Monday, March 12, 2012

A PB Copycat Project

This project was down to the wire! I almost thought I wasn’t going to have it done in time! About a month ago I shared this terrarium I found at the local antique and flea mart.  For $8.00 I had to bring it home with me.

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When I did that original post, I shared some inspiration pictures for terrariums, and one of the pictures I came across was this one from Pottery Barn.  I love just about everything about this terrarium {except the price; the small one is $129.00} and I wanted to try and recreate this look for mine. I already had an idea for painting and adding some dark wax, but I needed to recreate the base.

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I was thinking an easy way to do that would be to find a tray with scallop edging and turn it upside down.  After a couple of weeks of looking, I finally found one at Joann’s!  It was a little long so I had to modify it a little bit to fit better, and asked my hubby to cut it down for me.  He did a great job and took great care with doing it right for me.

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I tried mixing up my own chalk paint using a quart of Heirloom White that I already had and some Plaster of Paris.  I wasn’t too sure of how much I was adding, but I will tell you it got thicker and seems to have worked fine.  Once dry, I rubbed my hand over it and it even felt like the chalk paint.  Here is the tray painted.

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I was getting ready to paint the terrarium when I realized it matched the painted tray perfectly! 

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Since I felt like I was running short on time, it was a bonus to be able to skip that step and move on!  I went right to the wax and applied clear and dark to both the tray and the terrarium. 

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Here is a picture showing how the dark wax looked on the side portion.  The right side has the dark wax, the left does not yet. 

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I attached the terrarium to the tray with wood glue and let it dry for about 24 hours.  I chose not to sand it to add to the distressed look.  Ultimately, after trying a few different looks for the inside, this simple one won me over.

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I don’t know if you can see it, but I added a piece of sheet moss to the bottom.  This is a faux maidenhair fern I found at Tuesday Morning at couple of years ago.

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Pretty close, I think! I love the way it turned out and it cost me less than $20.00, about $100.00 less than the PB one.  The handles that are part of the tray actually work out well for moving it around.

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Now I just need a console table that looks like a potting bench for my sunroom and it will have a permanent home. 

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Linking to

Copycat Party at Debbiedoos

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Kathy

48 comments:

Red Door Home said...

I have always loved these! Anything placed under glass some how seems more special. Great project.

Sonny G said...

Kathy,

love your creativity and this copy cat.. I can see that being used in every season and being beautiful every time..

xoxo
Sonny

DIYbyDesign said...

Great copycat project. I like yours even better than the original.

Marsha @ Tattered Chick said...

It looks great, Kathy!!!

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Well Kathy as you know one decorating projects leads to another! LOL! I'm sure you will come up with a potting table for this beautiful terrarium. I love it and what a clever way to make the base. Love it.

hugs
Sissie

ℳartina @ Northern Nesting said...

WOW Kathy you are good!! Love it, but then again I love that whole corner!!

Anonymous said...

Kathy that looks amazing!! I love where you put it.I love the pictures above it.

Kathy

Okio B Designs said...

Great job! It looks just like the PB one! Even better that yours cost $100 less!

J

Eilis@my-heart-lives-here said...

What a great copycat! Now I want one...

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Oh I love it. You did such a great job and I love the little fern too. Hugs, Marty

Debbiedoos said...

It looks beautiful Kathy! Nicer than the original, and hey can you beat the price tag? Love it. Thanks for joining in on the fun. Enjoy!

Karena said...

Very nice Kathy and I love the maidenhair Fern inside! I have to say I adore Pottery Barn, however the prices do not always fir my budget!

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena

NanaDiana said...

Kathy- This is just fantastic~ WOW-What a good job of copying you did here! I absolutely love it. xo Diana

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

Great job on the copycat. I love that you found a tray and how you used it for the base. It looks wonderful.

At The Picket Fence said...

That is so fabulous Kathy! What a clever idea to use that tray and I like it so much better than the PB one. Well done! :-)
Vanessa

Maria Elena said...

Oh, it is beautiful! Looks better that the original! You did an excellent job!

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

What a genius idea to use a tray for the base! It is perfect! I love this and it looks fabulous where you have it sitting!

Great job!

Lou Cinda

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

It turned out wonderful!! I love the way you created the base from a tray.

Gail said...

Kathy you and your husband did an awesome job! Pottery Barn has nothing on the two of you. I love where you have it now and by the way, I love that dresser!!! Hope you are having a wonderful day, Gail

Olive said...

Kathy, the scalloped base looks like it was always there. Lovely PB copy. hugs,olive

SheilaG @ Plum Doodles said...

How lucky was that to find the perfect tray for a base. I like yours better than the PB one- the gable openings on yours are much prettier.

fiona anderson said...

This is adorable, what a great buy for $8 and a lovely makeover. Btw the whole vignette is gorgeous - I went and checked out the dresser post too !

Passionate for White said...

Even BETTER that PB's.... GREAT JOB!

Jan@southernjunkin' said...

Wow so creative! Great copy challenge!

Anonymous said...

Kathy, you are one talented girl! I would have never thought of using a tray! I have terrarium envy! I just love yours- another amazing transformation!

Kelly said...

Wow! I'm very impressed. Yours looks just as good as the one at Pottery Barn! I love how that turned out. I like plants under glass.

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

Bravo...great job Kathy...just like the expensive PB..Love it on the table too!!

Shannon Fox said...

That is EVERY bit as cute as the PB version. If you told me it was PB, I would think it was. You should be proud. It's fantabulous =)

Manuela@A Cultivated Nest said...

You're so clever! The tray is brilliant! Your terrarium really looks pretty.

Shabby chic Sandy said...

You did a fantastic job--I love this--I want to make one too. Thanks for being an inspiration. I'm going to pin it--hope thats ok.

Tutti Chic said...

This copy cat project is just at gorgeous as the real thing! well done!! :) chris

KimMalk said...

What a fun copy, Kathy. I would never have thought to even look for a scalloped tray.

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Kathy, How creative using the tray! Love it. xo, Sherry

Unknown said...

Very pretty and a perfect copy cat. What a great idea to use the tray for the base.

Jane@Cottage at the Crossroads said...

Using the tray was genius! I just recently painted something with homemade chalk paint. I used plaster of paris and it worked great. Love how your terrarium turned out.

Karen said...

That turned out drop dead gorgeous.It is prettier than the PB version and the price is a lot sweeter.

Controlling My Chaos said...

Your terrarium is adorable, Kathy. I love what you've done with it. Pottery Barn can't compete with your mad skillz.

The Polka Dot Closet said...

OH, it is perfect!!! I love it and the scalloped tray adds so much charm! So glad you didn't have to tape and paint the terrarium, ugh, that would have taken forever....Great job!

Carol

Kristens Creations said...

Kathy, my last comment said "error" so I don't know if it went through...Just in case it didn't I wanted to tell you that the terriarium turned out great! What a great idea to use the tray for the base. Love where you put it too...

Glad you like the dining room table...it's starting to look like spring around here! Kristen

Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage said...

Your transformation looks fantastic, Kathy. How smart of you to look for a tray to duplicate the bottom of the terrarium. I'm so used to making things from the scrap materials around the barn that sometimes I forget to look for things that can just be converted. ;)

Blessings,
Liz @ The Brambleberry Cottage

Sixty-Fifth Avenue said...

I love the way yours turned out! I have always wanted a terrarium, I need to start looking for one again.

very merry vintage style said...

Gorgeous! What a great find. Stop by and link up sometime!
Mary

Donna said...

What an awesome idea, Kathy! I never would have thought to use a tray for the bottom! I have a terrarium very similar to yours that I picked up several years ago at a garage sale. Mine was missing the glass, but I still love it. I just may have to borrow your idea some day:) Thanks for the inspiration!

Angie@Echoes of Laughter said...

Beautiful Kathy! You did a superb job! Your projects are so amazing! I haven't painted anything for so long...but I am feeling inspired now! Angie xo

Mimi said...

You deserve an award for this one. You were so clever to think of adding a tray.Tthat's really thinking outside the box. Thanks for sharing!

Debra@CommonGround said...

Hey Kathy, LOVE this!! I'll be featuring this post on VIF! xoxo

Linda said...

Kathy what an awesome job. I like yours better.
Great idea to put sheet moss on the bottom.

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Hi, I hopped over from Common Ground. I love how you fancied your terrarium up. I know I use to have one just like yours, (before your add ons). I need to look for it. You did a great job and the price was fantastic! Now a new follower.
Hugs,
Jann

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