How to Make a Dollar Tree Crystal Ball Vase for Halloween
This easy Dollar Tree crystal ball vase for halloween is a fun and delightfully wicked twist on a DIY mercury glass vase!
Dollar Tree Crystal Ball Vase
Here at Ruffles and Rain Boots, I love making really quick Dollar Tree crafts, but sometimes I go off the rails and (gasp!) spend a little extra on a supply or two that you just can’t find at the Dollar Tree. Frankly, this time, it was absolutely worth the stretch because this Dollar Tree crystal ball vase is a wild ride in spooky-season decor crafting!
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It’s easy and fun and adds such a fun touch of unexpected sparkle to what might otherwise just be a dark bunch of flowers. I just love this easy Dollar Tree crystal ball vase. Grab your broomstick and let’s get started.
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Tips to Make This Mercury Glass Vase
- To add a bit of color to my Dollar Tree crystal ball, I tried out some shiny fabric and I was just not impressed. I tell you what really worked and was EPIC: alcohol ink. Yeah, that’s right – a little drip or two of pink, blue and purple alcohol ink and the little bit of color I got was GORGEOUS!
- I got everything I needed to make this whole vase for halloween from the Dollar Tree, with the exception of the mirror spray paint (which is honestly the star of the show) and the alcohol ink. Yeah, seriously. So, dig around at your local Dollar Tree or Family Dollar and you’ll find everything.
- If you want to get a little more action going inside your Dollar Tree crystal ball for halloween, you can add a cut-out of a skull or haunted house. Just a silhouette would be enough to show through the mercury glass vase finish and make this an even spookier craft – but I didn’t think of that until later. Waawaaa…LOL!
How Do I Make this Dollar Tree Crystal Ball Vase?
I’m so glad you asked. Below is our written tutorial.
Dollar Tree Crystal Ball Vase for Halloween
No one is more spooky and tricky than the holder of the hot glue gun and this fun Dollar Tree crystal ball vase for halloween is proof!
Materials
- 1 4-inch Fish Bowl
- 1 Black 4-inch Tall Candle Stand
- 1 Flickering Battery-Powered Tea Light
- Black and Purple Faux Flowers
- 2 Small Skeleton Hands
- Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint
- Alcohol Ink in Magenta, Purple, and Blue
Tools
- Craft Glue (I used E6000)
- Paper Towel, damp
- Hot Glue Gun & Glue, optional
- Heat Gun or High-Temp Hair Drier
Instructions
- Make sure your fish bowl is clean and dry on the inside, then, working outside or in a very well ventilated area, spray the inside of the fish bowl 4-5 times with the Krylon Looking Glass spray paint on the interior only, waiting 1-2 minutes between each thin coat, per the directions on the can. Allow the fish bowl to dry completely.
- With a damp paper towel, wipe off the exterior of the fish bowl, removing all bits of the spray paint that may have gotten on the outside of the bowl. Additionally, gently wipe the inside of the fish bowl to remove any loose paint particles, taking care to not wipe away the spray paint finish, but removing a little bit in places to make sure some light will seep through well. Allow the fish bowl to dry completely.
- With the glue, affix the fish bowl's bottom to the top of the candle stand. Allow the glue to dry completely.
- Drip 2-3 drops of blue alcohol ink into the fish bowl, swirling it around until the alcohol ink has coated about 1/3 of the interior of the bowl. Repeat with the other two colors of alcohol ink until the entire interior of the bowl has been covered. I used my heat gun to make sure that the alcohol ink dried completely before each new application, but I don't know that this is required - the alcohol ink dries on it's own very quickly.
- Create a floral arrangement with your faux flowers that will fit inside the top of the fish bowl. Set aside.
- Turn the fingers down on the small skeleton hands, so that the hand portions fit inside the bowl and the fingers curl over the edge of the bowl. I had to use my heat gun to soften the plastic to get them to bend - take care if you do this because the heat gun gets hot. Hot glue the skeleton hands in place on the edge of the bowl.
- Place the tea light inside the fish bowl and fit the floral arrangement in place, then get ready to display because your Dollar Tree crystal ball vase is complete!
Notes
For more fun halloween crafts, visit Ruffles and Rain Boots!
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More Halloween Crafts You Might Like
- Four Epic Halloween Porch Sign Cut File Sets – The best designs to make your own vertical porch sign for halloween!
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- Geode Skull Halloween Craft – Fast and fun to make, this epic halloween craft is so posh looking, I love it!
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