Picnic Themed Metal Bucket Upcycle

With June on the horizon, I've been thinking about picnic season a lot.

While I'm more of a lay your blanket down in the sand, rather than the grass, type of girl, the aesthetic is the same.

There's me in a big hat and baskets brimming with food.

Red checked linens, white plates full of cheese and strawberries are also part of the scene.

And flowers. Lots and lots of colorful wildflowers.

Even on the beach.

However, as much as I'd love to say that I was picnicking like this often, such occasions are very few and far between.

And when then they do happen, they usually consist of soggy, tinfoil wrapped sandwiches that get pulled out of my overstuffed Vera Bradley tote and lukewarm water bottles.

But the first visual was really nice, wasn't it?

Well, who says you need an actual picnic to capture that summer breeze feeling at home?

This weekend, even in the rain, I conjured up a bit of it, with a few napkins and some thrift store tin pots.

Here's how I did it.

I started with two .25 thrift store pots. To be honest, I think they were Dollar Tree tins leftover from Thanksgiving.

Someone else's trash. My upcycling treasure.

At home I already had two packages of napkins, strawberries and a red picnic style check, my daughter had purchased for me at the grocery store. 

Both had that 1950's feel...especially that orange ric rac on the strawberry pattern.

She knew they were my style so she picked them up. How sweet is that? 

Right away I knew they'd be perfect to cover those metal pots and turn my fall finds into summer decor.
 
I started by painting each one with white chalk paint.


One coat and I wasn't fussy about my application.

I wanted a bit of the metal to show through to give the pots a worn, vintage look.

Next, I separated the napkin layers, so I was only working with the top, printed layer.


Then I used my Dixie Belle Satin Sealer, as my decoupage medium, and brushed on a coat over the dry paint.

I prefer the Dixie Belle to Mod Podge, but you can use whatever you like.


Then I took my napkins and placed them carefully on the tins.

I did have to use two napkins on each metal bucket, so I was very careful to match patterns where they met..like when I decoupaged my glass cutting board.

It wasn't super easy to line them up, since the buckets are rounded, but with a little bit of maneuvering and a very sharp pair of scissors, I made it work.

Then I used my plastic wrap or zippy bag or vinyl glove tip to smooth out all (or most) of the wrinkles.

When the napkins were set, I gently added more sealer over the top with a brush.


And used the plastic bag to smooth out any lumps or bumps.

Then I repeated the entire process using the other tin and the strawberry napkins.


Just as I had hoped, the unpainted parts showed through the napkins to give the pots a more worn and truly vintage feel. 

The combination of that with a few stubborn wrinkles made the tins appear weathered, as if they'd spent long periods of time outdoors.

Which is lovely since that's where these picnic pots will most likely end up. Perched on my covered porch for summer.


Filled with those flowers I was talking about.

Surrounded by cheese and fruit.

As I picnic at home.

Without the soggy sandwiches.

Dreamy.

😉

Do you enjoy picnics?

Happy Crafting, Friends!