Upcycled Plastic Cup Vase

                      

Hello! Have I got an easy all season craft for you using plastic cups! Once you're done with drinking out of them, here's a resourceful way to reuse them and celebrate any season or occasion! Just rinse out, dry, and use them to create a lovely vase! Perfect for the upcoming entertaining season!

 Welcome to this months' Creative Craft Hop hosted by Sara @Birdz of a Feather! So glad Sara's back! But Donna @Modern on Monticello  did an amazing job filling in these past three months for Sara! If you're coming over from Cecilia's @My Thrift Store Addiction, wasn't her whimsical chandelier centerpiece adorable!

Upcycled plastic cup vase is all about reusing before recycling! And making a vase is so easy and simple to do!

Materials:

• Plastic Cups - 16oz or larger
• X-acto craft knife/sharp scissors 
• Quick dry multi-purpose glue (Fabri-Tac)
• Plastic storage container bottom
• Velvet wired cord 20+yds

Start with two clean plastic cups. These cups are 16oz.

Use an x-acto knife to cut out an .  .  . 

 opening in the center of the bottom of both cups! Basically that's so you won't have to shorten or cut off the stems of real flower or foilage - just in case.

Then glue the two bottoms together.

The bottom opening of the plastic cup "vase" needs to be closed, so I'm using the bottom of a clear plastic container to cut out a round closure and .  .  .

glue it onto the bottom opening (which is on top in the picture below).

Once the bottom closure is dry, cut off excess plastic. And check for openings you might have made while cutting, and add additional glue to seal.

Then begin adding the velvet wired cording by coiling it around into a circle and gluing in place to the center of the bottom plastic. 

Continue coiling the cord and gluing in place as you cover the plastic cups.

Coiling from the bottom .  .  .

up towards the center .  .  .

and then around to the top, gluing in place as you coil.

Here is the finished vase wrapped in wired velvet cording. The vase looks beautiful as is, but I wanted to decoupage borders of leaves on the top and bottom of the vase for the fall season.  

I printed out a fall border design on rice paper but as I tried to decoupage it on the vase, it just wouldn't stick. Then I tried other papers to see if they would stick.

This leaf was actually a napkin that I cut out. It looks good on the front of the vase, but once I applied mod podge, it wouldn't stick either and ended up stuck on plastic film instead of the vase. It was a hot mess! Luckily I was able to wash all the mod podge off and let the vase dry overnight.

                                          

I so wanted to put some sort of decoration on the vase. I didn't want to use any type of stones, beads or glitter. Then I remembered making fall leaves using an oak template. Some of you may remember this oak leaf template that I used to make a clay leaf dish. and also leaves for my paper mache pumpkin centerpiece. I reduced the size in Word, printed it, and then cut it out. You can also free-hand a leaf design, if you want. I still had all the supplies to make a few leaves.

To make the leaves, you will also need:

• Clear film sheet
• Purple Burlap Ribbon 5.5"wide
• Twine
• Tacky Glue/Fabric Glue (quick grab)
• Parchment paper
• Scissors
• Floral Stem Wire

Then place a clear film sheet on top of the template (so it wouldn't stick as much) and the burlap on top of that.  Begin tracing the leaf around on the burlap in small increments with a quick grab, tacky glue. Quickly place the jute twine down on top of the glue, following the outline. Use the pointed nose of pliers to press the twine down onto the burlap to prevent too much glue getting on fingers.

Once the twine is in place, cover the leaf with a sheet of parchment paper and press down around the twine outline to smooth out with fingers for better adhesion to the burlap, and then remove.

 Let dry!

Once the glue is dry, time to cut out the leaf following the leaf outline.

Glue on a strip of floral stem wire (I painted mine to match the burlap) to the back of the leaves to make them bendable for dimension.

Perfect to place on the vase!

You know I love my purple hues!

A recycled plastic cup vase is a unique and creative way of decorating and a great way to put a personal touch to your decor!

Up next, is Niki @Life as a Leo Wife, sharing her adorable Halloween Candleholder!

Be sure to visit all the creative crafters listed below and be amazed!

Winter Wine Glasses Jenna @ The Painted Apron

Candy Corn With Pom Poms  Ann @The Apple Street Cottage

Fall Wreath Using Fabric and Burlap  Allyson @Southern Sunflower

5 Easy Steps to Make a Thanksgiving Wreath  Carol @Blue Sky at Home

Wickedly Whimsical Salvaged Chandelier Centerpiece  Cecilia @My Thrift Store Addiction

Upcycled Plastic Cup Vase  Gail @Purple Hues and Me

DIY Dollar Tree Halloween Candleholder  Niki @Life As a Leo Wife

How to Make a Scrap Robot  Sara @Birdz of a Feather