Thanks to my obsession with making texture paste with baby powder, empty plastic bottles follow me home like strays. Happily, they’re perfect candidates for a magical upcycle. Just add a spout, a handle, and some paint, and you’ve got yourself a high‑end, faux Verdigris patina vase.
Set on a shelf with a few natural elements, it blends right in with my rustic décor pieces.
The coppery highlights on that little flourish might be my favorite part. If you didn’t know any better, you’d never guess it was once a dumpy, frumpy plastic bottle.
It’s a quick, beginner‑friendly project and a fun way to play around with something that would normally end up in the bin.
Ready to give one of your own stray bottles the same glow‑up? Awesome. But before we get there, do me a favor and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
What you need
To transform the bottle into a jug shaped vase
- Plastic bottle. I used a little baby powder shaker.
- 80-grit sandpaper
- 2-part epoxy clay
- Knife (optional)
For the faux Verdigris patina
- Craft Paint (blue, yellow, and white)
- Copper rub
- Brown pastels or powdered food coloring
Optional extras
- Silicone mold
- Hot glue
How to turn a plastic bottle in a patina vase
Remove the lid and wash it out with warm soapy water. If you’re using a shaker you may need to pry the lid off with something sharp and pointy. I used a steak knife. Don’t tell the hubby. He still feeling out of sorts after I destroyed his wok lid when I made these huge mosaic flowers.
Roughly sand the plastic bottle with 80‑grit sandpaper to add texture. It will give the faux copper and verdigris patina we’ll be adding later something to hold onto.
Right, so that’s the prep work done. Now we need to disguise the obvious bottle shape with a little clay,
Sculpting a simple clay handle and spout on a plastic bottle
When it comes to changing the shape of the bottle, your best bet is 2-part epoxy clay. It dries rock hard, there’s no shrinkage, and you don’t need to bake it. Melting plastic isn’t the look we’re going for and the fumes are horrible. You can use air dry clay, but it will shrink while it cures.
Mix equal amounts of Part A and Part B by kneading them together until you can’t see any streaks.
Roll the clay into a long worm.
Wrap the clay worm around the plastic bottle and smooth it out with a little water.
Make a smaller worm and attach it to the side of the bottle. Blend the edges with a little water and an ear bud.
You should end up with something like this.
While the clay is still workable, roll a small ball and form a spout on the opposite side of the handle.
Mmmm, does that make it a jug? I don’t know. It’s a juggy, vasey thing that’s going to transformed with a little paint and a flourish or two. To make that gorgeous embellishment, I used a silicone mold and hot glue. IMHO, adding raised embellishments pushes the upcycle into boutique décor territory.
Glue the flourish on and leave the clay to cure completely. 2-3 hours should do it. Give the vase a lick of white paint to provide a base coat for the next step: applying the aged copper, Verdigris patina.
Layering paint to create an aged copper Verdigris finish
To create that gorgeous, faux Verdigris effect, you’ll need three colors; blue, yellow, and white.
- 2 parts blue
- 3 parts yellow
- 5–8 parts white
Mix the blue and yellow first to get a turquoisy green. If it looks too green, add a touch more blue. Too blue, add yellow. Add small amounts of white until it’s a light, slightly muted bluish‑green. If you make an oopsie and add too much white you can dull it down with a teeny, tiny dot of red. Or, you take the easy way out and buy ready mixed turquoise.
Paint the vase from top to toe, including any embellishments.
To give the patina an antique feel, dust brown powdered food coloring into the recessed areas and along the dips where the neck meets the body. A soft brown pastel works too. Just scrape a little onto a plate and brush the powdery shavings into all the little nooks for a subtle, time‑worn effect. Seal the vase with hairspray afterwards to prevent smudging.
To add hints of copper you can either use a copper-colored craft paint or copper rub and buff.
Use your finger to rub copper onto the raised edges – the rim and lip, the curve of the shoulders (do vases have shoulders?), and the highest points of the embellishment. You want it to look as if the vase has been lovingly handled for years.
The faux copper and verdigris patina completely disguise the original plastic and give the vase a high‑end, artisan feel. Tie a ratty old rope around the handle to complete the look.
And that’s it. I do hope this project inspires you to rescue at least one plastic bottle from the bin this week. And if aren’t a fan of turquoise and copper, check out some of our other bottle makeovers:
- Turn plastic bottles into clay bells
- Give any bottle an antique clay finish
- Use craft paint to give a bottle a metallic makeover
- Pop a fairy throne and forest inside a bottle
Let me know what you think and if you’ve given plastic trash a decorative makeover. I’d love to hear about it.
If you like the idea of giving a plastic bottle a faux Verdigris patina, don’t forget to pin it for later.
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And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love and laughter. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Last update on 2026-04-23 / Source Amazon Affiliates