Monday, July 23, 2012

A Tale Of Two Clams.

How do you like my faux white porcelain giant clam?


Quite elegant, n'est ce pas?  It was created from some distinctly inelegant materials.  And it only cost two clams!

How'd I do it?  Most pertinently - how'd I do it for two little dollars?  Gather 'round and ye shall hear...



Here's my inspiration from Z-Gallerie.  Price: $60.00


My clam, which cost $2.00:


The secret?   Hee hee.

I found this plastic giant clam bowl at a yard sale.  This really tacky, boringly-indeterminate-not-quite-aqua-blue, scratched-up, plastic giant clam bowl.


Did I mention it was tacky?  I got it for a dollar.

I sprayed it with three light coats of white gloss....I used the tail end of an old can, maybe a dollar's worth of paint.  (Any good quality spray paint will work - mine was Rustoleum.)




Neato!  Pretty good impostor, don't you think?


Except - hold the phone.  I have a huge confession.  I truly meant to make a replica of the white porcelain bowl.  Really.  I did!

I painted the outside, and let it dry.  All going according to plan...



Then,  fully intending to paint the inside, I flipped it over.  At which point, I SAW THIS.


Keeeep scrolling...

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Wheee!


It transluces, like blown glass.


It matches my rare vintage glass vase.


The color is not boosted in these shots - that is seriously what it looks like.





Bonus: with the inside left unpainted, it is food safe.  Party possibilities, woot!

I love it!!!  I cannot bring myself to paint over the blue.  Would you?





31 comments:

  1. Holy frijoles, you and I are sisters from a different mother!!! Guess what I have for WEDNESDAY!?! I'm glad I didn't wear the same outfit today...tres faux pas! Mich, this is excellent, your hack is perfection, and the translucent sea blue interior makes the piece look amazingly hing end. Total love.

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  2. WOW! I'm loving the painted glass of this giant. Do NOT paint the inside. It is perfection as IS!!!

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  3. JUST BEAUTIFUL!!! It's amazing how things turn out when you set out to do something else. Don't change a thing . . . I love it!!!

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  4. Wow, the painted glass makes the blue come through really well!! i love it :-)

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  5. That is really awesome! Glad you painted the outside FIRST! Love it!!!! keep it just as it is...

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  6. LOVE!!! I'm so glad you played along, this is show- stopping. And cheap. And teal. It looks fantastic in your little nook- nobody would believe it was a cheap ugly thing before you laid your hands on it. Good thing you never painted the inside!

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  7. really beautiful, you are righttheblue is perfect like this:-D

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  8. Amazing what a coat of paint will do. Don't paint over the blue, it looks way too awesome! As always you are an inspiration.

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  9. Hi dear,
    I like this beautifullllllllllllllllll post..very Nice..its cool to see something different today other than any mystery or jewelry making fun post :)
    And the painted bowl is so cute..inside color is nice..
    keep sharing dear..!

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  10. I think it is absolutely darling...and I wouldn't have painted the inside either.

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  11. Beautiful and prettier than the Z-Gallerie original. The Hack-off looks like a lot of fun and I'm going to follow it. What kind of spray paint do you use?

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  12. Wow, great knockoff. I love the blue color and I don't think I'd paint the inside either.

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  13. Girl, leave that clam alone. I have seen artist works of art that look very much like this one. And they cost alot more than $60.00. You go girl.

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  14. Oh, the magic of spray paint. You clever gal. Don't paint over it, I love it just the way it is.

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  15. Jimeny Christmas! That is fabulous! I'm so jealous! I looked everywhere for a giant clam shell or dish and had to settle for a smaller one! Saw you over at Sunny's today and am hoping to see more for the Glitzy Hack Off! This was awesome!

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  16. What a makeover! The blue inside work's really well. Glad you decided to keep it that way.

    Thanks for visiting my blog too! :)

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  17. I HAVE THIS SAME BOWL FROM A YARD SALE, but it was free. Now I KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT!!!!

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  18. LOVE this! You majorly improved that clam. You styled it really nicely in the pictures, too.

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  19. Gorgeous! Who would have thunk?

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  20. Fantastic! I'm on the prowl for a pink one!

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  21. I have been doing this with CLEAR plastic clamshells found at Goodwill, so I had to see what your surprise inside was when I saw this on Hometalk. WOW! So pretty! Congrats on your discovery :)

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  22. I have these same bowls in different sizes. I found them when cleaning out a relative's things. I was going to put them in a yard sale, but now I am rethinking that. Thanks for sharing.

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  23. i want want one!!!! would totally match my bed and bath. keeping an eye out at goodwill...

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  24. OMG I just can't believe you got that effect! It is amazingly beautiful! I have one of those plastic clam shells around here somewhere which I think is actually yellow...but after seeing this I think the yellow might be just as beautiful! Thanks for sharing this!!!!!!!!

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  25. OMG I can't believe you got this effect! It is amazingly beautiful!!! I have one of those plastic clam shells around here somewhere but I think mine is yellow. I wonder if I would get an amazing effect like this with the yellow? WOW just amazing!

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  26. this is great! I am amazed that you could convert something so ugly into such a treasure! I agree with everyone, don't paint inside, and nice job. Now I have one more thing to watch for at Goodwill :) dh hates it when I haul more "junk" home to make something out of...

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  27. NO don't color the blue...it looks amazing. I agree that it looks like blown glass- great DIY.

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  28. I love it. I am wanting to do my whole house in a beach house but it will take me a long time got any ideals

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