dollar tree vase makeover

even the smallest details matter...
when i saw these two funny little bud vases at Dollar Tree,
the sunshine yellow caught my eye.
the bottom half of them were not at all my style, however.

i bought them anyway!
 it's so easy to give store-bought items a quick makeover...
a few artful dabs of paint quickly remedied the problem,
and these vases now fit my palette and style perfectly.

continue reading for the before and after...

on the left, the vases as found - with artful indigo blue splotches.
(it's not horrid, it's just not me.) 

on the right, the vases after i 'fixed' them.
i used a small paintbrush to apply daubs of gray paint over the blue spots,
then gave the larger spots a bit of detail by adding a second gray splotch
and a white highlight.

it's a mod kinda' mood - and i like it!

the painted spots are matte finish and the rest of the vase is glossy...
i like the juxtaposition.
the painted areas could be finished with a gloss lacquer, if you prefer.

when i sat them up on the mantel to snap some pics, i had an idea...

the bees that i made for my Valentine decor were nearby,
so i grabbed one and popped it into one of the vases.
with flowers in the other vase, it makes a whimsical display.

speaking of display... i used a tiny white box to lift one vase higher than another.
using 'lefts, levels, and elevations' in a composition makes it better.
that's a lesson i learned from Christopher Lowell. 'member him?!!!!

then i grabbed the other two bees, and went a little further:

it's just for fun, and makes me smile - so worth the little bit of time spent to make the change.
never be afraid to change up things you find in stores!

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yeah, i have a soft spot for bees....
my name, Debra/Debi/Deb, is derived from Deborah.
in Hebrew, Deborah/Devorah means 'bee', as well as 'judge'.

Gobnait is Gaelic for Abigail (“brings joy”). as the patron saint of beekeepers,
her name also has been anglicized as Deborah, meaning “honey bee.”
Saint Abigail was born in County Clare, Ireland, sometime in the 5th or 6th century.
my maternal family line hails from County Clare, as well.

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links to previous related posts:

pom pom & wire bees

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