Hello, beautiful friends! I have the cutest repurposed tea kettle project for y’all today! As most of you know, I completed my Fill up the Booth Haul on Tuesday with this final dresser makeover. Thank you for all the love on that one, by the way!
And while I have gathered many new treasures for my new haul, I was still on the hunt for a couple more furniture pieces. Jack and I went to six thrift stores in hopes of finding some, but my van came home empty!
So, I’m pulling out this favorite from two years ago that I thought y’all would enjoy seeing again!
Repurposed Tea Kettle
It started with this tea kettle that had definitely seen better days:
It was dirty and dated and had burn marks on the lid and the handle.
It was only $2.95 though, and I was drawn to it for some reason, so in the cart it went.
It wasn’t until I got it home that I realized that we had a set of dishes in this pattern that my mom would bust out for Thanksgiving, and guess what? I still have them!
No wonder I was attracted to it ha ha!
Clean
This actually cleaned up nice and shiny! I just used warm, soapy water.
It also had these areas:
Y’all let me know that they were likely chips in the enamel.
I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this kettle when I spied it at the thrift store, but it needed a little prep first.
Adhesion Primer
Because this was a super slick surface, I prepped it with Slick Stick first. Slick Stick has since been replaced with Bonding BOSS.
It helps to bond your paint to all the shiny surfaces…metal, glass, laminate etc without the need for sanding.
Be sure to wait at least 24 hours before painting.
Flowers
While I waited for that to dry, I headed to Michaels to choose some flowers for my new kettle arrangement!
The flowers I chose would determine where I went with it next.
I found these pretty blush pink blooms with the fall stems right away:
(There are three blooms on each stem and I ended up only using two stems.)
Then I went in search of filler to go with them. With all the fall bunches of flowers, I found these that were just perfect:
(This is three bunches, but I only ended up using two.)
I also found these that are traditional fall colors that I loved too!
I can picture those with sunflowers!
(I just stopped in at Michael’s yesterday and didn’t see much in the way of fall blooms at all…mostly holiday already!)
Paint
The next day I was ready for paint! I chose Dixie Belle’s Fluff and gave this kettle just one coat:
You can see the pattern showing through, but I planned to cover that right up with transfers!
Once it was good and dry, I sanded lightly all over just to smooth out the surface:
Choosing a transfer
I had several of the smaller Redesign transfers in mind for this project:
See all the transfers I have in stock HERE.
There are 39 of this smaller size alone to choose from…just look for the ones that are $12.99.
Any of those would have worked nicely, but I ended up choosing a different one altogether, the Botanical Paradise transfer:
It had lots of pretty pink blooms to go with the flowers I had chosen.
Here’s what comes in that set:
I cut most of them apart, and then I started with my favorite of the bunch and burnished it to the surface:
It looked better already with just that one transfer!
Right??
But I kept going, adding several more until I was happy with how it looked.
Once I was done, I sealed it with Best Dang Wax in Clear, applying it with the la petite brush:
I buffed off the excess with a soft, clean cloth and it was time for the flowers!
Tea Kettle Floral Arrangement
To turn it into an arrangement, I dropped a piece of floral foam in the bottom:
You can glue it, but I did not.
Next, I cut off some of the length of the filler bunches I found and stuck them right into the foam…one in back of the handle and one in front:
All the stems have wire so they are easy to arrange and stay put.
Next, I cut the pink blooms apart and trimmed them also:
Then I stuck those in, adding three to each side.
Ready to see how it turned out??
Repurposed Tea Kettle After
Let’s get in a little closer…
Pretty cute, eh?
I had fun layering the flowers on the kettle, and the little bee in this set was the icing on the cake:
You’d never know how this sad kettle looked before!
It is now a pretty arrangement that can be enjoyed for years to come.
I did use fall blooms although they don’t scream fall at all.
Even the lid got some love…
And what about the other side of the kettle?
I gave that some love too!
This is another one of the mini transfers from the Classic Vintage Labels transfer set.
I just could not stop taking pictures of this cutie pie arrangement!
And, it ended up going to the sweetest friend! I hope you’re enjoying it, Mary!
If you liked this post, you might enjoy this non traditional fall arrangement or this oldie made from an old lantern!
I’m still on the hunt for furniture and hope to reveal my new haul on Tuesday!!
UPDATE: Y’all, this might be my largest haul yet!! See everything I found and what I paid for it HERE now!
See y’all then!
XOXO,
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Kathy W says
Christy – so pretty!! I understand why you couldn’t stop taking pictures. You certainly have an incredible talent and vision for repurposing sad little treasures. Kathy W
Christy says
Thank you so much, Kathy! I really had fun with this one!! XOXO
Mary Kaiser says
Awe, you know I am enjoying it everyday!!! It is on my dining room table, and I Love it! It is my favorite piece that you have ever made! I love seeing how you made it over again, and I love having a Christy original piece of art in my home! You are an artist, and every thing you touch is made beautiful again!
Christy says
Yay!! I am so happy that you have it and are still enjoying it! Thank you so much, sweet friend! XOXO
Nana Diana says
Cute as can be. That sure looks like an old tea kettle from the 70’s or 80s. What a sweet makeover. xo Diana
Christy says
Thank you, Diana! Yes it is…very nostalgic for me as I remember my mom having plates from that collection! XOXO
Margie West says
Your teapot is so sweet. You always do an amazing job. I always look forward to seeing your makeovers. You are a very talented lady. Margie \TN
Christy says
Thank you so much, Margie! I am so glad you enjoy what I share! XOXO
Cecilia says
How pretty! I love the bee too. Makes a great container for the pretty floral arrangement. Good luck with the furniture hunt!
Christy says
Thank you, Cecilia! The bee is so sweet. I went on the hunt today to three more stores but no luck. I see a church yard sale coming up and a neighborhood near me is having a yard sale this Saturday…so crossing my fingers! XOXO
Suzy Persechino says
The Tea Kettle turned out beautiful!!!
Love your skills and talent.
i’m getting ready to redo my bathroom cabinets they are made of wood. Do you have suggestions for preparation prior to painting?
Christy says
Thank you, Suzy! My advice is to clean clean clean first! White Lightning from my shop if you have that on hand or another cleaner that is a degreaser and a deglosser. The rest depends on what kind of paint you plan to use. A traditional latex satin, you will need to then sand and prime first. No sealer required. (I would not recommend latex paint for furniture, but I like it for cabinets.) If you go with Silk Mineral Paint, you will need to sand, but no priming and it has a built in topcoat that is an eggshell finish. I would go with one of those options. Good luck! XOXO
Cindy says
Amazing! You are so creative.
Christy says
Thank you so much, Cindy! XOXO
Liliane says
I just love your creativity. I always enjoy receiving your new found projects. Thank you.
Christy says
I appreciate that so much, Liliane! Thank you! XOXO
Joanne says
A-dor-able!
Christy says
Thank you, Joanne! XOXO
Michele M. says
OH!!! I just love that, Christy. It is sooooo pretty now. How can it possibly be that ugly old I-should-have-thrown-it-away yucky filthy old teakettle???
BTW- my mom had that exact kettle too but it was just decor on her hutch and not used. Wonder where it went. it is so 1970s and is now a timeless classic lovely piece. Well done.
Christy says
Thank you, my friend! Ha ha!! I know…I would never have donated that, but I am so glad someone did! My mom had dishes that matched…classic 70’s for sure! XOXO
Bonnie says
So cute !! I love it !!
Christy says
Thanks so much, Bonnie! XOXO
Dodie says
Beautiful, beautiful remake! ????
Christy says
Thank you so much, Dodie! XOXO
Debra Hubbs says
I remember this and thinking so clever and beautiful. Perfect choices of flowers and transfers.
Christy says
Thank you, Debra! As I was browsing what to post again, I came across this little gem and realized it was fall so perfect time to reshare lol! XOXO
Caye says
That teapot is just the cutest! I really love it. Just goes to show what you can make from a castoff. Good job!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Caye! I had so much fun repurposing it! XOXO
Cheryl Atkinson says
Hi Christy! I love using this transfer in the spring. I need to be on the look out for a tea kettle. So cute.
Christy says
Thanks, Cheryl! Yes, this transfer is great for spring for sure! Keep your eyes peeled! XOXO