DIY Vase Decorations

Decoupage a vase using cut-out pictures from newspapers, books or magazines -- or from images you've downloaded off the Internet. Use white or craft glue to affix the images to the outer surface of the vase. Apply a coat of clear sealant or craft podgy to seal the pictures onto the vase.

Paint your vase with acrylic paints. If you are artistic, paint designs on the vase freehand. Alternatively, use painter's tape to block off sections of the vase and paint in between the tape. Remove the tape when dry. For an antique look, use a crackling kit from your local paint store.

Personalize your vase by applying your initials. Paint freehand with a small paintbrush with a pointed tip, or use a marker. Alternatively, use stencil alphabet letters. Put inspirational words on your vase or an entire quote that is meaningful to you. Apply the names of a couple if you are giving the vase as a wedding gift with the date of their marriage.

Create sand art in a clear-glass vase by using colored sand. Use different colors in layers. If you poke a toothpick through the sand on the inside of the vase down through another color layer, you will make different design patterns. Sand-art designs will decorate any size or shaped vase.

Decorate inside your clear-glass vase. Position a sprig of a yellow cymbidium orchid in a clear vase filled with water with pebbles on the bottom of the vase. Other options include seashells or glass pebbles. Wrap the inside of a tall glass vase with variegated leaves, or fill it with water and lemon or lime slices.