DIY: Stunningly Simply Hanging Wall Vase

Absolutely anyone can make a stunning hanging wall vase and it costs almost nothing. It’s like having a 3D masterpiece on the wall, and there is something exhilarating about having something so real, bright and wonderful, looking you in the eye and smiling. Before I show you how to make the vase, I want to tell a small story…

I feel a slight pang of jealousy sometimes when I visit other people’s homes.   It’s not that I want what they have — no — it’s more about grieving what I don’t have, and I wonder if I’m creating enough of a home for my kids.

Ever since my husband and I became parents, we’ve moved.  10 times in the last 12 years is the last count.  We’ve rented one place after the other so I’m restricted in what I can do to make each house, a home. It’s not only that though: people who have moved a few times will understand just how stressful shifting a lot of stuff can be.  You see, I don’t unpack all the special nick nack things. I don’t unpack all the family photos. I don’t unpack all the pictures for the walls. Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a house and my home is sitting in dark dusty boxes, deep in the corner of the garage.

Is that my home? That stuff, sitting, ever so quietly in the boxes? The family photos; the glass bowl that belonged to my great-grandmother; the wedding album: Is that what makes a house, a home? If you asked me that very question 10 years ago, I probably would have said yes. Yes, that is what makes a house a home: surrounding your family with memories, comfort and beauty.

See the print in the photo below? It’s a print of ‘Flowers’ by David Hart. I gave the picture to my mum for Mother’s Day 14 years ago. My Dad recently gave it to me for Christmas, now mum has gone. It’s one of the very few pictures that grace the walls of our house.

The photo shows very much the evolution of my definition of home, and how I’ve moved from relying on stable things to comfort me, to accepting the beauty in change.  I love the flower print on the wall but I don’t need it to remember my mum. I carry her in my head with memories. I carry her in my heart with love. What I have is now, and I’ve learned to use the now to create beauty and wonder in the home.

The sunflower, standing tall right now, will die. Yes. But it will be enjoyed fully in it’s time.  When it is gone, I’ll look for something else, new and wonderful to take it’s place. Perhaps some bright red seeds I pick up on one of my walks. Maybe a selection of shells the kids collected on our last visit to the beach. What about fallen petals that still have something to say? I’ve learned to decorate my home with nature, creativity and artwork from my kids.  It’s always changing, but it’s always real and there’s a lot of truth in it.

My family is my home.  And as a family, we aim to be amazing in the moments we have and to delight in all the wonders that are in them. Our home represents our ability to adapt, to be.

Yes, I still feel a little jealous of lovely homes with school photographs lined up on the wall, hooks for rain coats, shelves for books and nooks for moneyboxes — that may happen for me one day — but right now, I’ve embraced the truth that as a family, we can live almost anywhere and still create magic around us.

DIY: Wall Vase

I’ve experienced much joy from filling the wall vases with things we come across as we live life.  If you want to make one too, this is what you’ll need:

Materials

Empty 200 ml glass juice bottle (enjoy some juice and save the jar!)

30 cm Length of rope (I purchased natural coloured rope from Crazy Clarks for about $1)

Flower Wall Vase

Use as a vase for flowers, outside or inside.

Shells

Fill with shells and use as a hanging feature inside, or outside the home. A row of these would look gorgeous! Perfect for the beach house.

 Petals in a Vase

Fallen petals, from a failing bunch of flowers or changing tree can be used in the bottle vase as a feature. It’s sure to brighten up the wall!

More Than One

A few of these wall vases in a row look gorgeous.

How to make

The only trick to this DIY project is to learn how to make a bottle knot. That’s it. It’s very easy and I’ll show you how in the video below. The knot is very sturdy and the bottle won’t fall out, as Dr Seuss said in Oh, the places you’ll go! It’s “99 and 3/4 percent guaranteed”.

Other Floral Posts

Make a Wild Flower Head Wreath

Simple Things, Small Joys

Putting Colour into A Grey Day

Nature Crafts