Bark vase 1

Greetings, Dotettes!

Today’s project is a tad less illustrative as usual (some of my photos went AWOL on me) but I promise it’s still easy to follow.

To make these bark vases you will need:

  • PVC pipe (from the plumbing section of your local hardware store)
  • Caps for the PVC pipe (you will need one for each ‘vase’)
  • Duct tape
  • Hacksaw
  • Hot glue gun
  • Bark sheeting (I bought mine here, but let us know if you find any local sources!)
  • Pebbles or gravel
  • Acrylic paint and brush (optional)
  • Your choice of flowers or foliage (I used artificial grass from Baldocks – I recommend using artificial as the vases may not be watertight)

Bark vase process 1

1. Using the hacksaw, cut the pipe into equal lengths. (If the ends are rough you may need to smooth them with some coarse sandpaper.)

2. Place a cap on one end and secure with duct tape.

3. Cut bark sheets to size, making sure the grain of the bark goes with the height of the vase (otherwise it will be too hard to wrap around). Glue the bark sheets to the pipe.

Bark vase process 2

4. The grass I used left the inside of the pipe visible so I painted it, but if your arrangement is fuller at the base you can skip this step.

5. Place your arrangement in the vase. Fill around it with a handful of pebbles to weight it down.

Bark vase 2

The dark red grass was perfect for this Autumn party, but you can use any type of arrangement to suit the season and style of your event.

Images by Alicia Parsons

Ms Gingham says: How pretty are these? You could use anything to cover the pipe with and achieve all sorts of different looks to match your event. Visit Alicia’s blog to get lots of inspiration on everything from invitations to headpieces!

I am Alicia Parsons, the Atypical Type A. I live in Adelaide, South Australia in a modest townhouse with my new hubby Ryan (aka The Man). I am the owner and graphic designer behind Akimbo, which specialises in quirky invitations, announcements and greetings.