Last week, while brainstorming how to spruce up our coffee and tea bar, the idea to do some DIY with thrifted tea cups popped into my head. I set out to scour a few thrift shops to see what I could find and picked up some gold spray paint, determined to make some pretty things. Monday rolled around, and a woman who lives around the corner from us announced on our neighborhood facebook page that she had some offshoots of mini aloe plants that were up for grabs.
I love aloe, so I jumped at the opportunity for free plants and walked over to her house to pick a few of them up. When I got home, I realized that I had already filled all of my indoor planters with various flora, and thus, the tea cups became planters. While this wasn't the original idea that I had envisioned, I'm actually happier with the outcome-- funny how things work out that way sometimes!
What you'll need:
- tea cups (I purchased mine for a whopping 50 cents each at Goodwill)
- gold spray paint
- clear coat glaze or sealer
- newspaper
- painter's tape
- potting soil
- small plants of your choice (check out the sale section of your local home improvement store-- I've found some inexpensive options many times there!)
Use the painter's tape to seal off the areas of your tea cups that you don't want to be painted. I opted for two triangles on one of my cups and a painted top and bottom portion on the others. Seal them well, so the gold paint won't leak!
Set up the taped cups on a layer of newspaper in a well ventilated area. Spraying evenly, about 10-12 inches away, coat the cups with the gold paint. Wait for about 15-30 minutes, and paint a second coat. Once the second coat is dry to the touch, peel off the painter's tape.
Let the gold paint dry for a few more hours, and then evenly coat the cups with the clear glaze to seal the paint. I used several coats of the glaze in healthy doses, to make a nice smooth finish. Let the cups dry overnight, and then fill with potting soil and plant.
Are you as obsessed with that gold spray paint as I am? I think I want to spray everything with it now! These were super fun to make, and have added a little life to the dreariness of January.
Have you taken on any DIY projects lately?