I really like the idea of handmade gifts or upcycling things as presents - always good when you are on a tight budget.
I picked up this shabby chic style jug in Store Twenty One (for anyone old school - that's Quality Seconds) a while back.
It cost around £2.99 and I've been using it as a vase. However, it was starting to look quite water-stained and needed a revamp.
I was hoping to get round to painting it more intricately before our wedding last June, but I settled for a couple of coats of copper acrylic paint instead.
This was used on one of the tables at our wedding and gave my bouquet a pretty home for the week.
I've always loved the detailing on gypsy wagons and canal boats, so I looked up a basic Polish folk art pattern on Pinterest.
I decided to paint the jug blue first, it's just a mixture of acrylic paints in ultramarine, dark green, yellow and white.
I painted on two coats and left it to dry over night.
I'm still in the process of painting the flowers on, I marked out the design with a white chalk pen first, which is great as you can wash it off. I then painted on a bold floral design in various coloured acrylics and a fine paint brush. I'm still not happy with the colours, they need another coat of paint to make them bolder and once finished chalk pens are great for adding highlights. I will then finish it with a coat of dark wax and some spray varnish.
Keep visiting to see the finished piece - and I'm planning a Route 66 inspired make-over for a chest of drawers for Fin soon.
Folky jug in progress - it's getting there.....
Here is the before shot, as you can see it was quite cute, but very stained.
Here is my bouquet the day after our wedding - during operation clean-up, this is the jug in it's copper coat.
If you're a fan of Polish folk art - I have just discovered an online shop called Urbanetka and ordered myself a pair of slippers from there!