Turn a Glass Vase into a Faux Italian Metal Vase
Tired of looking at all those glass vases in an assortment of different shapes and sizes just sitting around your house taking up space? Turn an old glass vase into a chic, Italian-style metal vase in just a few easy steps.
First, gather your supplies. You'll need a glass vase with straight rather than curved sides (i.e. avoid bud vases), a large piece of tooling foil, a pair of sturdy scissors or tin cutters, a hammer than tenderizes wood, a glue gun and glue sticks, glass paint in shades of green and white, a paint sponge, a clean cloth, a pretty Italian-looking medallion, three wooden balls, and gold paint. While this might seem like quite a few supplies, the end result will be well worth the investment.
Once you have gathered your supplies, wrap a piece of foil around the vase and cut it to size with the scissors or tin cutters. Hammer a design onto the piece of cut foil, and make sure that your work surface is flat, smooth, and able to withstand the force of the hammer. Ceramic tiles work well. Next, attach the foil to the vase using the hot glue. Other heavy-duty adhesives may also work well, but always experiment with a small section first. Smooth glue along the edges and the seam of the wrapping using a small piece of foil. Finally, wrap thick rubber bands around the vase and set it aside for at least twelve hours.
The next day, it's time to decorate your foil-covered vase. Mix the green and white glass paint till it looks like an aged bronze color, and add a few drops of water. Use the sponge to dab it onto the vase, and then use a cloth to wipe away the excess, leaving only a fine layers of paint like a patina over the foil. While the paint is drying, use some leftover foil and adhesive to create a rim around the vase on the top and bottom. Don't paint the rim. It should shine. When the vase dries, glue the medallion on the center of it. If you can't find a suitable medallion, you can make your own with a circular scrap of unpainted foil and a leaf design. Finally, paint the three wooden balls gold and glue them in a triangular arrangement on the bottom of the vase. Then end result will be beautiful, faux metal vase that will remind you of Roman extravagance and luxury.