Repurpose An Old Jar And An Egg Carton To Create A Stylish DIY Vase

Creative and unique pieces of décor are often hard to find at budget-friendly prices. Unless, that is, you make them yourself. Numerous retailers are filled with aisles and web pages full of fun, sculptural vases that maximize unusual details and materials that add texture and dimension to any room. But you can also create similar DIY pieces using upcycled elements that are a great dupe for these more expensive ones, and sometimes, they're even more customizable and stylish than the manufactured goods. YouTube DIYer Evrim Taşer Yılmaz recently showed off an amazing technique to create a sculptural and rustic vase perfect for fall flowers out of a regular jar and an egg carton using only some paint, glue, and jute rope. The result is a dead ringer for far more expensive retailer pieces that is completely customizable to your décor. 

Not only is this project eco-friendly with its reuse of elements like jars and egg cartons, but it's also very easy to create, requiring only some handiness with a paintbrush and a glue gun. Afterwards, you are left with stunning piece great for filling with flowers, feathers, pampas grass, or greenery. 

Begin your vase by cutting up the egg carton into its individual recesses, making sure to trim all the way around to remove excess material around the edges. Once you have a group of cardboard pieces, you can paint them your desired color of chalk paint, which you will also use on the surface of your upcycled jar. Apply a couple of coats to make sure it's thoroughly covered. You can also apply an acrylic glaze to both jar and egg carton pieces that will help keep your paint from cracking, scratching, or peeling off.

Affix the egg carton rounds to the jar with a slender line of glue around the edge of the pieces, fastening them in place in several rows on the middle of the jar spaced evenly apart. After they dry, finish the jar with a jute rope wrapped around the top and on the bottom, adding another layer of texture. The DIYer uses a lighter to add burnt details to make the rope look older, then adds some bronze flecks to the surface by dipping the brush in metallic paint and flicking it lightly with a finger create a splatter effect.

This DIY vase project is great for making a custom piece of décor that can be adapted to your aesthetic. While the original version sports a cream chalk paint finish and weathered rope details that fit a more bohemian décor style room perfectly, you can vary the patterning of the pieces or the color and finish to create other effects. Try a higher gloss colored finish for a chunky vase in a more modern room. Or weather the paint job to give it a shabby chic style. Paint it gray instead of cream for a more industrial décor vibe that looks like a heavy concrete piece. 

Other great ideas include using three segments of an intact egg carton to make a similar waterless vase perfect for artificial flowers.  While this method makes a great vase, there are also other fun uses for these egg carton jars, like planters or storage for kitchen utensils. You can also use it as a candle holder or a lantern to add more texture and three-dimensionality to your outdoor space. For a more transparent version that allows light to shine through more easily, use an egg carton that is made of a clear plastic instead of cardboard.