Tissue Paper Decorated Vase Project

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of iBulb for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love lilies. So many of them are very fragrant, they come in so many colors and they are just elegant. My husband buys them for me frequently just "because" and the scent in our room is like an "I love you". Part of why I like them so well is they last. When you buy 2 or 3 stems, each stem will usually have 1 big showy blossom in bloom and several buds. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, as long as you keep the water fresh, those buds bloom as well. 

Lilies can be found at grocery stores, garden centers, and of course flower shops. One of our local grocery stores has a fantastic selection, so if I want them just for color, that's where I go. As you can see in the photo above, it's break up here, everything is grey and brown. The color reminds me spring is coming.

This project is very easy, and an easy to customize way to give lilies to a loved one. All the supplies can be found at a grocery store with a floral department except the Mod Podge, but you probably have that already! 

You will need:

• glass vase with smooth sides- nothing with fancy cuts or pressed texture
• vinegar or rubbing alcohol
• tissue paper shapes- these can be cut out with scissors or die cut. I used a leaf die
• foam brush
• Mod Podge - I used the Sparkle because it's one of my favorites. 
• lilies for after you finish the vase!

First you need to clean and degrease the vase. The one I chose is a small bud vase, you can see it in scale with the squeeze bottle of Mod Podge. Degrease the outside using vinegar or rubbing alcohol and wipe off well. Pick it up carefully from an area you won't be putting Mod Podge on so you don't accidentally seal in finger prints!

Apply the Mod Podge to the ouside of the vase using the foam brush and only work in small sections, applying the tissue paper carefully. Tissue paper comes in a couple of kinds, if you use a type with color bleed, the color bleed will tint the Mod Podge, which is also an interesting look. Layering 2 colors of the tissue paper, a darker color will show through a lighter color for a neat effect. Continue adding tissue paper elements, either somewhat randomly or in a pattern. Cover each tissue paper shape with Mod Podge. It helps to work very gently or pounce the foam brush over delicate areas like the leaf stems in my example so you don't tear the paper. I got a couple small wrinkles, but I like the effect! 

Let the ModPodge cure. 

If you're happy with how it turned out, you can add water carefully to the inside of the vase after it's cured and cut down the stems of your lilies to create your arrangement. If you want to start all over, you can peel up the Mod Podge and tissue paper shapes because the glass is so smooth and cut new shapes and start all over.

This is a great project for kids too. Think of it as possible present for grandparents who will treasure the vase for years.