Thursday, November 7, 2013

DIY Blue Opaline Glass

I love all milk glass, but blue French opaline is my favorite. The color is so dreamy and looks beautiful in just about every space.

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I've collected a few pieces here and there (this one and this one and even this little one on my desk are still favorites), but opaline is so dang expensive! I drool over collections like these below from Eddie Ross and the home of the owner of Juicy Couture.

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I decided to try my hand at recreating the look with a little spray paint for my wardrobe vanity's jewelry drawer.

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I went to Goodwill and picked up an assortment of clear glass dishes for about 50 cents each. I tried to get a good mix of shapes, sizes and patterns in the glass. Some of these are butter dishes, there are a lot of saucers and little bowls and even a few ashtrays.

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I spray painted just the backs of the dishes. I couldn't use a primer because that's all you would have seen from the front, but the bright blue oil-based enamel spray paint from Rustoleum that I used probably didn't need a primer anyway. I just made sure to wash the glassware really well first, so there was no dirt or grime to prevent the paint from sticking evenly to the dishes.

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The trick is to not coat the glassware too heavily, so that lots of light still shines through the sides of the glass. A couple of light and even coats will work perfectly.

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If you have any drips inside the dishes, you can scratch them off with a razor blade. You want a crisp edge between the paint and the inner glass surface.

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I use the dishes for holding the earrings I wear the most often. There's also a dish for safety pins and a pair of my glasses.

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The ashtrays actually work the best for separating stud earrings and the little bowls with rims are perfect for hanging drop earrings with hooks.

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I love seeing the "opaline" dishes peeking out from the vanity drawer. The color is so pretty!

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