Alright, this project feels a little bit like getting back to my roots of using what I have and not spending anything (because I’ve always been cheap?!) but also, it turned out pretty well and I would totally do it again.

And, it’s perfect to share this week in honor of Earth day. Because, while we all need to be doing something to help protect our planet, I believe that the best place to start is with whatever issue gets you the most fired up.

For instance, I think rainforest protection and water conservation are very important…but I’ll admit to not knowing as much about those topics. They also feel a little more out of reach of my personal area of influence or control. On the contrary, the amount of trash a typical suburban home in the U.S. generates is something I feel very personally as I walk in our neighborhood and see giant overflowing trash bins each week.

In 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that 14.5 million tons of plastic containers and packaging were created…and over 69% of those ended up in landfills.  Seriously, where is all of that going to go if we don’t do better at reducing the amount of trash we send off every week in the garbage truck?

Plus, I’ll share a few things I learned during the process so your results will be even better than mine.

 

First, you’re going to choose your vessel. I used an empty glass tequila bottle (we like this brand and I like the shape of the bottle too much to recycle it when the bottle is empty but I needed something to do with it (I already had one left as clear glass that I used as a vase occasionally).

The other trash vessel I used was this little nut container.

Then, grab your baking soda. Preferably the one stashed in the back of your fridge that you should have replaced about two years ago if it was going to be effective at reducing food odors.

Then, get your paint. I used some old white paint and then spray painted the finished vases to be the color I wanted…but you could totally use colored paint, just keep in mind adding that all that baking soda will likely lighten it up a bit. Just use what you have–that’s the goal here. Again, because old paint will just end up in the landfill and that’s what we’re working on here, right?

Ok, then mix your baking soda into your paint. Honestly, I did about 1 parts baking soda to two parts paint, but a 1:1 ration might be ideal, depending on how thick your paint is. You want it as thick as you can spread it/paint it so that it doesn’t drip or droop as it’s drying. It should look like a paste but spreadable…maybe like hummus?? Something like that.

See that drippy part? I should have had the mixture thicker.

Then just paint it on! Go slowly as it’s thick and sort of gloppy so you need to get the brushstrokes or texture you want just right.

If your mixture is wanting to drip or smooth out, just come back as it’s drying (1-2 times spaced out every 30 minutes or so as it’s drying should be fine) and run your brush back over it to put the desired texture back in. I did this once but only about 10 minutes after the initial coat was put on, and it drooped again as it was drying overnight.

I even used a recycled container for the actual plant pot (poking some drainage holes in a little yogurt container that fit perfectly in the nut container.

Still, I think these turned out really well for a free trash to treasure project. And I will totally use this method again the next time I have a cool shaped bottle or container that I don’t want to just through away. It was easy and didn’t require me to go to the store. (I’ve seen similar effects done with drywall compound, etc. but I was trying to use only what we had.)

I used this same technique to paint the DIY foam planter I made from Dollar Tree foam plant rings. I roughed the finish up on this one more so it would be more bumpy and I like that too.

Also, bonus tip: if you don’t like the brushstroke look, then you can totally smooth this out after painting it on using a wet finger or spatula or even sand it down after it dries for a more smooth texture. I liked the brushstrokes though. For now. I could change my mind later.

I also think the spray paint could be an important step to “seal” it and give it an extra protection for scuffing or chipping off so maybe a clear coat on top could help if you don’t want to add color. (If you try it with colored paint and don’t add a clear coat, let me know how it holds up!)

There you have it, friends, an easy Earth-day-friendly DIY.  Now, which is your favorite, the vase or the planters?