How to Make Tissue Paper Mosaic Vases

People seem to pass on their used glass vases to me — those left over from old flower arrangements or the ones they picked up on a whim at the dollar store. “I know, Jonathan could use these,” they must think. 

Given my surplus of hand-me-down glassware, I like to decorate them in fun ways to give them new life. One of the easiest ways to transform glass vases is by decoupaging them with tissue paper. (It’s so easy — there are only three steps in this tutorial.) By cutting the tissue paper into little pieces and adhering the paper to the glass, you create a mosaic pattern that almost looks like stained glass. Besides making beautiful vases to display flowers, these pieces also could double as candleholders, with light filtering through the colors of the tissue paper. 

What you’ll need:
Glass vases/candleholders
Tissue paper
Mod Podge decoupage medium
Brush

1. Cut tissue paper of different colors into squares, triangles or any shape you’d like. 

2. Working a section at a time, apply a coat of Mod Podge to the glass. Then place the tissue paper pieces on top of the Mod Podge, creating a mosaic pattern. It’s OK to overlap the pieces; this mosaic looks better when it’s not perfect.

3. When you’re finished with your design, coat the entire vase with another layer of Mod Podge to completely seal the tissue paper. The Mod Podge will dry clear.

Jonathan Fong is the author of “Flowers That Wow” and “Parties That Wow,” and host of “Style With a Smile” on YouTube. You can see more of his do-it-yourself projects at jonathanfongstyle.com.