DIY Life

The other day, I found an interesting and easy decorative glass vase tutorial over at CasaSugar. I thought to myself, "That's pretty cool for around the house, but I bet it would also be perfect as a wedding centerpiece." In fact, it turns out that the project originated at DIY Bride.

This is really as simple as picking up some rub-on transfers you like, along with a clear glass vase that has a smooth surface. After making sure the vase is completely clean and dry, just cut around the transfers you like, then use the burnishing stick that comes in the package to carefully rub designs onto the vase (exactly as you would if you were rubbing them onto paper).

The transfers are sold in almost any store that carries scrapbooking or other craft supplies. Thousands of designs are available, but if you can't find any rub-ons that you like in your area, the DIY Bride post has a list of online resources.

This project is as versatile and stylish as your imagination (for example, the right transfers would make it great for Mother's Day), but this is not exactly a new tip: a few months ago, this concept also ran in the Winter, 2008 issue of Somerset Life magazine, where it was used to decorate glass bottles and jars. Please join me after the break to read more about the appealing ideas that were presented there.

The article was written by the editor of Somerset Life, Jenny Doh, who suggested a few further tips:

• Jars work as well as vases; the lids can be painted and decorated for further customization.
• Coordinating several different colors of rub-on in the same piece can give an interesting look.
• If you use white rub-ons, try filling the jar with something brightly-colored for contrast that will make the white designs pop.
• To pull the look together, consider wrapping ribbon that matches the design's colors around the neck of the vase, bottle, or jar.

You can see some photos from the article at the page for the Winter issue (scroll down to "Tatted Jars"). If you're interested in what you see, back issues of Somerset Life are currently available at their website.

For more fun with rub-on transfers, see Maureen Carter's post about making your own!