I love this time of year in London; summer has said it’s last goodbyes, and the leaves are starting set the streets and parks alight int0 a keliescope of fiery reds, yellows and purples. The arrival of Autumn is celebrated with much more gusto in the northern hemisphere than at home, and for me it’s been impossible not to be inspired by the fall crafts like pumpkin carving, leaf collecting, warm knits, and of course, EVERYTHING Halloween and Day of The Dead.
I really wanted a nod to the season without going silly, and this DIY Skull Vase will stay on my window sill long after October has been and gone. There are so many ways you can personalise this – I experimented with keeping it black and toyed with the idea of going neon with glitter, but I think the gold leaf keeps it classy 😉
I didn’t anticipate just HOW messy this would be, so be warned, you will get foam everywhere so keep a vacuum cleaner on hand.
Watch the tutorial below to find out how to make your own DIY Skull Vase, and be sure to read my top tips before you start crafting!
1.Before you get started, measure your jam jar next to the skull to make sure it will fit. You want it big enough to put a small posy, but small enough that it will fit happily into the skull.
2. Be bloody careful when you carve, the foam is quite stubborn so you’ll need to use a bit of grit. I used a stanly knife, a kitchen knife and a spoon. If you’re doing this craft with kids, just involve them at the decorating stage.
3. You may find that if your jar is at an angle, the skull will keep toppling over. Try carving a bit more away so it sits straight up, or you can rest it on a large lid like I did to help keep it stable.
4. Now your jar is in, you can start decorating! I mixed a spoonful of tile grout with the acrylic paint, as I find it gives a thicker coverage and a lovely chalky matte finish. One coat should do!
5. When it’s dry, you can start to apply your gold leaf – which you can buy at most craft shops. I don’t bother with the specialised glue you are meant to use with gold leaf, as I find modge podge does the job fine. As you apply the gold leaf, brush it over with a stiff paintbrush to work it in, and remove the excess.
6. Give a final layer of modge lodge to seal. Leave to dry and you’re done!