About Renee Elliott
A self-proclaimed fashion addict, food junkie and arts-and-crafts nerd, Renee Elliott is the blogger behind Eat.Live.Shop. Check back here every Friday for cool DIY projects that are both simple and stylish.
I love having fresh flowers around the house. Not only do they smell fantastic, but they seem to make everyone happier, too! Why not add a rustic personal touch to your bouquets by putting them in a handcrafted burlap vase? It’s eco-friendly and makes an ideal project for beginner sewers – after all, it’s not meant to look perfect!
What you’ll need:
Empty beer or pop bottle (cleaned and rinsed out)
Sewing machine
½ metre of burlap
1” letter stencils
Acrylic paint (in the colour of your choice)
Foam paint brush
Piece of cardboard
10” of ribbon
Directions:
Measure the circumference of your bottle, divide the number in half and then add 1”. (My bottle measured 8” around, so that number divided in half plus 1” gave me 5”.) This is the number of inches for the width of your burlap.
To get the height measurement, add two inches on to the height of the bottle. This will allow for a 1/2" to 3/4" seam.
Cut two pieces of burlap according to the above measurements.
Sew along the two longest edges and one of the short edges, leaving the top part open.
Turn your sack right side out and stick a piece of cardboard (cut to size) in the bag.
Secure your stencils to the bag with tape. You might have to do one letter at a time, depending on how far apart you want your letters to be.
Using the paint and a foam brush, start stencilling your letters onto the fabric. Once all the letters are complete, let the paint dry completely (about 30 minutes).
Next, fill half of your bottle with water and place the bottle in the burlap sack. Add flowers and tie the whole thing with ribbon – you’re all done!
Flowers from Coriander Girl.
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