When it comes to gift giving, I love homemade presents. There’s something so heartfelt about it – taking the time to craft a one-of-a-kind present for someone special, or even for yourself, makes the gift extra special. For the holiday season, me and my two year old daughter decided to try something different. Instead of making something fridge or frame worthy, we decided to make Swirl Painted Vases for her grandparents.

Together we picked out the colours. The yellowish vase is a combination of orange, yellow, and white. While the blueish one, is a combination of blue, green, and white. I like using two complimentary colours and white. I find that adding white helps to brighten the colours and soften the blending process, creating a simple, subtle swirl.

I looked for glass vases with a sculpted design. Both of the vases have a natural swirl texture, which is beautiful even without the paint effect.

After ensuring that the vases are clean and free of debris, begin by adding a quarter-sized amount of paint to the bottom of the vase. Add a complimentary colour and top it off with white. My daughter loved squeezing the paint into the bottom of the vase and watching the colours swirl together.

Slowly swirl the paint around the base of the vase. Move the vase in a circular motion. Add a few more drops of paint as needed. Alternate colours to keep the marble swirling effect. My daughter was always excited when it was time to add more paint. She would enthusiastically squeeze more paint into the bottom of the vase and “Ooh” and “Ahh” as the pattern appeared. When the bottom is covered, twist and turn the vase to paint upwards, towards the top.

When it is nearly fully painted, turn the vase upside on a piece of wax paper. This helps remove the excess paint and cover the remaining part of the vase. If you don’t have wax paper, you can use paper towel. You may find that the swirl pattern changes as the paint dries. It’s all part of the beauty of Swirl Painted Vases. The vase will need 24 to 48 hours for the paint to dry.

While these decorative vases are beautiful, you won’t be able to use them with water or fresh flowers. Instead, use them as a pop of colour in a bookcase, on a mantel, or even in a curio. If you enjoy featuring items in your vases, add branches or dried/fake flowers. I actually love displaying Swirl Painted Vases just the way they are, without anything inside.

Even with all the fun we had creating these vases, the best part was the look of pride on my daughter’s face when she gave them as gifts to her grandparents.

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