Mother's Day DIY

 Since these days I don't really have the means to buy something really special, I like to make gifts for the people I love.  I think people really appreciate the effort that goes into something you've made yourself, I know I really do.  Recently I've been on a flowers kick;  I love how they cheer up my apartment, and I love buying them for myself.  I imagine flowers are the most common Mother's Day gift, but I wanted to give my mom something a little more personal and permanent than just a bouquet; so I stepped in up a notch with this DIY project.


What you need:
1. A vase (or jar, glass, bottle... anything that will hold flowers). I got tons of them in all shapes and sizes from a thrift store for around 75 cents each (Thrift Town in El Sobrante if you're local). The vase doesn't need to be amazing as is (i.e. don't use your Tiffany's crystal), the whole point is that you are going to beautiful it yourself.
2. Glass marbles with one flat side, the type usually used inside a vase to hold the flowers in place. You can get these in the floral department of any craft store (I went to Micheal's in Emeryville).
3. A glue gun (also available at craft stores).

All of the inexpensive vase-type glassware I got on the cheap (and flowers! pretty!):

Glue gun and marbles (don't rest the glue gun directly on any surface you care about, it will drip and that glue dries fast and hard... hence my folder):

These marbles come in all colors, I chose clear and a pretty rose-quartz color)

Squeeze a dot of glue onto the vase and press one of the marbles against it. Keep doing this around the base, and then in rows up the vase (note: starting at the base instead of the top isn't necessary, but it worked well here). You can cover the whole vase as I am here, or in any pattern you like:

The finished product! much prettier that it started out I think:

I made two more. The small one is really just a water glass. I used the pale rose colored marbles at the top and the clear at the bottom making sort of a gradient effect. The larger one is really a big jar, like for flour or something. I just did a few rows of the pink marbles around the rim:

Voila! my Mother's Day gift. I think she will really like the trio (and hope she isn't reading this post quite yet)...

Sorry I'm not sharing this project a little earlier, but keep it in mind for next year, or birthdays and other holidays coming up. And to any Mamas out there, Happy Mother's Day!  xo Caitlin