How to DIY Thrift Store Finds to look like Blue and White Porcelain

I just love blue and white porcelain.  Don’t you feel the same?  I’ve seen the trend make its way back into stores and homes over the last couple of years.  In my case, I lean more towards Delft Porcelain, probably because of my Dutch roots.  But I find that these blue and white porcelain items are so expensive.  But what if you could DIY and create your own from thrift store finds?  Keep reading to find out what methods I used to transform thrift store items into gorgeous décor items.

This project is a part of the Thrifty Thursday Collaboration, where three other bloggers join me.  We bring you thrifty posts once a month to help you make more from your home décor for less.  Be sure to check out their posts as well – the links will be at the bottom of this post.

Transform Thrift Store Items into blue and white porcelain with paint

I’ve had this jug and canister in a cupboard somewhere for the last 20 years.  Ever since my Grandmother passed away, and I inherited them.  I always liked them because they reminded me of her, but as they did not suit my décor style or colours, they always remained in storage.  I wanted to change them in a way that I could make them part of my every-day home décor.

On a recent trip to the thrift store, I also found these two gems.  As I had something with blue and white porcelain in mind, I knew the clog would work great, and I also loved the shape of the plate.  

I figured that I could spray paint all four of these items white, paint delft-inspired patterns on them and try and mimic blue and white porcelain.  And It worked!  I am so happy with how they turned out, and will now have the thrifted items and heirlooms on display on a more permanent base!

Preparing your porcelain/ceramic ware

Now, it is no secret that you can spray paint thrift store items to change the look altogether.  Clean your items thoroughly after purchase, this is always a good idea, even if you are not painting them.  Sand the piece lightly.  In the case of my clog, this was especially necessary.  It had layers of paint over the glazed surface that I had to sand off. 

After that, you can prime and spray.  Remember that it is always better to do a couple of light coats, rather than one thick coat.  I used a white primer and gloss white spray paint.

Choose a pattern for your blue and white porcelain

Search online for your favourite designs.  Search for “blue and white porcelain patterns” or “delft porcelain” and choose your favourites.  As this was my first attempt, I did not use too elaborate patterns but decided to play it safe with simpler designs. 

The plate and canister had a modern feel to them. I knew that an abstract, repetitive pattern would suit them better, like a typical tile pattern.  The plate has a textured line, and I decided to use that as a divider and only paint on the one side.  I used the same pattern for both but adapted it a bit for the canister.

The jug and clog are more traditional, and I opted for more traditional delft, flowery patterns.  The clog has raised flower shapes on top – so I used them as a starting point.

Transfer your pattern and paint the design

I printed my designs of choice on the scale I wanted to use them.  As mentioned in the mural post, I can’t draw by hand without messing up the scale.  I rubbed pencil on the back of the paper, fixed it to my items with masking tape and traced the outlines.  This method does give off a few pencil marks, but it can be cleaned up after painting the designs.  You can use an eraser to remove all unwanted pencil marks. 

Now you can start painting.  I used porcelain paint, but you can use craft paint as well – use a gloss-finish paint and not matt.  Paint all the light blue areas first, then use the dark blue and lastly the dark blue outliner.  I was surprised at how easy the process was. Finally, you can seal your work with a couple of coats of high gloss clear coat spray paint. 

Your very own DIY Blue and White Porcelain

I love how they turned out!  The simplicity of the patterns is refreshing to me.  I love that I can group them together or use them on their own in décor.  It was a relatively easy project to complete, and I think beginners can even tackle simple patterns.  But if you are scared to paint onto your porcelain/ceramic items, you can always use tattoo paper.  Head over to the Navage Patch and see how Greg and Handan created beautiful Blue and White Porcelain Pumpkins.

And now I should also note that this project can get expensive.  If you do not already have some of the paint at hand, you will have to buy three spray paint cans (primer, white, clear coat) and the blue paint.  We can sometimes get so psyched about projects that you do not realise that they actually cost more in the end.  I do still think that this is less expensive than store-bought blue and white porcelain items, and you have the perk of designing them yourself, but keep the cost factor in mind.

You can also head over to Sara at The Inspired Decorator who used clear glass vases this month. Martina is over at The Lived-in Look, showing us how to make napkin rings and Elizabeth at A Well Purposed Woman made a magnolia wreath! Be sure to check out their posts, you don’t want to miss it!

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How do you like my new décor additions, and is this a project you want to try?  My hands are already itching to start painting some more items!

Take care, until next time

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