How to make a decoupage bud vase with recycled book pages

Do you have any old bottles and old books?
Turn them into a beautiful bud vase!
I am on a quest to use up an old dictionary. This quest may take me quite a few years, as each project I do, doesn’t take enough book pages! This one only used one and a half pages. At that rate I will be making recycled book page projects for many more years!
I found a great used bottle for this project, from an iced coffee drink…perfect size for a bud vase.
I began by tearing up pieces of the book page. I used small pieces so they would easily lay flat on the bud vase. Each piece was about 1″ x 1″ or smaller.
On the edges of each piece I used a paintbrush to put colored decorating chalk on. I had to kind of dab the chalk on rather than brushing it on. I did this so more chalk would adhere and so I wouldn’t get a straight chalk line. I used a medium green color and noticed that the colored chalk stuck better to the areas on the paper that were more of a messy tear, rather than a straight tear. This gave each of my pieces a lot of variation of greens all on one piece.
I then began to decoupage the pieces of paper onto the glass bottle using a decoupage glue. First applying the glue, then adding a piece of paper and then adding glue on top. And overlapping the pieces as I worked my way around the bottle. The chalk did smear a little, but not enough to tint the whole piece of paper, it actually turned out beautiful – giving the bottle an overall softer look.
Overall the basic construction of this bottle took me about 1/2 hour. Not too long at all and within 10 minutes of finishing it was pretty much dry.
And once I was done – it was time to jazz it up a bit!
I tried a variety of ways of dressing the bottle up more…not sure which is my favorite!
As you can see, I really couldn’t decide the best way…I really do like all of the many choices that I put together! That is how versatile this one little bud vase turned out to be. I think this would make a great hostess gift or gift for you to make for your friends at work.
Visit the tutorial for the mini tissue paper flower pictured above. Mini Tissue Paper Flower
I hope you enjoy recycling your old books and bottles into something to decorate your home with or to make as a gift!