• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Pillar Box Blue

  • Home
  • Denim
  • Maps
  • Valentines
  • Crafts
    • Sweaters
    • Marimekko Crafts and DIY’s
    • Seasonal
  • DIY/Upcycling
    • All Upcycling
    • Ikea Hacks
    • Tin Cans
    • Round Ups
  • Christmas
  • About Me
    • What Is Upcycling What You Need To Know
    • Press & Working With Me
    • Link Ups
    • Privacy Policy
    • DISCLOSURE
    • Contact Me
You are here: Home / Crafts / How To Make An Upcycled Leather Boho DIY Vase

How To Make An Upcycled Leather Boho DIY Vase

15th May 2019 by Claire Armstrong 22 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet

For this post, you actually get three crafts in one. Firstly, there is the upcycled leather Boho DIY vase. Secondly, I made a Boho tassel to decorate the vase with. Thirdly, the vase is filled with lovely handmade giant crepe paper flowers.

A few months ago I came across a beat-up leather sofa waiting to be dumped (it was beyond repair). I took the opportunity to salvage as much of the leather as I could for my upcycling stash. Some of the leather was used to make recycled hanging planters. And again with this craft. There is still plenty more leather left and lots more ideas too.

Discarded sofa source of leather

Boho Giant Paper Flowers And An Upcycled Leather Vase

Making crepe paper flowers is one of my favourite crafts. Last year I made a large paper flower wall decoration in the shape of a pineapple for my dining room.

With these giant paper flowers, I made I wanted to display them in a vase. These flowers weren’t based on one particular type of flower. I went a bit freestyle and made my own up.

However, if you think they look like a particular flower that already exists then please let me know.

I think my made up giant paper flowers do have a tropical Boho look. So I needed to make a Boho style DIY vase to display them.

Both the leather DIY vase and the Boho tassel were very quick to make. The crepe paper flowers did take a bit of time but were very relaxing to make. This DIY vase is suitable for real flowers if you aren’t into making your own.

Upcycled leather Boho DIY vase and giant crepe paper flowers

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Giant Paper Flowers

What You Need To Make Boho Giant Paper Flowers

  • Italian crepe paper 180g in cream and purple
  • Short thin floral wire stems 26 gauge (about 10 per flower)
  • Long thick floral stem wire approx 16 gauge or thicker (1 or 2 for each flower)
  • Green floristry tape
  • Purple drawing ink and brush
  • Scissors and a hot glue gun

How To Make The Boho Giant Paper Flowers

Each of these giant paper flowers are actually made up of approximately 10-12 smaller flowers.

1. To start off download and print out the petal template (click here), or draw your own petals. Using the templates cut out of the cream crepe paper at least 30 petals. You will need approximately 12 small, 12 medium and 12 large petals.

Make sure that when you cut the crepe paper the stretch of the paper runs the length of the petal. This will enable you to curl and twist each petal.

Giant paper flower petal tmeplates
Cut out crepe paper petals for giant paper flowers

2. Next, using inks colour each petal to get a variegated look. Then leave them to one side to dry.

Painted petals drying

3. For each component flower that makes up the giant paper flower in the Boho vase, you will need 3 petals the same size, a thin wire stem, and a purple crepe paper stamen.

What you need to make the individual flowers

4. To make the stamen, cover one of the small floral wire stems with floral tape. Then cut a piece of purple crepe paper approximately 7 cm by 5cm.

Fold the purple crepe paper in half. Make sure the stretch in the paper goes across the length. Then, cut a fringe across the folded edge. Wrap this purple fringe around the small stem and stick it in place using a hot glue gun.

Making the giant paper flower stamen

5. Take one of the petals, stretch and shape it into a slight curl and then glue it to the base of the stamen. Then, repeat with the other 2 petals.

Adding the first petal to the boho crepe paper flower
Adding the petals

6. Finish off this small flower by wrapping floral tape around the base of the petals where they join the stem. Repeat the whole process until you have at least of these 10 small flowers.

Finished small crepe flowers for the Boho DIY vase

7. Finally, all that is left to do is to collect these 10 small flowers together and twist the stems around the large floral stem. Then wrap the base of the flowers and the stem with more floral tape. Now all that is left to do is to make the leather Boho DIY vase.

Boho giant paper flower

The Leather Boho DIY Vase

What you need for the leather vase

  • Old piece of leather or faux leather from a sofa, bag or jacket.
  • Empty 2 litre soda bottle
  • Twine
  • Leather hole puncher or Crop-A-Dile
  • Ruler and pen
  • Scissors or x-acto (Stanley) knife
What you need to make a Boho DIY vase

How To Make A Boho DIY Vase

Cut the top off the soda bottle. Then measure the height and circumference of the bottle. Add 1 cm to the height measurement and 2 cm’s to the circumference. Use these measurements as a guide to cutting the piece of leather. The leather I used was very easy to cut with scissors, but you may want to use a knife.

Cutting the leather for the DIY boho vase

2. Next, on the wrong side of the leather, with a pen mark points 1 cm apart down each side.

Marking the punch holes in the leather

3. Then using these marks as a guide punch holes down each side of the leather.

Punching sewing holes in the leather boho DIY vase

4. Next, sew the leather vase together. Do this by folding the leather in half so that the two lines of punched holes meet. Then use the twine to stitch them together. Finish off by placing the cut soda bottle into the leather vase sleeve you have just stitched.

Leather sleeve for DIY vase

How To Make The Boho Tassel For The DIY Vase

All you need to make this tassel is some cotton string and coloured embroidery thread.

1. First cut four equal lengths of string. They should be about 35 cm in length. Then bound the string in the center with different coloured threads. This should be about 5 cm in total.

2. Next, fold the string in half creating a loop in the middle where the coloured thread is. Secure this loop with more coloured thread.

3. Finish off the Boho tassel by unraveling the unbound string ends.

How to make a Boho tassel with string

To attach the tassel to the leather vase, I used more string. I also threaded in a couple of wooden beads just to add to that whole Boho vibe.

Upcycled leather boho DIY vase with tassel.

Finally, just insert flowers!

Boho DIY Vase and giant paper flowers
Boho vase and crepe paper flowers handmade

For more Boho upcycles check out the unique wood ornaments I made out of curtain fixings.

If you liked this post then you should check out some of my other floral and DIY vase crafts.

  • DIY tropical leaf plant
  • Fun Oriental Vase DIY Flower Pots
  • Denim Hanging Mason Jar Vase
  • How To Make Fabric flowers
  • Repurposed Felt Succulent Garden
  • How To Make Tassels From Repurposed Denim

This leather upcycle featured in the A to Z of clever upcycling ideas.

For more paper flower ideas visit allfreepapercrafts.com

Filed Under: Crafts, DIY Upcycling Tagged With: boho, Boho diy vase, flowers, leather, paper flowers, tassel, vase

Previous Post: « A Unique Nightstand Caddy, A DIY Fathers Day Gift
Next Post: How To Make A Changeable Lego Minifigure Frame »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristi @ Chatfield Court

    11th June 2019 at 6:15 am

    Love this, Claire! From the flowers to the vase and tassle, Love it all! Such a clever way to repurpose old leather.

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      11th June 2019 at 7:31 am

      Thank you, so much. The flowers do brighten up my room.

      Reply
  2. Cecilia

    26th May 2019 at 2:22 am

    I love this combination, Claire. The flowers are fabulous! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm–pinned!

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      26th May 2019 at 9:30 pm

      Thank you so much. I do like my handmade flowers.

      Reply
  3. Julie

    23rd May 2019 at 8:55 am

    3 crafts in one, Claire, you are really spoiling us!
    I love that you used a pop bottle inside the vase, very clever. I guess you could cover any receptacle to make vases of all shapes and sizes.
    I rescued some bits of out old leather sofa a few years back and my family thought I was nuts. So far I’ve made coaster and I also use the scraps in my card making. Maybe I’ll surprise them with a lovely leather vase too!

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      23rd May 2019 at 2:02 pm

      Thank you, Julie. It’s great fun thinking of things I can make with the leather.

      Reply
  4. Julie Briones

    21st May 2019 at 10:19 pm

    Great upcycle, Claire! Blessed to have you at Homestyle Gathering! Hope to see you at Tuesday Turn About at 5pm CST! (What time is that for you?)

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      22nd May 2019 at 5:47 am

      Thank you, Julie. I think that’s about 1am Wednesday for me.

      Reply
  5. Linda at Mixed Kreations

    19th May 2019 at 9:17 pm

    Wow this is sooo pretty! Love the vase and the beautiful flowers! They look real! I’m going to have to give these a try, flowers are so expensive. Pinning!

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      20th May 2019 at 7:40 pm

      Thank you, I do like making crepe paper flowers and they last forever.

      Reply
  6. Rachel

    19th May 2019 at 12:47 am

    I LOVE this vase! Now I have to be on the lookout for some discarded leather! Thank you for the inspiration! Question- I don’t have any type of punch for leather. Can you think of anything else that might work? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      19th May 2019 at 3:16 pm

      Thank you, Rachel. Depending on the leather you can sew straight through it with a leather sewing needle. Then there will be no need to hole punch but you will have to use a thinner thread such as embroidery thread.

      Reply
  7. Simona

    17th May 2019 at 10:22 am

    Two lovely ideas! The vase is great. Thank you for inspiration!

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      17th May 2019 at 5:23 pm

      Thank you. I really liked making the flowers.

      Reply
  8. Michele Michael

    17th May 2019 at 12:58 am

    Neat. I love that you snagged that leather from the old sofa!!

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      17th May 2019 at 6:30 am

      Thank you. I can’t Resist rescuing rubbish to Upcycle.

      Reply
  9. Michelle Leslie

    16th May 2019 at 3:07 pm

    You just know how. Every time I come for a visit on your blog I’m so inspired by your creativity Claire and I love everything boho-ish. What great idea and I have a whole bunch of leather scraps we saved from old broken suitcases..

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      16th May 2019 at 3:37 pm

      Thank you, Michelle. I do love a bit of Boho. You could make a lovely vase from suitcase leather scraps. The trouble with me is I have too many things I want to make and not enough time.

      Reply
  10. Velvet Karatzas

    16th May 2019 at 5:33 am

    I absolutely love it Claire! The flowers look amazing and that leather vase is just one of a kind. Wonderful, you just got me looking for an old piece of leather now… 😉

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      16th May 2019 at 5:54 am

      Thank you, Velvet. It’s amazing what you can make with an old piece of leather, I have so many more ideas.

      Reply
  11. Susanne

    15th May 2019 at 6:54 pm

    So cute Claire!! That leather couch just keeps giving and giving!!

    Reply
    • Claire Armstrong

      15th May 2019 at 7:38 pm

      Thank you. I still have loads left and can’t wait to use it. Too many ideas, not enough time!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow Me

Subscribe to newsletter

Search This Website

Denim feather wall decor

How To Make Denim Feather Wall Decor

Tiled square Boho Moroccan planters

Make Beautiful Moroccan Planters In Under 10 Minutes

9 unique blue jean rug DIY's

How To Make A Blue Jean Rug, 12 Unique Ways

Free printable maps

Wonderful Free Printable Vintage Maps To Download

DIY No Sew Denim Rug

How To Make A Cool Denim Rug Without Sewing

Copyright © 2021 Pillar Box Blue on the Foodie Pro Theme