"Antiqued" Crock

This gorgeous project was submitted by Debbie Lewis of Missouri. She had seen crocks similar to this selling in catalogues and decided to take a shot at making her own - and did a beautiful job! Debbie took a photo of her home and converted it to a sketch in Paint Shop Pro then printed the sketch on a waterslip decal and placed it on an old crock she had lying around. The result? A beautiful family heirloom that is sure to be treasured by generations!

If you think this photo conversion is too difficult, think again. Many programs, like Paint Shop Pro, Adobe PhotoShop, Adobe PhotoDeluxe and Corel Photo Paint will allow you to add these "filters" to a photo with the click of a mouse! Love this project as much as we do but don't have the software to convert your photo? Email the picture to us and we'll convert it for you!

MATERIALS:

Crock or other old painted pot

Clear waterslip decals (see Products>Waterslip Decals)

Decal Finishing/Inkjet Overcoat Spray(see Products>Waterslip Decals)

Photo

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Using a scanned photo or a picture taken with a digital camera, open your photo in one of the photo/bitmap editing programs listed above. Select the desired filter (i.e. pencil sketch, charcoal, pen and ink, etc.) and apply the filter to your photo according to the instructions for your particular software. Save the photo in a format that you can import into your graphics program (JPEG is usually the best choice for photos).

2) Open a blank page in your graphics program in the orientation that best suits your photo. Import the photo into your blank page and size according to the vessel you will be placing it on. (If you're using our half sheet waterslip decals, refer to our Display Plate project for tips on printing larger designs on these half sheet decals)

3) Print out a test page on plain paper and check the size against your crock or other pot.

4) Once you are satisfied with the size, print on the waterslip decal and allow to dry for about 10 minutes.

5) Apply two to three coats of Decal Finishing/Inkjet Overcoat Spray, allowing it to dry for at least an hour between coats.

6) Cut out your photo "sketch" leaving enough of a border around the edges to prevent any ink from running when you soak the decal.

7) Soak the decal in room temperature water for about 20 seconds. Slowly begin to slide the decal backing away from the decal itself, sliding the decal onto the surface of the crock. Gently adjust position as necessary and pat with a soft tissue or paper towel. As always, don't worry too much about any tiny air bubbles. These will disappear after the decal has been allowed to dry overnight.

8) Lie the crock or pot on a flat surface to allow the decal to dry thoroughly and you have just created a marvelous family heirloom!

Many thanks to Debbie for sharing this wonderful project with us!

"Antiqued" Crock Instructions

For a print friendly version, click on this link.