The Vintage Find That Makes The Most Unique Bud Vase

If you love collecting vintage ceramics but don't really know how to use them, finding new purposes they weren't originally designed for can be a great way to justify buying that extra jar, tureen, or casserole dish you fell in love with. One creative idea for styling your antique home decor is to turn dishware into flower frogs. This DIY works with any lidded vessel (such as a ginger jar) and looks gorgeous displayed around the home, bringing charm and structure to your flower arrangements — with the added satisfaction that only a successful upcycling hack can bring. 

Vintage purists, look away now, because for this project, you'll need to drill holes into beautiful antiques. Some may see this as blasphemy, but others will appreciate how it gives new life to pieces that were once forgotten dust collectors on the back of thrift store shelves. To upcycle a vintage pot into a vase and flower frog, you'll need a drill, a diamond drill bit, a large container, a small dishcloth, water, a squirt bottle, and a marker. Painter's tape also helps make the holes cleaner and provides friction so the drill bit doesn't slip. 

This clever hack will make your thrifted antiques functional in your home, so they're no longer just filling up a cupboard somewhere. Sure, you can also just thrift an antique flower frog (there are plenty), and use it at the bottom of your flower jar, but the appeal of this DIY is in the way the lidded vessel interacts with the flowers. It creates a sculptural arrangement that's more akin to tulipiere vases, styling your buds in unusual shapes and turning the stunning ceramics into even more of a statement decor piece. 

Ceramic is easier to drill when chilled and wet. To achieve this, rest the lid in a container covered with a dishcloth and slightly pooled with water. The water will bring the temperature down, while the cloth will keep the piece from moving around. Before drilling, apply painter's tape to where you want the holes to go and use the marker to outline them.

Spray the area and start drilling slowly and softly, tilting your drill at an angle, before gradually straightening it as it starts piercing the ceramic. As you drill, continue spraying the area around the holes continuously to cool down your drill bit. Repeat for as many holes as you think will look good and symmetrical on your specific lid. Once you're finished, fill the vessel with water and insert one or more buds per hole, depending on their size. If mixing different flowers, use the holes in the center for larger, heavier stems, and then surround them with foliage and accent flowers.