Last week I spied several plain white ceramic vases in a corner section at Michaels and imagined how to embellish one with interesting detail. This latest leaf vase project was inspired from a long time passion for bas relief art. I’ve featured artisans who specialize in botanical bas relief in the past and even tried my hand at once using air dry clay to make jewelry holders. I’m still a fan of this plaster dimensional botanical art project, which to this day look fantastic on display on top of my bookshelves.
You may find it hard to believe this latest leaf relief creation was born from good old fashioned hot glue and a silicone mold, but it’s true.
Did you know that with silicone molds you can make shapes for projects with just hot glue?
I’m extremely pleased how this vessel turned out, especially the shadows cast by the tone on tone raised texture of the leaves.
Supplies you’ll need for this project: 8” ceramic bottle vase (or similar); hot glue & glue gun; gorilla super glue; silicone fondant leaf mold; white satin or matte spray paint; aluminum foil.
Create about two dozen (or so) leaf shapes using hot glue inside the leaf shaped silicone mold. Wait a few minutes for each leaf to dry before popping them out of the mold. set them aside. Create stems on aluminum foil greased with a little oil. Once the glue stems are dry, peel off any remnants of foil that remain on the back and wash any oil or grease of the backs of the stems. Trim each stem with scissors to your preferred width and length.
Form the initial pattern by layering the stems and a few leaves on the side of the vase. Individually secure the stems to the vase using super glue (this version with its little brush is handy). Secure the individual leaves using a combination of glues, the super glue is for long term adhesion and a small bit of hot glue speeds the process along and secures the leaves in place while the super glue sets.
Let the hot glue dry for about half an hour, then spray paint the entire vessel with white satin spray paint or white spray primer for a matte finish. Allow the paint to dry.
This concept would also work for different holidays since silicone molds repel dried hot glue and you can use them to make a variety of shapes for raised texture. Choose a spider mold and black spray paint at Halloween, a bunny mold for Easter, a candy hearts mold for Valentine’s Day, or snowflakes at Christmastime.
Display your vessel anywhere, inside a bookshelf, on a nightstand, or on a tabletop or mantel. No one will know it’s made with hot glue unless you tell them. ;)
