Transform An Old Vase And Napkin Into A Beautiful Home Decor Piece In Minutes

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Whether you like to display artificial or real cut flowers around your home, the vase you house them in will have a considerable impact on your arrangement's aesthetic appeal. Given their importance, you'd naturally want to pick pretty holders for your blooms. However, if yours are looking old and outdated, you don't necessarily have to spend money on new ones. Nor do you have to settle for basic ones you got from your local Dollar Tree or thrift store. You just need to decoupage a few decorative napkins onto the surface to turn your old vase into a gorgeous decor piece in minutes.

This way, you can give your boring or stained vase a new lease on life and gain a new decor item without spending a lot. Talk about a win-win! Plus, you'll be free to customize it the way you like, so you can ensure it matches or, at least, complements your overall design scheme. For example, it can look like a modern chinoiserie piece if you want something elegant and fancy. Then again, it can also look rustic or minimalist, depending on the napkin's pattern.

Bonus advantage: You can readily find most supplies at home. Besides an old vase, you'll need about two or three decorative napkins (depending on how big or small the holder is), some acrylic paint in a color of your choosing, a foam paint brush (a clean sponge works, too), Mod Podge, a brush to apply glue, and your craft scissors to get started. But before you begin, don't forget to give your vase a soapy water bath to remove any stuck-on debris and dust. Alternatively, wipe it down with an all-purpose cleaner.

After washing your vase, dry it with a clean microfiber cloth and paint it in your chosen shade. You can spray paint it, too, if you'd like to coat its inside as well. This will help hide the previous design (if any) and give you a primed base for your napkins, so your holder doesn't turn see-through after. While it cures, start peeling the backing from your napkins. If they're two-ply, you'll only have to remove one layer to get to the decorative one. If they're three, you'll have to peel back two. Take your time with this step and be patient, or you may end up with small torn pieces that are difficult to piece together or separate from the backing.

Now, decide whether you want to adhere the entire decorative side or just want to stick the pretty designs, such as flowers, leaves, and fruits. If you choose the first option, apply Mod Podge on a small part of your vase, then cut large strips of your napkin and gently press them in place. In case you see creases forming, use your brush to smooth them out. If that doesn't work, plastic wrap can prove useful. However, if you choose the second option, carefully cut out the designs you'd like to glue to your vase. Glue them as you like, or use the individual elements to tell a story, like wildflowers growing in a forest or juicy fruits tumbling over. Either way, let your decoupaged decor piece dry completely before applying a thin layer of Mod Podge on top to seal it. Finally, try a few flower arranging hacks to make your florets and newly transformed vase pop.