Happy Monday! Even though it is a snowy day here in Montana (yes, snow on May 9th), I am thinking all things summer. It is time for me to take down the springy, softer colors so that I can add more vibrant, sunny colors for summer. I am working on a new centerpiece for the kitchen table and today's project will be a part of that centerpiece.
If you are new here or just have forgotten, I wanted to share what my Make it Monday projects are all about. It is my goal on Mondays to share simple, inexpensive projects for your home that you can create with easy to find supplies. I often use things that I have on hand and try to teach you how to make something in a short amount of time.
Today's project started with a washed food jar, some cotton macramé cord, and food coloring. You will also need some white glue, white vinegar, and some beads and wire if you want to add a beaded collar.
After dying the cord, I wrapped a jar (different than the one pictured because I found one I liked better) with the colorful, macramé cord, and planted a geranium in the colorful vase.
For color inspiration, I started with a colorful scarf/tablecloth from the thrift store that I will be using on the table for the summer months.
I knew I wanted rainbow colors--lots of orange and blue. I wrapped the jar I was going to use with the cotton macramé to figure out about how much I needed. I definitely wrapped extra to make sure I would have enough. Since I switched up the jar I used, the extra came in handy for the bigger jar. This macramé cord came from the thrift store. You can use clothesline cording too, you just want it to be cotton to better absorb the dye. I do know you can buy colorful variegated yarn and cording, but again, these projects are about using what I have at home. It is snowy out so a trip to town for art supplies was not on my list of things to do today.
I filled five, small glass dishes with a couple tablespoons of white vinegar. I added food coloring to the vinegar and then about 1/2 cup of boiling water. Use the food coloring box for "recipes" for other colors.
I stirred up each color and then tested it on a scrap piece of the cording. WEAR gloves if you don't want colorful fingers. I found the center of the piece of cording I had cut to fit around the jar I was using. I put a few arm's lengths of cording into each color. If you want a lot of one color and a little of another, dip and dye accordingly.
I let the cord soak for about 30 minutes. Remove from dye and squeeze out excess water/dye in a dark colored rag or towel. I then rinsed the cord in cool water and let it dry. Using white glue or Mod Podge, brush a bit on the inside rim of your jar and secure the colored end that you want on the top inside the jar. Let that dry.
Brush the glue on the jar about an inch at a time. Start wrapping the dyed cord, pushing it up snug to the line of cord above it.
The glue dries quickly on the jar so keeping brushing it on and keep wrapping. I did not want a glossy exterior so I was carful to not get the Mod Podge on the outside. If you do want a more washable and more plastic or porcelain look, brush the outside with glossy Mod Podge. I preferred the more matte, organic look of the dyed cotton cord.
I did secure the very bottom row of cording with hot glue as the jar tapered here. I decided I wanted to elevate the look a bit more so I added a black bead collar.
To make this I used some black beads I had that I cut free from a thrift store, beaded, seat cover. Using a piece of floral wire I figured out how much wire I needed.
I added the beads and when there were enough to fit around the top of the jar, I twisted the wire together and snipped the ends. I stretched it to fit on the vase top.
I decided to plant a white geranium in the colorful, rainbow vase. I did put rocks in the bottom for drainage. I will see how this grows inside in the jar. If it starts to look sickly, I will plant it in my outdoor pots and add freshly cut flowers each week. We won't have fresh flowers for another month though and i liked the white flower with the colorful vase.
The texture of the colorful, macramé cord looks almost like rattan. I love the natural look and I am pleased with how this came out and how easy it was.
I have one more project to create for this centerpiece. I will share that Tuesday or Wednesday and will share the new, colorful, cheery, summer centerpiece for Thrifty Thursday.
This easy vase project can be personalized by changing the colors you use and the shape of jar or container. Wrap clay pots, square tins, tall wine bottles. Wrap just part of a clear or colored bottle. Make it YOURS! Playing and making with simple items that you have at home helps to stir your creative energy.
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