts and decor on a budget.
Very pretty Allyson!!
Thank you, Jenna! Glad you like my painted vase.
Love this vase and how you painted in on the inside! And of course I love the polka dots!!!
Thanks, glad you like it! Gotta’ have my polka dots 🙂
So adorable! I wouldn’t have thought to paint the inside of the vase first so that was a great tip to learn. Thanks for sharing again this week. #HomeMattersParty
Glad you like my vase! I like to keep the shiny look on the outside of glass. Thanks for visiting 🙂
You can’t have too many polka dots! I love how you used a different color on different sections! Thank you for the tips about cleaning the top edge and also about baking the paint! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
I tried taking a shortcut and not bake it, but after I lost two dots and scratched the inside inserting my flowers LOL, I had to repair and bake. Alas, baking remains an important step!
This vase turned out nicely! I love your tips for painting inside the vase and I love how it looks!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Thanks, Carrie! I like painting the inside versus the outside because I like the glass to still look ‘shiny.’
So cute.
So glad you like my painted vase, Rebecca. Thanks for visiting!
Great job on your painted vase! I love polka dots, too:) It is just perfect for fall. xo Kathleen
Thanks, Kathleen! I want to try a larger glass piece in the future. I need to brainstorm a new design first.
You came up with a very unique design to paint on your vase and I love it! It’s an awesome way to update a thrift store find!
I love me some polka dots! It’s a non-traditional design for a vase, but I like it, too.
This is a fun way to turn a plain vase into a pretty decor piece. It looks great for fall decor.
Glad you like my vase, Beverly! I’ll have to try a larger piece of glassware next time with a different look.