DIY Faux Concrete Vases

Make DIY faux concrete vases in under an hour with this step-by-step tutorial. These cheap vases got a little DIY makeover for a faux farmhouse stoneware look you will love.

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One thing I can not deny is that my husband never fails to bring home a flower arrangement on every special occasion. I love flowers, don’t get me wrong, but I do not like him paying for overpriced arrangements when I can make them myself with a bouquet wrapped in paper. I tell him he is paying $10-20 for a cheap, dollar-store vase!

He doesn’t seem to care. Big or small, he shows up with a flower arrangement and balloons every Valentines’ Day, Birthday, and Christmas.

Being super conscious about waste, and my love for home decor, arts, and crafts, I put them all away on a shelf in the garage until I find a good new use for them.

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When I read this DIY Concrete Equestrian Statuette from Lauren at Bless’er House, I knew I had to try that faux concrete texture craft paint on those cheap vases that were sitting in the garage, and make it a DIY project for the blog.

They turned out really good if you ask me. They have a look of expensive modern farmhouse stoneware without the price.

Materials for DIY Faux Concrete Vases

Making these DIY faux farmhouse stoneware vases is not rocket science. But if you like to follow step-by-step visually, I have lots of pictures of the steps I took to make these faux stoneware vases!

For this DIY all you need is old, thrift store, or dollar store vases, textured faux concrete paint, and chip brushes.

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Steps to Make Faux Farmhouse Stoneware

The faux concrete paint on these vases turns them from cheap-looking to modern farmhouse stoneware pieces in 3 easy steps.

I painted three cheap bud vases. One was red, one was green, and another one was lavender. Only one coat of light paint was necessary to paint these three vases. But again, if you have a bigger piece or vase, consider purchasing more than one kit.

Step 1. Paint the Vase Using Light Concrete Paint

Start with a clean vase. I washed mine with dish soap and a sponge to remove all dust and grease. Allow the vase to air dry, or dry with a soft lint-free cotton cloth.

Shake well the paint bottle (remember, step 1 is light paint), and squirt some of the faux light concrete paint directly onto the vase.

Dip the chip brush (I used a 3-inch brush) in the cup with water and get it damp. Then, dip the brush in the light concrete paint and start applying it to the vase using a dabbing motion.

The cheap vases I used for this DIY are bud vases, so they are on the smaller side. The first coat of light concrete paint dried fairly quickly. So while the paint dried on the red vase, I painted the green vase and the lavender vase.

Step 2. Paint a Second Coat of Light Paint (Optional)

If you consider it necessary, add a second coat of light paint; go ahead and do so once the first coat is dry. In my case, one coat was enough to cover the original color of the vases.

However, to achieve the DIY faux concrete effect, the light paint needs to be wet to blend with the dark paint.

So, this is what I did in step 3.

Step 3. Dab Dark Concrete Paint on Wet Light Paint

Instead of applying an entire second coat of light paint on the vases, I added small drops of the paint and dabbed it in certain areas.

Then, while still wet, I dabbed dark concrete paint. For this step, I squirted dark concrete paint on the plate so I could use it a little at a time. I also used a smaller brush for more precise dabbing.

Dab dark concrete paint over the wet light paint as quickly as possible and blend in a circular motion. If a spot turns out too dark, add more light paint.

There isn’t a right or wrong way to do this DIY. Just blend the paints until you achieve that faux concrete look on the vases.

My favorite kind of paint project is the rustic kind because you can’t really mess it up. The more imperfect, the better it looks. Also, you know I love chippy, shabby chic, and farmhouse looks in all my DIY pieces.

Step 4. allow Vases to Dry

Finally, as per the manufacturer’s directions, allow the paint to dry 4 hours.

And here’s the final look of my DIY ultra-cheap vases turned into one-of-a-kind faux concrete vases.

Faux Concrete Vase #1 (Red)

I particularly love how the old red vase turned out. It is the one that looks the closest to the real thing. The grooves on it add a lot of interest.

To style the vases, I simply filled the vases with water and added branches I trimmed from my front porch bushes.

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Faux Concrete Vase #2 (Green)

This is how the green vase turned out.

Here’s a close look at the detail of this faux concrete finish.

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Faux Concrete Vase #3 (Lavender)

Finally, the last vase, the lavender vase, is the one with less detail, but it still turned out beautiful.

I love the lighter patches of textured concrete paint on the right of the vase. It looks like a white fluffy cloud is blending into a gray stormy cloud.

How to Style The Vases

To style the vases, I trimmed small branches from my front porch bushes. But the vases look absolutely gorgeous without plants or flowers in them.

I played with the styling several times. I enjoy styling the bookcase in our family room, so this time, I just shuffled a few things around.

They look good by themselves or in groups. Whatever makes you happy!

Hope you try this DIY faux concrete vases project sometime soon!

XO,