how to make faux ceramic vases

Ever since my mom and sister gifted me this ah-mazing dried flowers bouquet for my birthday, I have been searching far and wide for the perfect vase. Quite succesfully I might add but, of course, all my favorites cost some serious $$$ - bummer. That's why I turned to Pinterest for some inspiration. Oh, this faux ceramic DIY stole my heart instantly.

WHAT YOU NEED: a vase, acrylic paint, baking soda, a mixing bowl, a paint brush, optional: a palette knife

① Start with cleaning the surfaces of your vase. Use a cleaning spray that degreases and gets rid of all traces of dirt and bacteria. Your paint will affix better to your vase this way.

② Paint a base layer in your desired color on the vase, but leave the baking soda out of it. Give it enough time to fully dry. This is important: if your base layer isn't dry enough yet, the next layer of paint can shift and there's just no way back from that.

③ Next, mix baking soda with your paint of choice. I used acrylic paint from Royal Talent (the Amsterdam Standard Series) and a house-brand baking soda. I'd start with a 50-50 ratio and see how grainy you'd like the result to be. I ended up using ⅔rds baking soda and ⅓rds paint.

TIP: paint the top part inside the vase as well for smaller and/or less full bouquets

④ Start painting! Use a bigger brush and paint in long, horizontal strokes for that deluxe look.

Let the paint dry before use!

to thrift list - sept/oct

UNICORN SMOOTHIE BOWL ✰

Comfirmed: Justin Bieber wrote 'Yummy' about this smoothie bowl. Can't tell my source, but it's true.

This banana-almond smoothie bowl is perfect for brunch. It looks lush and it tastes ah-mazing. I love how you can play around with the toppings and create something new each time.

INGREDIENTS

✰ 1 banana

✰ 1 teaspoon of almond butter

✰ almond milk

✰ topping: banana, granola, chia seeds, coconut flakes, an icecream cone

RECIPE

✰ Chop a banana into six parts. Put the banana pieces into a small container. Leave them in the freezer for at least four hours.

✰ 10 minutes before making your smoothie bowl, take the container with the banana pieces out of the freezer.

✰ Put the banana pieces in your blender. Add a teaspoon of almond butter. Add at least ¼ cup of almond milk.

✰ Blend in ice-crushing mode. If your blender doesn't have this, use the most powerful stand.

✰ Add more almond milk if the smoothie is too thick for your taste.

✰ Pour the smoothie into a bowl and add whatever you like as topping. For the unicorn: use chia seeds as eye lashes, put the ice cream horn and slices of banana in afterwards and finish with granola and coconut flakes. 

Bon appétit!