How to make DIY vases

Make alternative vases

The most immediate and most followed solution by people who want to embellish their home with greenery is to purchase simple terracotta vases or planters thanks to which they can create floral compositions. However, you can create very original DIY containers not only for houseplants but also for those you want to place in pots in the garden. In fact, thanks to DIY and creative recycling you have a practically infinite range of alternatives to choose from. This way you save money and you will have garden pots suited to your needs, truly personal and truly beautiful, capable of immediately attracting attention and enhancing the environment. The alternative vases that can be created do-it-yourself use a great variety of materials , so that you can put into practice all the solutions suggested by your imagination: they range from the simplest ones such as recycling vases and glass bottles to those more original ones that see shoes or a watering can as recycled materials. The latter, for example, is made by filling it with a sufficient quantity of water and inserting flowers inside, then hanging it with the handle in the place you prefer. The same procedure should be followed if you decide to recycle an umbrella to have a DIY vase to hang on the door.

Jars with plastic bottles

The process that allows you to create DIY vases starting from plastic bottles is very simple: these containers are cut 10 centimeters below the cap so as to have a fairly large container. At this point, dilute some vinyl glue with water in a bowl and insert a pantyhose into the bottle; it is sufficient to recycle a worn one, but it is important that it is a bright color (for example, red, green or blue) so as to make the vase very decorative. After cutting the pantyhose so that it protrudes a little from the edge of the vase and fixing it on the edge with clothespins, spread vinyl glue over the entire surface of the bottle. When the vase is dry you can complete the decoration with shells, beads or other objects with a hole through which you can pass an elastic band. In fact, the thread is fixed to the bottle, shells or colored beads are inserted into it, making knots between one element and another. Finally, tie another knot so that the decorations cannot come out and wrap the elastic around the vase. Alternatively, you can use other cheap and easy-to-find objects such as yoghurt containers , which you would otherwise throw away: just wash them, dry them and decorate them as you like. For example, you can color them with spray paints or apply stencils. Once the pot is dry, you fill it with soil and use it for small plants.

Vases with wooden crates

If, however, you want to opt for larger pots, capable of hosting more than one plant, you can recycle a wooden crate: in this way you have a container of considerable size, very original and capable of satisfying your needs. . Among other things, its square shape makes it easier to insert in the garden or on the terrace and also allows you to exploit the corners. Finally, it is also possible to grow an assortment of aromatic herbs so as to have a small vegetable garden that gives a truly intense scent to the environment and whose products are used for cooking. The process for repurposing wooden crates is very quick: you pass a coat of wood stain over them and make some holes in the bottom. These are basic measures to protect the material from humidity, rain and sun and to prevent rainwater from stagnating in the pot and causing the roots of the plants to rot.

Concrete vases

We recommend concrete vases to those who want to create a modern and original environment: anyone can make them DIY and the result is always elegant. The molds can be old food containers you have at home, it doesn't matter if they are plastic or cardboard: in this way the jars will not be in series, but will have the most varied shapes. After preparing the material by mixing four parts of sand with one part of cement, it is used to fill the mold; then a smaller container is inserted inside in which the plant will be planted. At this point you have to turn everything upside down and let the cement dry for a couple of days; once the pot has hardened, make some holes in the bottom with the drill so as to let the excess water flow out and avoid stagnation that is dangerous for the health of the plant. Finally, the mold is removed and the small internal container is filled with soil to accommodate the plant. An alternative procedure for making concrete vases involves adding colored cement powders to the mixture.

Vases hanging upside down

If you have a gazebo it is possible to make DIY vases to hang upside down: in this way you have a very original and truly decorative environment. In fact, there is no reason why plants can't flower upside down. The best containers for making this solution are cans with a plastic lid: coffee or barley cans are perfect. You need to wash them carefully, make holes in the bottom so that the soil can drain well and insert the plant. It is necessary to be very careful not to let the soil escape: for this reason it must be compacted well and used a few small tricks. After cutting a piece of specific sponge (the one used to maintain humidity in the vases) in a round shape and to the same size as the jar, a hole of the same size as the plant is made in the center. Then you stick it in the middle of the can. At this point the plastic cover is also cut in a circle so that the plant can pass through it; finally, just close the jar and turn it upside down and then hang it on the structure of the gazebo or on the branches of a tree in your garden. To have an even more colorful and evocative effect, you can decorate the jar before filling it with soil using paints suitable for external climatic conditions.