Another Use for Vintage Silver

Charlotte@Living Well on the Cheap  —  August 3, 2012 — 4 Comments

I’m working on getting a bunch of stuff that’s been sitting around for months finally listed in my shop today. It’s so dumb that I’ve let them sit this long-items can’t sell if they’re not listed, right? But I just didn’t have the energy in the last few months of pregnancy. Surprisingly, I find life with a newborn significantly more manageable.

Anyway, I’m glad I waited, because earlier this week I had the greatest idea for two silver platters that I just could not get as polished as I would like. I always like to leave a little tarnish-I think the patina gives character-but these two were just looking a little rough. So I transformed them into chalkboard message boards!

I already had chalkboard paint on hand left over from this project.

The first coat of this stuff always looks a bit disastrous.

But after two more coats they were looking pretty good.

I waited the recommended 72 hours before adorning them with some words of wisdom and setting them up for a photo shoot.

I love them so much that I decided to leave them out until they sell. One is still in the spot pictured above at the top of the stairs, the other is on the mantle in the office. I’ll be sad when they leave me. So much so that I’m thinking about giving the same chalkboard treatment to one of the platters already hanging in my dining room. (this photo is from last October when I made the book page bouquet, hence the presence of a pumpkin atop that stack of books)

These little message boards weren’t the only fabulous thing to happen in our house this week. Yesterday marked three weeks since Jack was placed in his harness, so we went in for an ultrasound to see whether it was working. If his left hip was still dislocated we would abandon the harness and start planning for surgery. I squinted at the screen trying to understand what I was seeing. It looked good to me, but I really didn’t know what I was looking for and of course the tech couldn’t tell me anything. I waited by the phone all day with bated breath and cried tears of relief when I finally heard from the doctor that Jack would not need surgery. He’ll keep wearing the harness for now, and that’s okay with me. A little bit of fabric and velcro is nothing compared to the cast he would have had to wear for months after having his hip moved back into place under general anesthesia. Thank you so much to all of you who kept us in your thoughts and prayers, it really has been such a source of comfort to have so many people supporting us through this. Hopefully his treatment will continue to progress successfully and we’ll be out of that harness in no time!

Update: Wow, those chalkboards sold in less than two hours! I’m thinking I will definitely make some more but I’m not sure how many. Let me know if you’re interested in buying one!

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Charlotte@Living Well on the Cheap

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4 responses to Another Use for Vintage Silver

  1. Janet (Country Mouse) August 3, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    Wonderful news about Jack!!!

    What a great idea with the silver trays.

  2. I love this DIY!! It’s so elegant and practical all at once. And cheap!!

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  1. DIY Vintage Book Page Clothespin Magnets | Living Well on the Cheap - November 9, 2012

    [...] work to feel good about selling anything handmade by yours truly. But after making (and selling) my chalkboard silver trays, I started to think that maybe it would be fun to come up with some very simple crafts using [...]

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