I just love the look of vintage hobnail glass. Hobnail glass (a decorative pattern of small, round studs) was immensely popular in mid-century modern decor. In fact, any time I see a hobnail glass plate, glass, or container in someone’s home, I assume it must be a treasured family heirloom!
Hobnail glass (particularly “milk glass,” opaque colored glass with a milky finish) is definitely seeing a resurgence in popularity today, and it’s easy to see why! It’s sophisticated, feminine, and playful all at the same time. Perfect for adding a touch of style to a dinner party, shower, or wedding reception. Or just infusing some playfulness into your everyday home decor.
Rather than shelling out big bucks on a piece of vintage hobnail glass, why not save some $$ and make your own? It’s a quick and easy project that you can customize for your home or event. And although I’m showing you how to make a hobnail vase, you could easily apply this technique to just about anything…like a decorative dish, container, pencil cup, etc. The sky’s the limit! 🙂
Supplies:
- a glass vase (or whatever item you choose)
- puff paint
- spray paint
- washi tape (optional, but helpful)
I started by using the washi tape to lay out a grid on my vase.
When I had the vase sectioned off into (mostly) even squares, I placed a dot of puff paint in the center of each square.
Once I was done with that, I removed all of the tape from the vase, and put another row of offset dots in between each row that I had already made. I just eyeballed the placement.
After all the paint dots had been applied, I used my hairdryer (low speed and low heat) to help speed up the drying process. Puff paint tends to take a while to dry, and I’m notoriously impatient. 🙂
Once the paint was mostly dry, I placed the vase upside down and covered the exterior with a coat of spray paint. (I just LOVE this color! It’s called “Ballet Slipper!”) The Krylon brand of spray paint is very quick-drying, so I was able to do a couple of coats in under an hour. Once it was dry enough to touch, I flipped the vase right-side up, and painted the rim to finish it off.
So simple, right? And I just love how it turned out. It looks just like vintage hobnail milk glass, and I spent less than $8 on the whole thing. Elegant vintage style made affordable, just another reason why I love a good DIY project!
