DIY Trash to Terracotta Vase

Ahhhhh terra cotta. Love the vases, but hate the prices. BUT I can show you a way to get those beautiful vases for a fraction of the price, with a simple secret ingredient you already probably have in your home.

I’ve seen all of the fancy terra cotta looking vases and have always wanted one. But of course could never really justify to spend over $50 for a vase when I can go buy one for $1 at the Dollar Store or at the dollar section at Target.

WELL WELL WELL. I found a solution for us all. Here’s my step-by-step guide on how I made these two gorgeous vases, and it only cost me about $7 to do.

First things first, you need your materials.

The Vase

If you’re really trying to ball on a budget here, head to the Dollar Store and look for some plain glass vases. $1 for a vase really is a steal.

One of my vases I have had for quite some time but was sick of the shiny gray color it had. Then the orange bubble vase I got for $5 at Homegoods/TJMaxx. Still a steal! I wasn’t picky on what color vase since I knew I’d paint over it.

The Paint & Brushes

Then head over to Michael’s and get your paint. Online or in person, make sure you use a coupon. There’s always some sort of sale. The paints I used never really go on sale, but they’re $0.79. You can use a 20% off coupon and get them even more discounted. You’ll also want to grab some paint brushes at Michael’s too.

The Secret Ingredient..

As for the secret ingredient, I’m sure you already have it at home or sitting in your fridge. Grab the baking soda! I know, wild. Mixing this in with your paint will give it that thick terra cotta consistency that we’re looking for.

Let’s Get Started!

Here’s what your setup should look like. I laid down some ads I got in the mail so I wouldn’t ruin my table. For the paint I used a little bowl in our cabinet that I knew I wouldn’t get mad if I ruined it with some paint. LOL.

I went ahead and grabbed three different colors because I didn’t know what color I wanted to do first, but knew my overall vibe was going to be neutrals and black.

So I started out with the Tan color and poured it in my little makeshift bowl.

I would suggest starting with a smaller amount first. Then you can test out and see if this really is the color that you want to do.

Next thing, BAKING SODA. The secret ingredient that does the magic. This step you really can just eyeball. If you want a thinner look, do less. If you want more of a chunky terra cotta look then add in more baking soda. But I’d suggest to, again, start small. Test it out and see if that’s the consistency you’re looking for.

Mix mix mix! Then when you’re at the consistency that you like, paint away.

Enjoy this little time lapse! I would suggest starting with the vase upside-down first. Work on the bottom then you can flip it over and get the rest. Basically do the opposite of what I did here haha! That was my biggest takeaway.

Once you’re done with your first coat, determine if you want a second coat. I liked having a little bit of the brush strokes in mine so I only did one coat with a little touch up here and there. The second vase I didn’t record, but that one I did two coats. I mixed the tan and white so it gave it a different type of look, but still love it!