Banksia nut vase

This has been on my to do list for way too long.  I finally got in my shipment of banksia nuts, and after a little research, I was ready to go.  The most important advice I found online was to load up on the face protection.  Luckily for me, I do not have a picture of that.  I went into this with eye protection, ear plugs, a respirator and topped it off with a full face mask.  This paid off, as I was continuously pelted with the seeds, fur and everything else that was embedded in the holes.  After getting through the outer layers, this turned like a medium hardwood, and was easy to work with.

This vase stands 5″ tall and is roughly 2.5″ at its widest point.  It is suitable for dry flowers, although I can make one to hold water.  I started the finish with two coats of high gloss tung oil and ended with a few coats of hand rubbed poly.  The green accents are sawdust from green dyed pen blanks.

You can view this item at my Etsy shop here: Banksia nut vase