The unfortunate thing about hurricane vases is that they can be so blasted expensive, with prices ranging from $15-$100 and up depending on the size and material it's made of. Yikes! I don't have that kind of money in my budget so I started looking around. Something I noticed is that the name of an item can affect its price. If you search for "hurricane vase" online, you get higher prices than searching for "glass flower vase", even if they look like the exact same thing. And it got me thinking, "Where can I find cheap glass cylinder vases?" The answer is: the dollar store!
So off I went to the dollar store and I found exactly what I was looking for--short and tall glass cylinder vases-- and I picked up two of each. I had decided I wanted them up on a small stand so I also grabbed some glass candlestick holders to glue to the bottom, also from the dollar store. I brought my purchase home and did a little research on the best type of glue to use for glass. I've used various brands of super glue before on other projects, but not glass and I wanted to make sure the candlestick didn't come off. I also wanted the glue to dry clear. The best solution I found was to use Loctite GO2 Glue. I bought it at Walmart for about $4. Armed with glass and glue, I was ready to start.
Before gluing the pieces together, I removed the stickers using Goo Gone, then wiped them clean of any residue and let them dry for a few minutes.
Then I opened the glue and gently squeezed it around the top part of the candlestick (see picture). I was fairly generous without letting it get too goopy. Then I turned the candlestick over and tried to get it as close to center as possible. This particular glue has a repositionable time frame of 5 minutes so I didn't stress out about getting it exactly in the right place the first time. I basically just rotated the vase around and eyeballed it and moved it around until I thought it looked centered. Then I repeated the steps on the other 3 vases/candlesticks.
The cure time for the glue I used is 24 hours, so after a few hours on the counter to let it set, I moved the vases to a more out of the way place to avoid getting them knocked over or touched by curious little hands.
*Note: If you use a glue other than the one I used, be sure to check the repositionable time, set time and cure time so you know how much time you are working with.
After the 24 hours were up, I turned the vases over and inspected my work and they looked awesome! The glue dried clear and strong and they looked store bought rather than handmade.
Since I've got a Thanksgiving/fall theme going on at my house right now, I filled one small vase with popcorn kernels and a small votive candle. The larger vase is filled with small pine cones. I also tied some cute ribbon around my vases to add to the overall look and tie it into the theme. When Christmas (or any other holiday/season) comes around, I will swap in something else.
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Not sure what to put in your hurricane vase? No problem! I've compiled a list of ideas of items for both holidays and everyday decor. They would also be great to use for parties and fill with treats or other items. You can get a lot of these items from the dollar store!
Items to fill vases (Holiday)
- Valentine's Day: red cinnamon candy, conversation hearts
- St. Patrick's Day: plastic gold coins, rainbow candy (like Skittles)
- Easter: Peeps, plastic eggs
- Independence Day: flags, sparklers
- Halloween: skulls, plastic rats, candy corn, anything you'd fill an apothecary jar with
- Thanksgiving: popcorn kernels, acorns
- Christmas: small ball ornaments, bells, cinnamon sticks, pine cones
- Shells
- Candle
- Flowers
- Potpourri
- Plastic fruit, like lemons, limes or oranges
- Sticks/Branches
- Glass beads
What do you like to decorate with year round? Do you have other suggestions for what to put in hurricane vases?
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