Welcome to Craft Corner’s first auction. Our one-of-a-kind bowl will go to the highest bidder, so make your offers now and be sure to aim high. By the way, bidding starts at $20,000, so we hope you’ve got some mad money tucked away.
OK, just kidding about the auction. The bowl in question has already been presented to a friend for her birthday (don’t be too envious now), but if you’re wondering why we introduced this week’s project from a somewhat different angle, read on.
While browsing through the September issue of Traditional Home magazine, we came across a story on Spatterware — a once-inexpensive pottery popularized during the early- to mid-19th century — created by spattering, stippling or sponging paint onto a plain background.
One of the plates (see the magazine page in our photo illustration) caught our eye — a simple, sponged-on, pinwheel design. We had already decided to use the dish as inspiration for a Craft Corner project when something else caught our eye: The plate cost more than some folks earn in a year.
In 2003, antique auctioneers and appraisers by the delightfully absurd name of Pook &Pook, based in Downington, Pa., valued the plate at $20,700.
With this piece of information in mind, a sponge-painted dish or bowl took the top spot on our to-do list of projects.
To try your hand at a sponged faux Spatterware, you’ll need a plain white or cream plate, bowl or pitcher; enamel glass paints; natural sponges and a sponge brush.
We found our bowl by a stroke of pure luck at Safeway a few days after seeing the story, and the price was right: $6 and change.
Enamel glass paints are available at most craft stores, and a starter kit (about $5) is more than sufficient for this project.
We like natural sponges, such as the one shown in our photo illustration, for sponge-painting, but if you can’t find them, a regular kitchen sponge (torn, not cut, apart) will work as well.
To paint your piece, follow the instructions on the paints, which will probably include applying a primer (use a smooth brush for this), painting and coating, when dry, with a sealer.
If you plan to make a pinwheel design, choose a piece of sponge that has at least one pointed end for applying color at the center where the pinwheel spokes narrow.
Begin by sponging one color from the center of the bowl to the outside edge, widening as you work away from the center. Work with one color at a time and let it dry before going to the next; the glass paints dry quickly.
We used air-dry paints (as opposed to baking), so even though it will feel dry to the touch after only a few hours, the piece needs to dry completely for 10 days before use. Be sure to read the paint instructions for use involving direct contact with food.
Since we had quite a bit of paint left over, we decided to make a few of those glass jar lanterns that are all the rage now.
Using the same paint colors and sponge, we took a cleaned and de-labeled peanut butter jar, painted it in a striped pattern and added some wire around the top for a hanger. Voila!, a matching lantern for our bowl.
We also painted a couple of mason jars, using a tighter sponge to achieve a smoother and more solid paint job.
Use small tea lights inside the lantern, and secure in place with a drop or two of melted wax on the bottom of the jar. You can also follow our lead and go the battery-operated tea light route.
Note: To make a hanger, cut a piece of heavy craft wire long enough to go around the neck of the jar and loosely twist it together. Cut another piece for the hanger and place the ends under the wire around the neck and bend them up, leaving about 2 inches bent on each end to work with. Using pliers, twist the neck wire until it fits snugly around the neck and holds the hanger wire in place. Bend the sharp ends under or snip off and file with a metal file until smooth. Wrap the ends of the hanger wire around and curl the ends around to do away with sharp points.
To see more examples of Spatterware — many of which are very attractive and look easy to simulate (OK, copy) — do an image search by name and you’ll come up with lots of options.
For a good definition of Spatterware (and other antique terms), go to www.jjohnsonappraisals.com and click on “Dictionary of Antiques &Decorative Arts.”
And if you’re as intrigued by the name Pook &Pook as we were, find out more about them at www.pookandpook.com.
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