Saturday, December 10, 2011

Bud Vases, Anyone?

I've been wanting some bud vases for a while now, but they seem so expensive! Okay, so they aren't actually expensive, but they are more than I am willing to pay. The style I am looking for is something streamlined with a narrow neck, like these vases from Z Gallerie, Crate&Barrel and Ikea, respectively, only smaller.

Lithe Aubergine Vase | Z Gallerie
Cooper Tall Vase | Crate&Barrel
SALONG Vase | Ikea
This leaves me with two options: wait for a killer sale (not likely), or DIY a substitute. Guess which one is more likely to happen? Yeah, that's what I thought.

There is a DIY solution (there always is) to my problem that is apparently a common problem for many a thrifty DIY home decorator. The most popular fix is to collect some glass bottles, dress them up with a little puffy paint, and spray paint them in the color of your choice. The first time I saw this done, it was in white and reminded me of a Johnathan Adler piece.

Jessy of Fairytale Frosting put together a tutorial of how she upcycled some used bottles into chic vases on her blog here. Check it out!

Fairytale Frosting
Since no one around here is likely to have a drinking party anytime soon ever, and I don't want my vases branded with 'IBC' (although it would make a good conversation piece), I think I'm going to start scouring thrift stores and clearance aisles for good bottles with nice silhouettes. Or I may just break down and buy the cute little white ones at Michaels with 40% off coupons. Not likely, but stranger things have happened!

4 comments:

Val said...

Years ago we got some orange soda bottles as a wedding gift. They look just like IBC root beer bottles only without the IBC. Sorry, I have no idea where the gift giver found them.

I've seriously kept them all this time and still decorate with them. I actually was just thinking that maybe enough is enough and it's time to get rid of them, but this post is making me think that maybe I just need to refurbish them.

Shannon said...

I think IBC is actually a root beer brand, so you may be safe! I would go to Ikea... I have found some perfect bottles/ jars/ vases there in the past, often for a couple of dollars each.

Heather said...

Val-
That's awesome that you were gifted and are still using those bottles. Just off the top of my head, you could do the puffy paint treatment, try painting the insides with mirror paint (partially fill them with the paint, swirl it around, then drain the excess) for a mercury effect, or just hit them with a coat of a bright, punchy color! In the DIY world, there are few things that a little paint can't fix. ;P

When you're done refurbishing, be sure to share so I can check it out! I really want to see what you come up with.

Heather said...

Shannon-
Oh, I'm always up for a trip to Ikea. ;D Thanks for the tip!