Colored Pencil Vase Turned on the Lathe DIY

A vase of colored pencils, obtained with their own hands on a lathe!

I love office supplies. This crayon vase is a particularly wonderful DIY project from start to finish. My husband and I worked together on this fun craft. Make your own vase using colored pencils with resin and a wood lathe. This fun conversation piece will be coffee table talk!

This vase is perfect to have while school supplies are on sale! Or... dump all of last year's supplies, scraps, and scraps into the resin and make a vase out of the leftovers.


Colored pencils are the best. When I was in high school, I was invited to an advanced art class, but I needed supplies. The list included quality colored pencils. In the pre-Internet era, these pencils were much more difficult and expensive to purchase.

It was a financial struggle for my mother, but she still gave me 24 packages. They cost more than a dollar each. But they were the greatest crayons of all time... and I learned to love the craft, not the art. Haha, I'm a craftsman, but I wouldn't call myself an artist.


Although 216 colored pencils were used for this vase, the real star of the show for this project is the glossy finish. Without it, it looks dull and inconspicuous. Let us begin!

AIRCRAFT ACCESSORIES:

• EasyCast Clear Cast Epoxy Resin
• mold removal spray
• chalk (a lot)
• Plastic container for bottling (bottle with vinegar)
• a piece of wood
• hull or weight
• empty box
• Mixing cup, stirrer, disposable gloves and work surface
• hobby knife
• headband
• saw bench
• lathe / lathe tools

Step 1: Pencils

Start by finding a container that is the right size for the lathe. No more than 8 inches in diameter and no more than 12 inches in height. I got this vinegar cleaner at a dollar store and the container was perfect. I cleaned the bathrooms and toilets... then I started working with colored pencils on the vase.


Use a utility knife to cut off the top of the container.


Pack the pencils well in the container. I put 216 pencils in the container.


Then use clear tape and close the container and the tips of the pencils.

Step 2: Mix the resin

Step 3: Pour the resin

Then I put a piece of wood and stone to keep the pencils from floating. Now let the resin harden and harden for a few more days.


Once the resin hardens, cut and remove the plastic container with a knife.

Step 4: Bake

Then turn the device on the lathe. Use lathe cutters to cut and shape the vase. Work slowly and remove small pieces at a time.


It is a long process, but it is better not to rush. Some of the pencil chalk cut off during use, this is to be expected.


The vase takes shape! We decided to go deeper to get a second layer of pencils on the side.


Add decorative lines and curved shapes as desired. It is interesting to cut out the vase to show all the low crayons.


When we were completely satisfied, we cut off the bottom edge of the vase.


And the rest looks just as great!


Now the vase is all sculpted and amazing!


The top looks so good with muted colored pencils thrown in from time to time.


And the base is also excellent: it shows the total number of colored pencils used.


Too frequent treatment will stain the pencil lead a little. Therefore, it requires a resin finish.

Step 5: Glossy Finish

YOU NEED ACCESSORIES FOR THE GLOSSY FINISH:

• Envirotex Lite cast gloss finish
• Gymnastics on a toggle switch
• Mixing cup, stirrer, disposable gloves and work surface