Wall Collage Bud Vase

Materials:

thick-handled, silver-plated knife
piece of wood
22-gauge wire
1/2"-3/4" brass brads
vise
hack saw
small hammer
fine metal file
small metal fingernail file
needlenose pliers
wire cutter
staple gun
paint
E-6000 glue
electric drill or hand brace
#56 or other very small drill bit
piece of 1/8" metal rod
vintage photo or copy*
piece of jewelry
scraps old lace or fabric
buttons
sawtooth hanger

*Color copy your vintage photo so that you don’t have to actually use the original.

1. To make the vase, you need to cut off the knife handle. Be sure to use a silver-plated knife, because a stainless steel one would be impossible to cut by hand. You will be cutting 3/4 inch below the top end of the handle because you need to cut below the stainless steel knife shank (figure A). Secure the knife in a vise and use a hack saw to cut it off (figure B). Note: Once the blade begins to cut into the metal, it should cut easily. If it doesn’t, begin your cut a bit farther down the handle, because you may not be below the shank. If it is still hard to cut, use a different knife. Some knives are solid inside, so you will not be able to use it as a vase. Some knives are filled with plaster, which is impossible to remove. Fortunately, most are hollow (figure C).

2. Use a metal file to smooth down the rough top edge (figure D). Use a small metal nail file to clean the inside edge of the small opening at the top. Select a piece of scrap wood and refinish it any way you like--paint it, antique it, crackle it, white-wash it... (figure E).

3. Work out a pleasing arrangement for your collage. Attach any lace or fabric first. Simply wrap it around the wood and use glue or a staple gun to attach it to the backside.

4. Place the photo on the wood. Make two marks slightly above the photo and in just 1/4 inch from the edge. Mark the bottom the same way. Nail in four brads at these marks, leaving the heads 1/8 inch above the wood.

5. Cut two pieces of wire 12 inches long. Tightly curl them around the 1/8-inch metal rod to make springs, which will hold down the photo. Twist one end of the wire around the top brass brad three times. Gently pull the spring towards the bottom brad and twist it in the same manner (figure F). Cut off the loose ends with a wire cutter (figure G). Slip your photo under the springs to hold it in place (figure H).

6. Next, you will attach the bud vase. Mark two spots on either side of the vase and drill two small holes through the wood. You can use a hand brace or an electric drill. Feed a 12-inch piece of wire through the holes from the back. Run a bead of silicone glue along the vase and press onto the wood. Twist the wire ends tightly around the vase to hold it securely against the wood. This will be much easier if you have someone else hold the vase in place to keep it from moving around while you twist the wires together. You can curl the wire ends so they look pretty (figure I). Using both glue and wire will ensure a good hold, as metal sometimes does not stay glued down for very long.

7. Attach other items with glue or nail them down (figure J). You could also use the wire technique.

8. Add a sawtooth hanger on the back. You can use a fresh flower in the tiny vase if you like, because the vase will hold water.