Transform Plain Glass Vases Into Gorgeous Sea Glass

Begin with clear vases like these I purchased at the Target Dollar spot. The vases you use need to be clear glass, but they do not have to be smooth like those I use. Intricate cut glass is also beautiful when used with this technique.

The first thing you will want to do is make sure the surface of the glass is clean. I used rubbing alcohol to remove any dirt and oil from the surface.

Next you will need enough glue to cover the entire surface. It actually takes less than you think and the small amount pictured above was more than enough to cover two of my vases. I used Elemer's School glue which I "borrowed" from my daughter's slime ingredients stash.

Use a toothpick to add a tiny bit of food coloring to the glue. You want to use a toothpick to make sure you only add a little color. To achieve the sea glass effect the color needs to be light and transparent.

Stir the food coloring/glue mixture until the color is smooth.

I used a sponge paint brush to apply the food coloring/glue mixture to my vases. As I said, the small amount pictured above was enough for two vases. After I finished with the yellow vase, I added some blue color to the mixture and used that to paint the green vase.

Only a very light coat is needed. If the mixture is applied too thickly it will not dry evenly and will not appear as transparent as sea glass when dry.

Brush lines will be visible as the mixture dries and while it is drying you may think that you did something wrong. I was a little worried when I saw just how streaked these were as they dried.

However, when they were completely dry the brush lines vanished and the surface appears smooth.

I added a succulent stem to each vase and now these are ready to add to my Easter décor!

Note: Glass treated with this method is not waterproof. Water will make the glue sticky again and will allow the color to wash off.