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    Home » DIY & Hints » DIY

    Get the ironstone look with thrift store finds

    Published: Mar 10, 2022 · Modified: Mar 10, 2022 by momcrieff · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    Looking for vintage ironstone pitchers?

    I LOVE the clean look of an ironstone collection. I always pause to look at collections of ironstone platters and ironstone pitchers. Or, even a flower arrangement in a simple ironstone pitcher will catch my gaze.

    That is what I love about ironstone. Collections are often of mismatched pieces but are tied together by what are basic white dishes with a special patina.

    Where to find ironstone pieces now?

    The rare pieces are still found in your local thrift store, a yard sale or a resale shop/consignment store. However, so many people now collect ironstone now, unexpected finds like ironstone soup tureens are rare. Now, you can often buy pieces in an Etsy shop or FB Marketplace and you are buying sight unseen. Sometimes you can find some at antique stores but they are priced accordingly.

    Create your own Ironstone decore

    Because the supply is getting so limited, I have started making my own faux ironstone decor pieces.

    Supplies

    Take a look at the simple classic shapes of ironstone. I wanted pitchers so I went to the home decor section of a few of my favorite thrift stores. You can buy glass, porcelain or ceramic type pitcher's. It's the shape that is important. You also want the piece to be in great condition with no cracks or chips.

    I use Rustoleum paint and primer spray paint.

    Three colorful pictures and a can of white spray paint

    These were my finds.  They were just a couple of dollars each and I felt they were dated.  I honestly was excited about their pending transformation.

    Instructions

    Read the instructions on the spray can. There are safety instructions, temperature instructions and dry time information. It's all important.

    I generally spray paint outdoors on big pieces of cardboard.

    You want to do thin thin light coats of the spray paint. Also, always start spraying before you hit the piece with paint. That way if the paint sputters or has a globy piece from the nozel, it won't ruin the finish of your soon to be prized decor piece. Nothing is worse than drips of paint running down a piece.

    Of course, these faux ironstone pieces are decor pieces.  I would never use them to serve food on.

    Pictures of the process and before and after shots

    Below are some process images and some before and after shots.
    Wow, I have probably changed my decor 3 or 4 times since I took those pictures. Actually, those are in a house I no longer live in!

    white pitchers with daffodils in them.

    I still have these pitchers and they are almost 10 years old now!

    Let me show you more of what they looked like and what they ended up as.

    I bought these at a second-hand store. I was looking for the shape of the body (rounded), the shape of the top opening (wide) and different textures.

    a white pitcher with big red apples that will be spray painted white.

    The before

    Look at this one! Isn't is awesome in how dated it is!

    Spray painted white pitcher with daffodils

    Yes, really, the above two pictures are the same pitcher. Sorry, I didn't take them at the same angle and same light but trust me, they are!!

    Spray painting pitchers

    It was fun spray painting! It felt good to take something old and make it look new again! And, to do it outside.

    Use good quality spray paint.  I prefer Rustoleum.  And, use thin, even coats.  Do not spray thick coats because it won't dry well.  You're better off having to spend a little extra time doing an extra coat or two.

    pitchers being spray painted white

    Look closely at the pitchers above. You can still see the pattern peek out. It took a total of 3 coats and they were perfectly covered!

    I'm not really a huge fan of fake flowers but couldn't help myself. I needed some daffodils and some crocuses. They are still a long way from blooming in my part of the world. Actually, I haven't even seen my crocuses peeking out of the ground yet. I'm totally cheating by buying some fake ones but I love the cheeriness and brightness they bring into my kitchen (and my life)!

    The before and after of tacky pitchers being transformed to beautiful, stylish white pitchers.

    If you would like a more detailed post on how to spray paint something, check out my post on my DIY white vases. I bought six heavy water glasses at the dollar store and turned them into six beautiful matching vases.

    Or, my other spray-painted treasure:

    Old colorful porcelain Christmas houses that were spray painted white.

    My three 'new' white Christmas houses.

    This was one of the homes 'before'.
    The brightly colored porcelain house that will be painted white.

    If you haven't tried spray painting lately, give it a try! It's fun and gives your dated treasures new life.

    If you enjoyed this post, and love simple recipes, please make sure to sign up and follow my blog. I'm on Pinterest too! Look for Momcrieff or follow the Pinterest icon from my blog.

    Think spring!

    « Golf centerpieces (tabletop golf decor)
    Make refrigerator pickles (using pickle brine from store pickles) »
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    Comments

    1. Karen

      February 15, 2021 at 1:50 pm

      White spray paint is a staple at my house, too. I found you on Pinterest and just stopped to say "Hi"

    2. momcrieff

      January 05, 2019 at 7:08 pm

      A little spray paint gave my Christmas village a fresh and modern look. Let me know how this turns out for you!

    3. Marie Mullane

      January 03, 2019 at 11:02 pm

      Cant believe how cool your painted house looks! My chrustmas village set is going to have a whole new life ahead

    4. momcrieff

      January 15, 2016 at 9:12 am

      I LOVE white spray paint! It's amazing how much you can modernize and epicycle something with just a few hours and some paint! Thanks for visiting my site!!

    5. Anne

      January 08, 2016 at 11:06 am

      This may be an old post-but its new to me! Thank you for giving me an idea to repurpose something hideous into something charming!!

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    Hi, I'm Susan! Welcome to Momcrieff.com. I love sharing easy recipes (especially those that take less than 30 minutes and/or have less than 5 ingredients). I also enjoy gardening and creating flower | container gardens. Plus, I share about renovations and updates of my 100-year-old house!.

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