Handpainted Printed Crocus Design Vase

The crocus is a flower that symbolizes hope, cheerfulness, joy and new beginnings! They are usually the first sign of spring. "When the crocus starts to bloom, spring cannot be far behind."

So let's celebrate the arrival of spring by transforming a simple glass vase into a dazzling display featuring delicate, hand-painted crocus flowers. This project combines the charm of hand-painted details and the usage of printed designs, making it a perfect DIY craft to brighten up your home décor with personal flair. 

Hello and Welcome to this month's Creative Craft Hop co-hosted by Sara @Birdz of a Feather  and Donna @Modern on  Monticello who take turns every other month! The lovely and creative Sara is our host for this month! I'm so glad you're here checking out our creative projects for the month!

Let me first just say that this project was not as easy as I thought it would be. I am not in anyway artistic! But I thought outlining crocus designs and then painting them on glass would be a simple task to do. In reality, though, my hands would cramp and I realized that I could not paint a straight or curvy line on glass despite how easy it looked. But I persevered, anyway! And if you try it, I hope you do too!

So let's get started!

Materials Needed:

• Glass Vase (clear)
• Soap & water + rubbing alcohol/paper towel
• Printed Crocus designs
• Masking tape
• Towel
• Acrylic 3D Paint Liners
• Transparent Acrylic Glass Paints
• Toothpicks 
• Color Changing LED Flameless Candles

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, this post may contain links. I may receive a very small commission at no cost to you! Plus Google Adsense provides a platform for me to monetize my content by hosting ads from Google's network of advertisers. The money I earn helps pay my crafting expenses. Thanks so much for your support!

How To:

Begin by washing the glass vase with soap and water and dry with paper towels. Then wipe with rubbing alcohol and let dry for a clean surface free of grease or oil. 

There are lots of free crocus flower designs to choose from online. Here are a couple I chose along with the vase I had in my stash:

After cleaning and the drying the vase, place the printed crocus design on the inside of the glass vase, securing with masking tape - especially around the bottom. Place a towel down on your work surface, laying the glass vase on its' side. Begin using the 3D paint liner to trace the outline of the crocus. The paint liner came in black, gold and silver. I chose silver since the color is closest to glass and less conspicuous than black and gold. Your choice!

You can see I'm not very good with outlining. 

This side is just about finished and .  .  .

on to the other printed side. I found a larger crocus design for this side instead of  the one I previously showed. Having bubbles when outlining is part of the process  and using toothpicks to pop air bubbles helps! 

Glass paint outlining generally requires 1-2 hours to be touch dry and about 6-8 hours or overnight to dry completely before filling in with paint colors. I let the outlining dry overnight. Once the outlining is dry, it's time to start painting the crocus with acrylic glass paint. Naturally, I'm using a deep purple violet transparent!

Be sure not to go too close to the lining when adding the paint. Use toothpicks to help smooth the paint toward the lining. In some areas, I let the paint be thicker and in others, more transparent. 

And of course, using green glass paint for the leaves and stems.

This is certainly an amusing way - especially when you have crampy hands, to achieve a faux stained glass, one of a kind handmade piece! 

                                   But I'm loving it!                                                   

It's amazing what colorful lighting will do!

It really puts you in a happy mood!

In experiencing the ups and downs of paint lining and hand painting, I've created my own version of "crafting enjoyment," lol! I've called this my practice piece! A delightful way to "Welcome Spring!"

Up next is Sara, sharing her amazing and very creative leather earrings with soda can beads - I know you won't be disappointed!

And please make sure to check out all of our super talented bloggers and their amazing creations listed below:

Gail  -    Handpainted Printed Crocus Design Vase

Sara  -  Leather Earrings with Soda Can Beads

  Sue  -  Dollar Store St. Patrick's Day Wreath

Cecilia   -  The Easy Way to Create Decorative Chalkboards

Donna   -  DIY Boho Wall Decor with Floral Stems