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Trash To Treasure

3' tall ceramic urn from curb side....

18 years ago

Someone tried to paint it a bright blue and the paint is peeling. I don't think it will be hard to remove the rest. The original finish is a shiny white and pink and baby blue and not at all appealing to me. I would love some creative ideas about what to do with this find. My husband is looking seriously askance at my latest acquisition. Thanks. Wobur

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Comments (8)

lydia1959
18 years ago
If you could get most of the paint off, you could decoupodge it. There are some really fun papers in the scrapbook store.
daisyme
18 years ago
If you can figured out how to get the paint off and refinish it, you could turn it upside down, put a large flowerpot saucer on it (maybe mosaic it) and have a great birdbath! Let us know! It's a great find!
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sharon_fl
18 years ago
I found a great wide vase at a yard sale..I went to a stained glass store & bought scrap pieces of pretty colors in aquas/blues, sage, etc.- then broke them up & used GOOP and did a mosaic over the entire piece. I bought the tinted grout in a sage to grout it with-turned out really pretty.
You could also go outside the box and shingle the piece with pine cones or clam shells.
If you like florals..I just saw the prettiest Spring floral printed napkins-decoupaged on the piece would love great!
Really cool would be to paint it a pretty pastel or bold color, then spray an adhesive all over it & roll it thru those teenie tiny clear beads (they have no holes in them). The color of the piece would sparkle with the base color showing through!
craftylady-2006
18 years ago
Sounds like a great find, hope you'll share a pic with us. I've been using "Citris-Strip" to remove paint from items. It's a gel paint remover and it worked really nice on an old wooden table I have. I bought it at Home Depot for just under $10 (the smaller container). As with most paint strippers, you spread it on and leave it on for half hour or more. The paint easily came off and the "citris" wasn't that awful smell as with other removers.

Sal
wobur
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks everyone! All great ideas! I need to find more urns on the curb.... I have been working on getting the paint off, which is pretty easy, but now I am finding a few spots where the original finish is peeling, too. There is a kind of white chalky plaster underneath. I am a little afraid to decopage it or something and have it flake off. Any thoughts? I wonder if there is a way to seal it?

Thanks again.

Wobur
scarlett2001
18 years ago
Lots of ways to seal it - primer, varnish, spray sealer, etc. Sounds like it was meant for indoor use but it was exposed to the weather? Maybe if it is kept indoors, it will not continue to flake.
kudzukween
18 years ago
If you have to keep it inside you could use it to hold rolled up towels in the bath,or umbrellas, or just about anything. I really like the birdbath idea.
wobur
Original Author
18 years ago
I do need for it to be outside. I have a large deck but a small house. I think you are right, scarlett2001, it was meant to be kept indoors and it was exposed to the weather. Maybe I will try an outdoor primer and paint and then if it holds do something more creative over that. Hmmm...I could move it under an overhang in the winter. If I get it figured out and can then figure out posting pics, I will. Nice of you all to give me such great suggestions. Thanks! Wobur

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