Repurpose A Thrift Store Saucer Into A Magnetic Pin Dish With An Easy DIY

Vintage and antique saucers with intricate patterns can hold both sentimental value and serve as an eye-catching display when used in a room's interior design. However, they may not always be practical for everyday use or for setting the table for family meals. Whether it's an heirloom passed down from previous generations or just something that caught your eye at the thrift store, sometimes we find ourselves with mismatched antique plates and saucers that we don't exactly have a use for. Fortunately, there are handy ways to repurpose old plates and saucers around the house for practical use.

One clever DIY upcycles thrifted tea saucers into nifty magnetic pin dishes that can be used as a sewing accessory or supplies for similar crafts and hobbies. This is an especially great option for repurposing vintage items that are beautiful but may not be safe to eat or drink from. This DIY allows you to showcase the beauty of antique plates while giving them a new functional use for around your household.

To begin, you'll need a vintage saucer that has the desired look you're going for. If you don't already have an heirloom vintage small plate, you can easily thrift one from your local antique or second-hand shop for relatively cheap. For a more luxe aesthetic, there are valuable brands of vintage porcelain that are worth looking out for. Pick a saucer that's small enough to serve as a convenient size for a pin dish, since too large a plate might be too imposing. Once you've acquired your vintage saucer, you'll need a small, strong magnet like a 10mm by 2mm disc magnet, and some self-leveling liquid resin to secure the magnet to the bottom of the saucer. 

Clean your plate to ensure it's free of any dust or debris, then flip it over and lay the saucer flat so that the underside of the plate is easily accessible. Next, center the magnet in the middle of the ring on the bottom of the plate and pour a thin layer of clear, epoxy resin inside the plate ring until the magnet is completely submerged. Leave the saucer in this position for several hours to allow the resin to set. Then once it's dry, you have a clever magnetic pin dish that can also be filled with any other small metal items you don't want to lose track of. This DIY is flexible and customizable and can also be used to repurpose old tea cups, ramekins, or even modern saucers for a more updated look.