DIY White Farmhouse Pitcher From Tacky Thrift Store Find
This white farmhouse pitcher post contains affiliate links, but nothing that I wouldn’t wholeheartedly recommend anyway! Read my full disclosure here.
The only thing I requested this year for Christmas was this shelving unit that I literally have been eyeing for over a year.
I never had a good spot for one, but we recently completely changed the furniture arrangement in our living room, and BOOM! There was a huge open spot that was dying for some shelves.
My wish was finally going to come true. Some cute shelves to decorate to my heart’s content.
If you’re stuck on how to decorate shelves, be sure to check out this post with tons of shelf styling tips and tricks!
One thing I knew I wanted on my new shelves was a white farmhouse pitcher or two. But they range from $15-$30 to buy new… I had to do better.
And then I came across these two beauties at the thrift store…. and when I say beauties I really mean….super tacky and dying to be upcycled pitchers.
I instantly thought of my painted mason jars and figured that if I could paint glass mason jars I could definitely paint ceramic pitchers. Except for this time I went with spray paint.
I knew they would be perfect for this thrift store challenge with some of my favorite blogging friends! I’m going to show you how to turn tacky thrift store pitchers, like these, into farmhouse pitchers that you’ll have so much fun decorating with!
How to Create a White Farmhouse Pitcher from a Thrifted Ceramic Pitcher
Supplies for DIY white farmhouse pitcher:
- Pitcher from thrift store….the tackier the better 🙂 – I got mine for $3 & $4 at my local thrift store
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton round
- Fine grit sandpaper
- Flat white primer
- White high gloss spray paint
1. Lightly sand pitcher.
First, you want to VERY lightly sand the pitcher with a fine grit sandpaper. You could even probably use steel wool as an alternative. All you really want to do is create a slightly rougher surface for the paint to stick to.
2. Clean pitcher.
Next, grab a cotton round and some rubbing alcohol and clean the pitchers well. This will clean off any dust created from sanding or also remove any dirt, grime, or oils from your hands.
3. Prime & paint pitcher.
Even though the spray paint I was using had primer in it, I decided to also use a flat white primer first. This just helped with coverage so I didn’t have to do as many coats of the white spray paint. The photo above shows the pitcher after 2 coats of primer. You can very slightly see the old design in the background.
Curious if and when you need primer before painting? Check out this guide here.
After the 2 coats of primer, I moved right on to spraying the farmhouse pitcher with this white spray paint. I chose a high gloss spray paint so that the finished product would look more realistic….because a white farmhouse pitcher usually has some shine to it!
4. Decorate with your white farmhouse pitcher.
Now you can literally take your finished pitcher and decorate it to your heart’s content! I love the extra farmhouse charm they added to my shelves!
If you loved this tutorial, be sure to check out these spray paint projects and thrift store makeovers for more ideas!
The two pitchers that are sitting together on the 2nd shelf are the ones I painted. The other smaller pitcher is one that I purchased new….can’t really even tell the difference, right?!
Because I know someone will probably ask, I’ve gotta just provide a little warning…these spray painted pitchers are for DECORATIVE USE only. Spray paint is not food safe, so don’t start serving iced tea from your painted pitcher or anything 🙂
I love that I was able to create a budget-friendly alternative to the pricey pitcher with just simple spray paint!
Spray painting thrift store items is one of the BEST crafting projects if you are a beginner. They rarely cost much (I paid $7 total for both pitchers) and spray paint is also very affordable (usually about $3-4 a can).
So there is no pressure…if you make a mistake, no problem! Once you get more confident with painting, you can also try fun things like painting with chalk paint (like this vintage bread box or barstools) or a dry brush technique like I did on this outdoor bench.
You’ve gotta check out the other ladies’ thrift store upcycle projects too:
- DIY Lumbar Pillow from Love Create Celebrate
- DIY Lampshade Upcycled Sweater from Amber Oliver
- Stoneware Jug Makeover from A Crafted Passion
- File Cabinet Makeover from Love and Renovations
- White Farmhouse Pitcher from Making Manzanita (that’s me!)
- Sled Makeover with Dark Wax from Green with Decor
- Painting Furniture With Chalk Paint from Small Stuff Counts
- DIY Picture Frames from Home Beautifully
Where would you put a farmhouse pitcher in your house?
Let me know in the comments below!!
Further Reading – Looking for more farmhouse-style thrift store upcycle projects??
- Vintage Bread Box Chalk Paint Makeover
- How to Upcycle A Bar Stool Into A Narrow Bedside Table
- Add A Vintage Medicine Cabinet for Farmhouse Bathroom Charm
- DIY Farmhouse Sign with Pallet Wood and Repurposed Lug Wrench
- How To Chalk Paint Bar Stools
How To Make A DIY White Farmhouse Pitcher
If you love farmhouse decor, you'll love these upcycled ceramic pictures! Watch how we turned these tacky thrifted pitchers into stylish white farmhouse pitchers in just a few steps.
Materials
- Pitcher from thrift store
- Rubbing alcohol
- Cotton round
- Flat white primer
- White high gloss spray paint
Tools
- Fine grit sandpaper
Instructions
- Lightly sand pitcher with fine grit sandpaper.
- Clean pitcher with cotton round and rubbing alcohol.
- Prime and paint pitcher. (2 coats of primer and 2-3 coats of spray paint)
- Decorate with your white farmhouse pitcher.
Did you paint the inside as well? If so, did you just spray it in there or use a certain technique?
I didn’t really worry too much about the inside. They were both a lighter color to begin with so it wasn’t too noticeable. I just sprayed the top of the inside where it was visible.
Rather than using sandpaper or steel wool, have you ever tried using Etching cream? I love this stuff and although it seems somewhat expensive the first time you buy it, it’s reusable and lasts a very long time. You can use it on any glass surface. After applying it, you leave it on for 15- to 20-minute intervals, then scrape it off and back into its container. If it’s not as frosted looking as you want, reapply it and check again in another 15- to 20-minutes.
BIG CAUTION though–do not ever, EVER rinse it off in a porcelain sink because it will strip the finish right off of your sink. I thought I’d rinsed the piece I was working off well enough outside, brought it to my sink to soap-wash it and completely ruined my sink. Now I do an initial thorough rinse outside, then thoroughly rub baking soda all over the wet piece, rinse again and reinspect the piece to make sure there’s no cream hiding in any corners or debossed areas. If there are, I reapply the baking soda and scrub again (the baking soda deactivates the acid etching properties of the cream.
My favorite product is Armour Etch.
Give it a try; I’m sure it will save you not only time, but also avoid any possible breakage you might incur from the sanding process.
Good Luck!
Thanks for the tips 🙂
That “tacky” pitcher is International Heartland that was popular in the 80s. I sold this exact pitcher online for $28.
LOL it is outdated. Maybe tacky wasn’t the right word… but I like the upgrade. You made $28 and she saved $28. No harm done! Maybe it would have been worth $50 in two years… I just think you do you on these things. I have painted a 1800s steamer trunk. I thought at first, you know this could be worth a lot when my kids are older… but then it’s like well do I leave the nasty toxic materials that were use to glue and paint this thing and let my babies play all over it? No, I painted it! It’s a coffee table in my living room and it’s a focal point and conversation starter. No regrets! I think this life is way to short to worry about these things. Be happy and don’t hurt or bring down anyone in the process!