Metallic Painted Vases

Turn plain glass vases into shining centerpieces using easy-to-apply metallic spray paint. Make one -- or a dozen -- in only a few hours to hold flowers or candles.

 

Step 1: Thoroughly wash and dry each vase to be painted. Decide how far up the sides of the vases you want the paint to extend. (We painted 6-1/2 inches of ours, or roughly two-thirds up from the bottom.) Measure up that far from one end of a thin stick and wrap the stick with tape to serve as a guide. (If you don’t have a stir stick handy, just wrap the tape around a ruler.)

Step 2: Hold the stick against the side of the vase and press the end of a roll of tape against the glass. Wrap the tape around the vase using the stick as a guide. Reposition the stick to guide you as you wrap tape around the vase. After the first band of tape, wrap additional overlapping bands of tape until you cover the top and lip of the vase. The wider the vase diameter, the more you’ll need to rely on the guide.

Step 3: Place the vase upside down on kraft paper or newspaper. Spray a light coat of paint on the sides and bottom of the vase; let dry. Apply a second coat, let dry, and remove the tape.