How People Are Channeling Their Creative Energy with the Flower Vase Challenge

These days, we’re practicing sustainability in all areas of our lives: food and drink, cleaning supplies, outdoor spaces, and of course, interior decorating. Come springtime, there’s even a way to be more sustainable with our floral arrangements: Meet the Flower Vase Challenge.

What’s the Flower Vase Challenge?

Essentially, the Flower Vase Challenge is finding (or creating) an unexpected or repurposed vessel to arrange flowers in. People who have participated are getting creative with what they use to arrange their cut blooms; some are scouring thrift stores for second-hand finds, and others are repurposing old bottles or vases. The hashtag #FlowerVaseChallenge is trending on TikTok with almost 10 million views, and if you’re the type to take any excuse to display a fresh bouquet, this is a trend you’re going to want to hop on ASAP.

Whether you’re an avid thrifter, a professional crafter, or just looking to save money, the Flower Vase Challenge is for you. Upcycling an old belonging to make a new charming flower vase is not only a fun DIY project, but it’s also the perfect way to reduce waste by giving forgotten or unused items new purpose.

If you go to your local thrift or consignment store, you will find endless possibilities for flower vases. What once was a water carafe, jug, bucket, or pitcher can be the perfect vessel for your tulips or daffodils.

Feeling crafty? Consider creating a homemade papier-mâché vase for your dried or artificial plants. This DIY can be done by covering balloons in papier-mâché and forming it into a vase shape after it has dried completely. Finish off this look with a fun paint color or pattern.

Freshen Up Your Current Vase

If you want to participate in the Flower Vase Challenge but don’t want to pick up anything new-to-you, applying a fresh coat of paint is an easy and straightforward way to give new life to an existing vase. This approach is practically effortless but will still give your vase a whole new persona. How you prepare the vase and the type of paint you use depend on what type of material your vase is made from.

Glass

To paint a glass vase, start with a clean, dry surface. If you’re tracing a pattern, tape it to the inside of the clear glass. With an artist’s brush, apply a thin layer of glass paint for a translucent, stained-glass look. For an opaque look, apply more layers after the previous layer has dried until you reach your desired transparency, or apply several layers to the inside of the vase.

Ceramic

If your vase is ceramic, lightly sand the surface for better paint adhesion. Clean the surface with trisodium phosphate cleaner to remove any grease or dirt. When the vase has dried, apply a bonding or ceramic primer and let that dry. Brush on either latex paint or paint formulated for ceramic surfaces.