Flowers are a great way to add color and brighten any room. There are many ways to display these beautiful petals. Here are two ways you can make creative hanging vases using scrap pieces of wood and other things you may have around in your workshop.
I never want to waste wood, including these pieces I salvaged from a couple of old pallets a friend gave me. But when my pile of wood began getting in the way, I knew I needed to come up with some projects to utilize them.
For one project, I cut two boards each about fifteen inches long, then attached an inexpensive radiator hose clamp to each one with a small screw.
Old, dry pallet wood always looks better under a clear finish, so after a light sanding to round the edges and remove any roughness, I brushed on a coat of water-based Minwax® Polycrylic® Protective Finish. It dried in just minutes and brought out the beauty of the grain. (Tip: the hose clamp gave me a way to hold the board without touching the wet finish.)
I then slipped a reproduction milk bottle into the clamp and tightened it with a small wrench. This same technique could work for antique medicine or soda bottles, small jars, wine or olive oil bottles, or whatever else you find.
Complete with a small picture frame hook on the back and some flowers — either real or artificial — my two pallet boards have quickly been transformed into wall art. I especially like the planned contrast between the shiny, industrial hose brackets and the vintage patina the clear Polycrylic finish brings out of the old pallet wood.
Another way I made a hanging vase is with a piece of oak I had on hand. Since I wanted this project to be a specific color — “Coffee” in the Minwax® Gel Stain line — I selected this six-inch wide piece of oak, knowing it would absorb my stain more evenly than rough pallet wood. Any idea why I drilled two shallow holes for the 3/8-inch diameter dowels on the right?
I rubbed the Gel Stain into the pores of my oak board, then wiped off the excess stain going in the direction of the grain of the wood. Notice how the stain highlights the contrasting grain lines in the wood? After it dried, I protected the stain and the wood with two coats of Minwax® Fast-Drying Polyurethane.
As for my two holes and the dowels, they were precisely placed to allow me to slip the neck of this tall glass vase between them. The flared top rests securely atop the dowels, enabling me to lift it off to replace the flowers or add water without taking the board off the wall. As you can see, flowers and flower vases don’t always have to sit on tables — giving you a creative solution to those nasty water marks and white rings!
Until next time,
Thanks for stopping by!
Bruce