A few years ago I was in London shopping the markets and ran across the vintage pot lids with the cool graphics.  They were expensive so I kept my eyes open for some I could afford.  I found one little bottle.  It was my London souvenir.

So when the Iron Orchid Designs sisters unveiled the Crockery Stamp, I had to pick myself up from the floor.  These!  These were the graphics I fell in love with in London.

So last week I decided it was time to create my own version of those rare and beautiful antique pots.  I started with a trip to Goodwill and the Habitat for Humanity Restore.  I found a variety of pots in shapes and sizes that would be perfect for this project.  Here’s how to DIY vintage crock pots.

I started off by giving the pots a clean with Fusion’s TSP to remove years of grime and fingerprint oils.  Then I wiped on a thin coat of Ultra Grip.  This will ensure the paint sticks!

Ultra Grip needs 12 hours to dry well prior to painting so I let these sit overnight.  The next morning, I grabbed Raw Silk and Limestone to paint the pots.  Chateau would have been another great choice.  The pots got two coats of paint.

While the paint was drying, I opened my new Crockery stamp.  Did I mention that I LOOOOVVVEEE these images??  Before using a stamp for the first time, I prep the stamp by giving it a quick sand.  I use 220 grit paper.  I’ve found it easiest to pull the paper toward me across the stamp, rotating so that I sand all four directions.

I decided to use Fusion’s Black ink on my white painted pots and Staz-On ink on my already glazed, vintage jugs.

On my first attempt to stamp, I used a Thin Mount to try to control the stamp along the curve of the pots.  That didn’t work and I ended up with blurry, smudged images.  I wiped the ink off with a baby wipe and repainted.

So on my second attempt I tried a new method.  I took a piece of painter’s tape and laid it sticky side up on the table. I put the stamp on it and when I inked the stamp, the pressure adhered the stamp to the tape.  I used the tape to adhere the stamp to the pot, freeing up both hands to gently stamp without shifting.  That worked so much better!

The ink took an hour or so to dry.  Once it was dry, I switched to the Craquelure stamp.  It has just been retired but is just the best for adding a vintage touch.

After the ink had dried, I wiped on a coat of Gloss Tough Coat.  I wanted the pots to have a glazed look.  A sponge is the best way to apply Tough Coat, I’ve found.

The last step in giving the pots a vintage look was a little bit of antiquing by way of Mustard paint.  I used a wet brush to dab some paint onto the pot, then wipe and dabbed with a damp paper towel, leaving just enough yellow haze to give it a vintage look.  

I think they turned out amazing!!  Now I finally have the collection I could never afford to buy!  Have you tried these yet?  I’d love to see your results!