Lucky Penny Vase
After we moved into our new place I noticed that our book shelf needed something on it to fill the gap between it and the ceiling so I started collecting vases and bottles to use for décor. This big beautiful blue floral vase was left in the house by the previous people - the colour didn’t fit with our current decor so I spiced it up by covering it with pennies. And since Canada has phased out the penny I thought this was the perfect ode to the penny.
First I spray painted the vase with black and let dry. Then I found all the pennies we had in the house and started glueing them on. I used a glue gun and started at the top of the vase. I didn’t worry about the direction of the penny or what side I used (or if they were Canadian or US) just keep glueing, row after row. I ran out of pennies at the bottom, I hunted everywhere for more but when stores aren’t giving out pennies any more it was harder to find more. And now when it’s up on the bookshelf you can’t see the bottom anyway.
The flowers inside are from the dollar store and like the pop of colour they bring. The other bottles I’ve been meaning to do something to as well but for now the vase is the star of the show.
cool, I posted it on my facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LifeInStages
Thanks for sharing Tracie. I’m going to check out your page.
Found your blog on Pinterest and I love your idea! I would like to share this idea (my next project!) and your blog, with my facebook page Planetary Turbulence found at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Planetary-Turbulence/351822618262394
So creative and a fantastic way to bring warmth into a room!
-Cheers- Tweefishy
Hi Tweefishy
Happy to hear you love this idea. It was fun to make and I love the results. I would love for you to share - I’ll Like your page so I can see it.
I Love It !!!!
Thanks - it was fun to make
Hello. I found you on Pinterest. This is a very valuable vase now. Love the idea.
The vase is worth at least $4.20 now
I’m really happy with how it turned out.
I think if you first leave pennies in ketchup, it would shine them up. It works for copper pan bottoms.
Thanks for the tip - I’ll give it try.
Did you have any overlap? Or did they fit perfectly? If they did overlap did you cut the pennies if so how? Would love to do this but with my luck they won’t fit so nicely. Love the look.
They didn’t all fit perfectly. I left some larger spaces in areas and did over lap a few of them. I didn’t cut anything - not even sure how to. The over lapped parts aren’t noticeable since it’s up on a book shelf. I think the background being black helped hide inconsistencies. You could also paint the background brown and it would blend even better.
Good luck - if you do make one please send me a photo - you can upload on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Voneinspired
yes ketchup works tried it on antique solid brass door handles, also I would spray it with lacquer to keep the pennies from tarnishing
I haven’t tried ketchup before but I will next time.
Love it! And it looks just fine without pennies all around the bottom!
Thanks Terri - I think so too.
This looks great. I found you on pinterest and never would have thought of this before. Now I am penny crazy and I will probably find around 3,296 other things to cover with them. (Lots of pennies around my house since I am in the U.S.) Thanks for sharing!
Thanks - I feel the same way, pennies add such beautiful colour and texture.
would this work on a glass vase? I have lots of plain glass vases.
It should work on glass - you might have to use a different type of glue that would work better on glass, maybe an E6000 or another strong glue. You could spray paint the glass or it could look really cool left clear.
Fabulous!! I just pinned this beauty
<3 Christina @ I Gotta Create!
Wildly Original link party is open.
Thanks Christina. I just “Liked” your facebook page.
A herd of wild, goofy boys (my two grandsons and three neighbor kids) have decided that this is the project for us! We’ve raided our piggy banks and plan to start gluing out on back garden porch this afternoon. Pray for me.
(PS- love your vase!)
Hi Mary
I would love to see your creation. I hope you had fun.
Vone
Hey great idea I’m inspired . I remember seeing a story of a couple that covered a floor in their home with pennies after collecting for years as well as friends and family donations they were able to complete.This project will be a bit easier.
I’ve seen the floor covered in pennies too - it looks awesome but I don’t think I could convince my husband to do that
The vase was a fun project.
I love this vase! I tried to make one myself. It’s not as pretty as yours but I still really love it! Thanks for sharing your inspiration. [http://pintriedit.com/make-penny-vase/]
I’m so glad you tried it - the vase looks great
do you think there’d be a way to get a smooth finish on it at the end? maybe something spray-on because of the shape??
I’m not sure how to get a smooth finish - I’m guessing you mean between the pennies. I’m not familiar with spray finishes to know if they’d work. Let me know if you find something. Good luck.
I have used modge podge for other projects.It brushes on cloudy then dries clear.Let it cure a bit in the sun and its protected for ever.Hope this helps.
After posting comment yesterday I realized that it was “Modpodge” that I used.
Hope it works .
Thanks Maria - Modpodge would work to seal if you wanted.
Wow, I love your vase!! I have a couple sitting around I’ve been trying to decide what to do with, I now know. I’ve pinned this and will be using your idea! Thanks for the inspiration, I saw you featured at Road Kill Rescue.
Debbie
Thanks Debbie
I would love to see if you do make one. Glad I could inspire.
Vone
I just saw your vase at Road Kill Rescue (rather gruesome name but such cool projects and dramatic rescue befores/afters) and had to write to tell you how much I love your vase. I think it looks fine “unfinished” at the bottom, but has anyone offered to send you pennies? I’m in the states and we still have pennies here. There might be an armed revolution if the gov’mint ever tried to retire our precious pennies! Everything would go up in price, of course. No way would any vendor round down a four, three, two or even one cent. We’d all be stuck paying higher prices instead. Great, just great. NOT! Okay, end of rant. Sorry! Anyway, I have a coin jar that I put all of my change into every day at the end of the day and cash it in 2x a year, usually get $120 or more out of that jar (it was actually a wine carafe in a former life, Paul Masson, Rose, I believe…) I have lots of pennies and would be happy to send you some. But if you ever get hankering for a fancier finish or don’t want to hand out your address to a nutty stranger such as moi, I am sure I have seen soft, bendable or maleable copper that one does not even need tools to shape- it comes in relatively narrow strips that can be folded over — I just do not remember where or when I saw those copper strips (my memory is very bad these days). Or — if you could find a wood stand that has a raised edge around it? I’ve seen beautiful round oriental-style stands for vases and such, in all different sizes, at Gumps.com (I LUV Gumps). They come in black and brown high laquer finishes and would really highlight your vase(s) (as you re-do the rest and add more) as well as adding an inch or so of height. Could also be homemade by someone with the appropriate tools and probably cost way lot less
Thanks for your offer of pennies - I have found a few more to finish.
How fun and a lovely tribute to the penny.
This is a magnificent idea. There is a poem I keep in my heart… Found pennies are tossed down to us from our loved ones in Heaven to let us know they are thinking of us! I have a special place for all my found pennies, and NOW I know exactly what to do with them!! Thank you so much for this blessing of an idea! Terri Tilbury
Can I use a glass vase that’s clear and paint it?
yes, you can. You can paint it or leave it clear so you can see through the pennies.