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DIY: Beach House Herb Vase + Tips


You know, before you really take up that cricket bat and beat me to a pulp for bringing up yet another bottle recycle project- I’ll have to tell you that this was the most exciting project I have done by far- from getting the gin bottle to waiting 2 days for the glue dots to dry! And if I survive your wrath, I’d do it again. Now, you may advance, one by one!

I admit I have a fetish for table decor and for that matter tabletop photography. One of my favorite thing to do while setting up a table is to keep fresh herbs. A bit of mustard micro-green, some oregano, a spring of lemon grass or mint or when setting the table for an all Indian lunch, some curry leaves from my kitchen garden- I love snipping a mint or two from the vase and add to my food. It gives me this all-natural pleasure- the kind you get when you pluck plums from your garden and make upside down plum cake! You getting me?

But this perfect feeling was a bit marred by the fact that I did not have a herb vase. Whatever I have at home, somehow are too big or small for a herb vase and when I looked for it in the stores- I liked none. Believe me I was okay to shell some cash this time for a change but I didn’t find one that suits my home, my style or even my taste. It’s all too commercialized and done to death. And the thing about Herb Vases are- they need to be of a specific size. Any taller or shorter or fatter or slimmer won’t do the trick. Or maybe I’m stuck to a certain idea of a Herb Vase and apart from whats in my head, nothing will do.

So, I brooded on making one until that Gin went down my throat. The bottle was what I was looking for! Perfect, 6″ tall, not more than 10cm square in perimeter, square (hail Lord) and with little raised rims and narrow neck- this was perfect. But hey, how would that be me if I was okay with what I found? Where will my picky self go and die? Now that I found my herb vase, I wanted textures. Not any texture but dots, much like the hobnail milkglass. Argh. Truth is sometimes I hate myself for taking so much pain to do this all- I could chill on the couch instead but I wouldn’t rest until I do what i want. It’ll poke me from within. I have no choice.

What solution then this very picky DIY girl find? Clear glue.

All you need to do is dot each side at a time, let it dry and move on to the other with the most painstaking step being waiting for it to dry. Next, paint over with a color you’d like, either from within or out. Ta-da. Here are some tips, before we go into the tutorial.

Some Tips for choosing and making that perfect Herb Vase

If you are looking at it as a showpiece and want to give it a milkglass like feel, pour your paint inside, swirl and let it dry. Stick in a flower or herb in a flower foam (cut into a small square and soaked in water) and display. That way your paint from within will not be in touch with water.

If you want to store things and use it as a vase, paint the exterior surface only or else, it will start flaking with time.

I dont want to comment on the color as it really depends on your taste. But I personally like light shades of green, blue or plain white. It’s not very evident in the photographs but my bottle is a very light green which if swirled from within gives a very vintage milkglass feel.

When choosing a Herb Vase, make sure the height of the bottle is not more than 7″ to 8″. You’d like to keep it in your line of vision and not distract it. Opting for something too small will only render it invisible. Its crucial.

Here’s the tutorial

Pretty simple huh?

I absolutely love this little addition to my table. Do you have herb vase ideas you want to share? I’m all ears!

Also, I reckon people should this. So sharing it here:

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