Grab An Old Glass Jar And Some Toilet Paper To DIY The Most Unique Floral Decor

When the first step in a craft project is to put an entire roll of toilet paper into a pot of boiling water, no one would blame you for being both intrigued and skeptical. However, that's exactly the way one clever YouTuber started her very unique DIY decor. "They turned out so beautiful" and "Looks very pretty" were among the universally positive comments for Evrim Taşer Yılmaz's toilet paper hack. To make it, she created a thick paste from toilet paper and craft glue before using it to completely cover an old glass jar, then added decorative decoupage and paint to create a totally one-of-a-kind flower vase.

There are a lot of ways to turn toilet paper into cool decor, but simmering an entire roll takes clever crafting to a whole new level. You can actually use either toilet paper or paper towels for this DIY decor project, since both will break down into their pulpy materials when they get wet. It will also loosen the adhesive connecting the paper to its cardboard core, which you can pull out with a pair of tongs before discarding.

Then, to make the pulpy paste, scoop the saturated paper out of your pan, allow excess water to drain off, then place it in a large glass bowl. From there, you'll use an immersion blender to chop it into dense mush. Once it becomes the consistency of cottage cheese curds, dump it onto an absorbent kitchen towel before squeezing out as much water as you can. There are many types of glues and adhesives, but for this project, simple white craft glue is all you'll need.

You'll use craft glue for the next two steps. First, add several tablespoons directly to your pulp, mixing and kneading it thoroughly to make a thick paste. Then, using a small paintbrush, apply a thin layer of craft glue to an old glass jar. This will help the paste adhere as you press and smooth it into place. Since it will be on the stiff side, you can use extra paste to create dots, lines, or other raised shapes on your new vase. That's the approach Evrim Taşer Yılmaz took, creating an oval shape on one side of her jar.

Once your paste has dried thoroughly, you can leave it white or decorate it however you like. Yılmaz cut a small oval out of a decorative napkin and used ModPodge to decoupage it inside of the raised frame on the jar. She highlighted the raised area by using decorative craft paint applied with a stipple brush before coating the entire vase in spray varnish. You could also use spray paint or markers to decorate your dried paste, or even hot glue various elements like small faux flowers or sisal rope to add more texture. Just remember not to oversaturate your paste once it has dried on your jar, since this could cause it to loosen.

The same thing goes for being careful when pouring water into your vase before using it to hold a floral arrangement. Using room temperature water and trimming any leaves below the water line will keep grocery store flowers looking fresh. You could also skip the water altogether by using silk flowers or greenery.