Upcycle A Plastic Bottle Into Unique And Colorful Countertop Decor

If you've been walking past the same bland bathroom vanity or kitchen island for months and feel like it's begging for a little personality, it's time to invest in some statement decor. But chic bathroom countertop ideas that won't break the bank — or any countertop in your home, at that — don't have to come from Pottery Barn or West Elm. Sometimes, you can use something that's already in your home. For example, that almost-empty shampoo bottle sitting in the shower niche may be destined for the recycling bin. Snap it up before it gets there and give it a second life. Repurpose it into an eye-catching countertop vase that looks like something you bought from a home décor boutique.

Crafty Instagrammer Gayatri Mishra (gayatri.mishra.526) demonstrates how this easy shampoo bottle makeover is the touch of glam your home needs. At first glance, you'd never be able to tell that the paint- and glitter-covered vase she creates is made from a plastic shampoo bottle. The colorful diamond pattern and reflective accents create a striking look that's sure to energize your interior aesthetic. Mishra uses a paintbrush, puff paint — like this 10-pack of Tulip Essential Rainbow Colors Multi-Surface Puff Paint for around $10 — and craft paint in an assortment of colors, including white. The Apple Barrel Vibrant Spectrum Acrylic Craft Paint Collection for almost $16 will do the trick. You'll also need a pencil, jewelry glue, a ruler, and a couple of 10-packs of Xri Xuruoyi Resin Glitter Sun Flatbacks for about $10.

Small DIY vases are great for dressing up boring living room coffee tables or entryway consoles, providing you with a unique way to decorate your home with plants. To bring an old empty shampoo bottle to life, cut off the top of the bottle near the neck. Cover the bottle with a few coats of white paint, making even, vertical strokes with your paintbrush. Once the white paint dries, lightly pencil on some parallel diagonal lines about 2 to 3½ inches apart (depending on the size of the bottle). Use a ruler to keep the lines straight. Draw a second set of diagonal lines, crossing over the first set of lines, to create a diamond pattern over the entire bottle. The smaller you space the lines apart, the smaller diamonds you'll create.

Now it's time to color in the diamonds using various paint colors, giving the vase a mosaic vibe. Instagrammer Gayatri Mishra used bright yellow, purple, green, orange, and red. To ensure the shapes have crisp edges, paint the perimeter lines first and then fill in the center. After the paint has dried, add some dimension to the decoration by outlining each diamond shape with a thin line of puff paint in your choice of color — Mishra used a mustard hue. The last step for the vase is gluing the glittery sunburst accents to the center of each diamond. For this, place a small bead of jewelry glue to the back of one of the glitter sun flatbacks and adhere it to the center of the closest diamond. Repeat the process until all the diamonds are embellished.

Once the glue has cured and the piece is safe to handle — about 24 hours — you can arrange it on any countertop and fill it with whatever you'd like. You could, of course, take a decorative cue from Instagrammer Gayatri Mishra, and fill it with bright faux flowers and foliage. This is arguably the easiest and most budget-friendly way to update your vase based on a theme — for example, Jinghong Tall Artificial Forsythia Stems for spring or Watayo Fake Norfolk Pine Cypress Leaves With Red Berry Stems for Christmas. Or, for something more modern that works for any time of the year, fill the vase with bamboo sticks, dried wheat stalks, or DongArts Dried Curly Willow Branches.

To make this cute countertop decor your own, switch out the diamonds for other geometric shapes — imagine it with triangles or rectangles or an assortment of forms. Switch out the bright hues for a palette that complements your home's existing colors. This will make the vase look less like a craft project and more like an intentional design object. Alternatively, ditch the paint altogether and wrap the vase in vintage sheet music tied with a pretty ribbon. Waterproof it with a solution of water, cornstarch, vinegar, and coconut oil. If you have small houseplants that need a home, punch a few holes in the base of your vase to prevent waterlogging and to turn it into a planter. A recently removed snake plant sprout or baby Dracaena 'Kanzi' would work well.