DIY With a (Re)purpose
These days I find myself wanting to turn everything (and I mean everything) I see into a tiny plant container and/or a bud vase to hold flowers from my garden. My hobby of re-purposing anything vintage that looks like it could hold a tiny, adorable succulent has crossed the line into obsession and with the recent trend of entire terrarium stores popping up in PDX, it seems the general population shares my affinity for tiny plant culture.
These projects are so satisfying and here's why:
- The possibilities for plant containers and bud vases are endless. They require little to no handyperson skills and yet I get the satisfaction of knowing I "DIYed it".
- I can showcase my personality. Example: I. Love. Milk glass. Especially hobnail milk glass. Therefore, any hobnail milk glass item that has an opening on at least one end will get turned into a container for one of my tiny plants.
- I get to actually USE these items now instead of just displaying them.
- They are a perfect, simple, and inexpensive idea for craft night.
- They make great gifts. Everyone loves getting something homemade; it says you went the extra mile and got creative.
I could go on. Truly.
*All the items I'm using are from our vast lighting department
Here's what you will need to create your tiny plant container and/or bud vase:
1) A small item with an opening. Like this for a bud vase:
Or this for a succulent/air plant container:
2) A small plate or flatter surface to attach the container part to. This can be optional or necessary depending on if the container part has 2 openings. But it provides a sturdy base and will allow you to use a wider variety of items.
(Note: this particular piece is part of our vintage lighting collection and does have a hole at the bottom. This can easily be covered up with some tape on the bottom and glue to fill the hole in.)
3) Glue--I recommend E6000 craft glue. You can use super glue but the E6000 is better and works on many different materials. You can find it at most craft supply stores.
Directions:
Step 1: Glue the container part to the flat/plate part.
2) Wait for it to dry.
3) Fill it with adorable tiny plants.
That's it.
End results: adorable and one of a kind!
The best part about this project is the shopping for the components. Maybe you have something at home that you've been saving but if not, it's a great excuse to get out to the local salvage store and explore the possibilities. And then you get to go plant shopping too! So get to it. go DIY something adorable and unique. Go re-purpose the heck out of that vintage hobnail milk glass thing you've been eyeing.
Next →
← Previous
Leave a Reply
Subscribe
Recent Articles
- Have a broken lamp or chandelier? Hippo can help!
- There's been a rumor that we're closing - We're not!
- Removing Valves and Cartridges
- Time Keeps on Ticking
- Hippo Fixes Leaky Faucets
Tags
- antique (2)
- build (1)
- cartridges (1)
- clocks (1)
- faucet (1)
- fix lamps (1)
- greenhouse (1)
- kitchen (1)
- lamp repair (1)
- lighting (1)
- old (1)
- plumbing (1)
- portland (1)
- reuse (1)
- ul certified (1)
- valves (1)
- vintage (3)
- windows (1)
About Us
Hippo Hardware is an eclectic building salvage store specializing in hardware, lighting, architecture and plumbing from 1860-1960. We offer assorted collectibles, trinkets, whatnots, and whoziwhatsits depending on what we get in. The spirit of Hippo Hardware is to rejoice in the individual, the unique, and the original.
Hippo Hardware was officially established in 1976 after the founders Steven Miller and Stephen Oppenheim decided to turn a life of swashbuckling adventures into a second life of swashbuckling adventures. We live in the local, even for our customers far away. That means you will probably hear a story about burying a Porsche in a state park while you are asking about a faucet or meet Fred the shop dog while you're paying for a light fixture. We strongly support community projects, teachers, artists, adventurers, dreamers, and one-man-bands.
If you're looking for a hard to find hardware pattern or can't find the match to your lamp shade, we'd be happy to tell you if we have it, seen it, or know where you could get it.
To make sure you get what you need, we offer the following services:- Lighting and Lamp Repair - We have a fully UL certified lighting repair shop. We can repair and rewire most vintage or antique fixtures. You may want to call or e-mail if it's newer, but we can sometimes fix those too. Shop prices are $80/hour plus parts.
- Customizing - We do our best to make sure it looks just right. Our lighting shop can customize length, finishes, plating, and configuration. Our plumbing department will coordinate refinishing with local companies. The hardware department is able to darken, refinish, clean, and rebuild. Our services can vary depending on staff so please contact us with your project details.
- Returns - Accepted for any reason within 2 weeks of purchase. That means if it doesn't fit, if your sweetheart doesn't like it, if it doesn't match your paint scheme. Receipt required. Returned to you the way you paid and items MUST be in original packaging and condition. Defective or damaged items will not be eligible for a refund.
- If your items were shipped: Shipping refunded only in the case of defective items. Hippo does not refund original OR return shipping cost.
- Online shopping - Conveniently browse our online section of items! Please note: our online section is much smaller than our store selection, we do offer returns for online purchases but do not refund original shipping or provide return shipping. We ship on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
- Trade in - Bring in what you have and we will offer you in store credit or cash. Email pictures first if you'd like to talk about it before you get here.
- Mortise lock repair - Hippo is the only hardware store in Portland that offers full mortise lock repair--including French Door mortises and closet mortises! Our repair shop can diagnose and repair your mortise lock or perhaps we have a replacement if a repair is not an option. Shop prices are $80/hour. Please call our store and ask for Colin to speak about your repair!
Hippo Hardware has three glorious floors and 30,000 sq feet of building salvage to explore. Our inventory, and staff, is divided into four departments: Hardware, Lighting, Plumbing, and Architecture. We do our best to highlight our inventory full of unique items and reproductions on our website, but most of our stock is not online yet. Please contact us if you're looking for something you don't see here.
We donate to: NARAL, Planned Parenthood, Portland Women's Crisis Line, Benson High School, Sunnyside Environmental School, Junk to Funk Recycled Fashion Show, SE Works, Vision Northwest, Multnomah Playschool, Union Gospel Mission, Community House, The Friendly House, Marylhurst Childhood Center, Portland Lions Club, Sabin Elementary School, Oya No Kai supporting the Japanese Magnet Program, Lee Owen Stone Preschool, Public Interest Law Project, Jefferson High School for the Performing Arts Theater Department, imago Theater, Reynolds High School, David Douglas High School, and Milagro Theater.
