Before & After - Repurose

Our Travel Back In Time sale was all things vintage. That meant even kitchen items. There was a little Corningware tea pot that had been well used (and it showed) among the collection. The tea pot was missing it's lid and was in need of a good scrub. But the blue cornflower pattern was still pretty and vibrant. The first day of the sale came and went. The little tea pot remained. The second day of the sale several shoppers picked it up, but upon looking at the bottom sat it back down. 

I don't remember the exact price of it..... $5? $6?...... somewhere in that price range. And it was now Saturday which meant the little tea pot was 50% off. Yet no one wanted to take a chance on it. During a a lull in shoppers around 2 o'clock I wandered around the sale straightening items and came across the tea pot. 

With a sigh I picked it up and carried it with me back to the checkout area. I was willing to take a chance on this little tea pot. I thought with a little elbow grease maybe I could shine some life back into this vintage tea pot. 

Spoiler alert! We do shop our own sales. No employee discount though we pay the same price it's marked. And for $3 what the heck?! So I handed my money over to Iris and put the pot in my bag where it may or may not have been forgotten about for several days...

The pictures show how bad the bottom and inside were but what they don't show is the markings on the outside and the dulled handle. 

For a project like this I pulled out Barkeepers Friend and my Srubdaddy. 

I wet the bottom of the pot sprinkled some on and went to scrubbing. I would scrub, let it set. Scrub, let it set. Rinse and repeat. I did this many, many, many times. But finally I could see some results!

The black handle was very dull. I took a paper towel and added a little olive oil. I then rubbed a light coat onto the black handle. I let it dry and then touched up any places I missed. I then let it dry again. This left the handle looking black, minus the dull. It did not leave a sticky finish. In all honesty if I had not told you I added oil to it you would not be able to tell by touching it or looking at it. 

I admit it could definitely use another round of scrubbing. The inside in particular was very hard to get to. And at some point when I have more time I may give it another go. But when the little boss brought in a handful of March flowers I figured the little Tea Pot had found a new purpose. 

Have you purchased anything at one of our sales you have found a new purpose for?