A Repurposed Antique Cauldron for Christmas – Int’l Bloggers Club Challenge
Disclosure: I was compensated for doing this post with product. However, all the opinions stated…
Disclosure: I was compensated for doing this post with product. However, all the opinions stated here are my own. I only use products I love and would recommend to my viewers.
It’s my favorite time of the month again, the Int’l Bloggers Club Challenge. Each month five friends get together and share different topics from their corner of the world. In the past we have talked about Halloween, Fall and Summer. But this month we are doing something totally different. We are doing a “Thankful for Friends Gift Swap.” For the swap I have chosen to repurpose an antique cauldron for Christmas.
But let’s take it from the beginning. From time to time we bloggers like to do swaps where we send different items to one another and we repurpose them. However in our case, we could not do this because we all live very far from each other.
Instead of sending items to each other we opted to take pictures of things in our homes that needed makeovers or repurposing. Below are the items that I submitted. An antique cauldron, an electric roasting pan and a paper punch with missing pieces.
We then had to vote on each other’s submissions and the item with the most votes would be the one that we would have to work on. The consensus was that I should repurpose this cauldron. It would then be a gift to me from my dear friends of the Int’l Bloggers Club.
As you can see below, this cauldron was nasty. It was found in my basement, and probably would have stated there forever if it was not for this challenge. Full of rust and dirt, it was not something I would want to display in my home. In fact, I found out that it had been used in the past to dye fabric.
Apparently it has been around in our family since before the Revolution of 1821. So it really is an antique, at least 200 years old. It is a Turkish Copper pot cauldron with cast iron handles. Thanks to the hubs for all this info.
The first step was to give it a good cleaning. I poured lots of vinegar on it and scrubbed it with a soapy solution. Lo and behold I found lots of beautiful patina underneath all that black dirt.
The patina was nice but I wanted to preserve the old antique look with a bit more color so I added some burnished brass from DecoArt Metallic Lustre. You may remember when I used this particular product on my vintage suitcase and on the tin can repurpose. I’ve added Amazon links to these products below, if you’d like to purchase them.
Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links and link to Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission, that way I can continue to provide you with lovely content. There is no extra charge to you for purchasing through my affiliate links.
I watered it down a little and lightly dabbled it on. I also added some acrylic bronze color.
And this is how my antique cauldron looked after I was done with the dabbling. It certainly brings out the beauty of the metal. But I was not done.
I found this cake stand…
…and placed it inside the cauldron and added a black fabric on top. You can actually add anything at all, I was just looking for something to add height.
And because Christmas is right around the corner it was only natural that I’d want to make a decor using mini-Christmas trees and a Santa snow globe.
I added some gold strings onto the trees and placed stars at the top.
I liked the metallic look so much that I added this Christmas tree…
…and a small tealight holder with a pinecone inside.
But I didn’t like the tea light holder so I switched it out for this votive with the pinecone.
And for some more interest, a candle inside the gold Christmas tree. Don’t worry I promise not to light it.
And this is the Christmas gift given to me by my dear Int’l Blogger Club friends. And I have to stress here that it really was given to me by them because I would have never in a million years dragged that old metal heap out of the basement had they not prompted me to go looking for something. And I would also not have found out that I have an antique in my possession. It’s good to have friends like these who push you in the right direction!
Taking my cue from Santa’s snow globe, I also sprayed the trees and ground with Ice Crystal spray. You can read all about my accidental discovery of the snow spray that wasn’t here.
How much did all of this cost me? Only the price of the candle! Look around your home and use what you have. You would be amazed at how many things can be used over and over to create new looks and vignettes.
This project was done on a rainy morning outside on the balcony. The photos are not the best. But today I took the opportunity to take some more shots in sunny weather so you can actually see the beauty of the antique cauldron and how it shimmers.
And so I have a repurposed antique cauldron for Christmas! This was the best challenge yet. Not only did I get a great gift from my friends in the Int’l Bloggers Club. But I also had the opportunity to see this antique cauldron for what it really is – a genuine treasure. I guess from now on I need to have more respect for that basement of mine.
Happy Holidays everyone!!
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It is now time to visit the other ladies and see what they have prepared for this month’s “Thankful for friends Gift Swap” Challenge. Simply click on the images below my name. If you’d like to see more past challenges click here.
Disclosure: The items below are affiliate links and link to Amazon.com. If you purchase any of these products through the links, I receive a small commission, that way I can continue to provide you with lovely content. There is no extra charge to you for purchasing through my affiliate links.
More Int’l Bloggers Club Crafts:
<<Sweet Inspiration Link Party #32 HOME Easy Green Christmas Centerpieces>>
This blog is for entertainment purposes only; my DIY tutorials are not professional advice. Read my full disclaimer here.
This blog is for entertainment purposes only; my DIY tutorials are not professional advice. Read my full disclaimer here.
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I love your Christmas vignette! What a great find and Christmas present to yourself. I like how you added some orf your burnished brass, and bronze to the cauldron. Would love to find a cauldron in my basement, oh wait! I don’t have a basement. Can I come look in yours?
Love, love, love this cauldron. I can’t imagine finding something this old in my house- that is so wonderful!!
Mary, I must say I’m impressed. My eye glanced at the first few words of this post which said “I found…” I finished the sentence…”in her basement…” LOL. What treasures your basement holds! That is a beautiful cauldron, and you have made it into a versatile piece now. I love its rusticity. The Christmas display is inspiring too. I’m going to look around here to see what I can create with what I have on hand.
Florence although we “met” not too long ago I feel as if we have become fast friends. And you can even finish my sentences for me.
Love the history behind this piece. You did an amazing job with the restoration. I love how you are using the cauldron for a Christmas vignette. You can use it year round and change out the cauldron. How cool is that!? I wish I had a cauldron hanging around my basement. Pinned and shared! Melissa from Craftylilypad.com
Mary, I love your project! It reminds me that I have two old clay pots still waiting for an updo.
And I love Greece a lot, it’s my favorite summer holiday destination. Actually, discovering your blog gave me a new idea about decorating in colors of Greece.
What a nice transformation of the old cauldron. The gold accent was a perfect choice. Love the way you designed the Christmas display in it.
Love that cauldron. WOW! You can use that beauty all year round. Somehow I have this feeling that you will do lots of great things with that beauty. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
How cool is that cauldron! You really have the neatest stuff. Love what you did with it…a Christmas cauldron…love it!
You have such an imagination! I could have never come up with that. I love that you didn’t just paint it all up but gave it a soft touch. Such a cute display
Mary this turned out absolutely awesome! The cauldron is one of a kind and the patina adds the right touch to it.
I love it that this cauldron has been in your family forever and that you were able to give it new life. Now that I see it dolled up, I see the rustic beauty of it.
Holy smokes! That old beat-up cauldron looked like it was used by a witch. But you cleaned it up and added that patina and it looks fabulous. It is the perfect container for the Christmas trees and the snow globe. What a great decoration for the holiday season. You ladies of the Int’l Bloggers Club Rock!
Well, I don’t want to say that any of my past relatives were witches but yes, it does look like it belong to a witch.
Mary, your cauldron is just lovely! Such a pretty vignette you created. You are so lucky to have a magic basement! LOL Hope you have a lovely week, Cynthia
Beautiful metal on that cauldron! Great idea on how to repurposing it!
I just adore that cauldron, Mary! You have come across some of the most unusual things … I’d be interested in seeing how old it is. It looks like it was hand forged xo
What a lovely Christmas display, Mary, and SO creative. Thanks for linking up both your posts with us at Vintage Charm 🙂
I love how the cauldron turned out! I have a similar one that I got at a yard sale. The top is quite worn, but I loved the patina. I plant it each spring and use it out on my deck. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Mary, I would love to see your basement and everything that’s in it. I sounds like it’s filled with lots of potential items just waiting to be repurposed into a new creation that you’ve come up with. This was a great idea for your cauldron. I’m pinning and sharing. Great job, my friend!
Thank you Carol. It is so full of stuff, even I don’t know whats in there. Case in point this treasure which I thought was ready for the dumpster.
You really do take things that that the rest of us would just leave in the basement and you breath new life in them!
I have a copper pot (I will now call it a caldron.) that I got on eBay. It looks almost exactly like yours. I keep it by my front door with petunias in the summer, pumpkins in the fall and scented pine cones in the winter. I think I will follow your lead and add to the patina here and there to make it sparkle just a bit.
I am so happy to hear that I’m not the only one with a cauldron Sonja. Enjoy yours and yes the patina does make a subtle difference and in the sunlight it sparkles.