DIY Rustic Vase from an Inexpensive IKEA Glass Vase

Have you noticed that rustic vases that look like concrete or aged pottery are everywhere now? They are a big décor trend in 2021. I shopped around to see if I could find one at an affordable price and sadly, most are close to a hundred dollars. The larger vases and lamps are several hundred dollars. Back to the drawing board, and I decided to make my own, incorporating a little IKEA hack along the way. In this post, DIY Rustic Vase from an Inexpensive IKEA Glass Vase, I show you how I created this look using a foolproof method. I honestly don’t think it’s possible to mess this up if you follow my simple steps. Best of all, I used an IKEA Vasen vase that I purchased for only $2.49. I hope you enjoy making this vase!

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I didn’t paint the inside of my glass vase, because I plan to use it for displaying flowers. You can paint the inside if you choose. I would consider doing this if the item is purely decorative or if it’s a bowl and the inside will be visible. The great thing about working with clear glass is that the inside of the vase will take on the colour of the base coat.

Supplies for the DIY Rustic Vase

You can use this paint treatment on any glass, plastic, ceramic, or metal vase. This method also works for lamps and other items that you want to have a concrete or aged pottery look. The paint colours I used tend to look more like concrete, but by changing the paint colours used, you can make your item look like aged stoneware or even rustic terra cotta.

I use Fusion Mineral Paint products for this project and I think that’s a big part of why this method is foolproof. I usually purchase my Fusion products from Homeworks Etc.

• Medium-sized glass vase (I used the inexpensive IKEA Vasen glass vase)
• Ultra Grip by Fusion, 250 mL
• Fusion Mineral paint– Bedford, 500 mL
• Fusion Mineral paint– Champlain, sample size 1.5 oz
• Fresco powder by Fusion, 75 g
• Foam brush (1”) for Ultra Grip application
• Chip brushes (1-2”) for paint application
• Small mixing vessel for mixing Fresco and paint
• Paint mixing sticks
• Small paint palette or piece of cardboard
• One sheet tissue paper

Directions for the DIY Rustic Vase

• Wash your vase with dish soap and warm water and towel dry completely.
• Apply a coat of Ultra Grip on the outside of the vase with your foam brush and allow to dry overnight or at least 12 hours (this is an important step).
• Apply a single coat of Bedford Fusion Mineral Paint to the outside of the vase using a chip brush. Don’t worry about brush strokes or uneven coverage. Allow to dry at least two hours before the next coat.

• Mix two tablespoons Fresco powder with three tablespoons Bedford paint. Mix with a wooden mixing stick for 20 seconds. We want small lumps to be present as this will give the finish it’s textured look.
• Apply the Fresco/paint mixture to the outside of the vase using a chip brush. Paint in whatever direction you want to add some textural lines. I swept my brush horizontally around the vase.
• As soon as you have finished painting this coat, take a small piece of tissue paper and dab it onto the vase, pulling off some of the paint and adding textural interest. Use a fresh section of tissue paper each time you dab the vase. Repeat this process dabbing 50-70% of the surface of the vase. Allow the paint to dry for at least 4 hours.

• Using a dry chip brush and your second colour of paint, Champlain, dip the brush into the paint and wipe off a good portion of the paint onto your paint palette or piece of cardboard. Apply the paint to your vase in a sweeping motion horizontally around the vase. Allow to dry a couple hours more before handling.

A Few Tips on Paint Colour

For your two paint colours, choose shades that are somewhat close to each other. I wouldn’t do a stark black and a cold white. If I wanted to use black as my base coat, I’d likely use a charcoal grey and then use a brown or a beige or medium-toned grey for my second colour.

To create your second paint colour, you can always take your base colour and mix it with a little white to create a lighter version of the base colour. Then you know that this new colour will work well with the base colour.

You can use more than two colours for your DIY rustic vase if you like. I could have added a little brown to mine to give it even more depth and richness.

Styling

I think that this DIY rustic vase would look pretty anywhere, in a classic setting or modern home. I’ve styled mine on a little tray in the bedroom with some faux greenery. I can’t wait to get my hands on some real flowers! It’s currently the dead of winter in Ottawa and we’re in a lockdown, so real flowers will have to wait. This vase would be perfect displayed on a coffee table or side table, or as a centerpiece on the kitchen table.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, DIY Rustic Vase from an Inexpensive IKEA Glass Vase. Do you have an old vase hanging around that could be transformed? If you liked this post, you might also like my other IKEA hacks:

DIY Painted Doormat IKEA Hack

DIY Mudroom Cubby IKEA Hack

Farmhouse Christmas Bedroom and an IKEA Hack

Top 12 IKEA Hacks to Try Now