Vase Transformation (Paint + Bling)

I’ve had a sponge-painted green vase for a really long time. I don’t remember where it came from, but I do know it came to me already painted. I think it was done commercially, but I’m not sure. I'm not the one who painted it and I don’t think I’ve ever used it. I decided to give it a makeover to take it out of the 90’s and make it a bit more modern. Here’s the before and after:

I’m not sure you can tell in the photo, but it’s super sparkly. I started by covering the glossy surface with a thin coat of gesso. (Affiliate link here and throughout the post.) Then I painted the vase black before adding two coats of Extreme Glitter. It was challenging getting into all the tiny crevices between the flower petals, but I used the tiniest brushes and did my best. 

I painted the petals white, the center yellow, and the stem and leaves green. (The stem extends most of the way around the vase and there are leaves on the back. When the paint was dry, I was ready to apply rhinestones. I used self-adhesive green gems for the stem and leaves. I used a strong glue for the flower center and petals. I painted a thin coat of glue on one small section at a time, then added the gems before moving on to another section.

I’m happy with the transformation. The vase looks a lot more modern and is striking on its own. It will look even better filled with flowers.