Turn Old Frying Pans Into Cute, Kitschy Kitchen Decor
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For those of us who grew up eating fried eggs for breakfast, cast iron skillets bring back memories. We can practically see the patches of white form under a plump yolk when we catch even so much as a glimpse of one of these vintage kitchen tools. Most of us are content to leave those frying eggs within the confines of our heads. However, crafting foodies like to bring things into the real world by turning their old skillets into three-dimensional sculptures as an ode to breakfasts past. All that it takes, aside from an old, slightly beat-up cast iron cast-off, are a few craft supplies and a pinch of creativity to make this tasty kitchen decor craft.
You'll be hanging your frying pan art up by the handle once your DIY is done, so when you're scouting around for the raw materials for this, look for a pan that's intact. You can use a skillet with an attached handle for this. However, a cast iron frying pan whose design includes an all-in-one design works better. It introduces texture to the piece, and it'll have a hole in the handle, which you'll use once you hang it up. Finally, a modeling clay like DAS air-hardening clay is the stuff that eggs are made of — in this case, anyway.
As for tools, get some acrylic paint in yellow and white, plus a few paintbrushes. A craft glue such as Mod Podge will bring everything together. Finally, you'll need a bottle of liquid varnish or a similar glossy sealant for this.
Building a breakfast sculpture out of cast iron and clay
Begin by cleaning up the pan. You can remove any rust spots with the help of some vinegar and water and a steel wool pad. Dry the pan thoroughly. Next, sculpt a fried egg out of the clay. Put down a big ring of the craft glue and attach the egg onto the pan. Press the egg into place to ensure that the clay forms around the texture in the pan. Allow it to dry. It can take a day or two for air-hardening clay to completely dry, depending on how thick your finished fried egg is. On a related note, you can make a more elaborate piece if you craft other breakfast items, like bacon or slices of toast, to accompany the clay egg.
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Paint the egg and any other food items you've made, and add a coat of clear varnish or sealant. Once that's dry, add a greeting onto the pan, or a statement like "Our kitchen," plus any extras like utensils. If you're really handy with clay, these details can be sculpted too. Otherwise, hand-paint them onto the pan. Or, use something like these kitchen-themed stencils to craft the words and other decorative elements. You may need to apply a metal primer first if you paint the lettering directly onto the pan.
Finally, you can create some additional kitschy cuteness for the piece by tying a big gingham ribbon around the handle to give your finished frying pan sculpture even more of a farmhouse decor vibe. Something like this red gingham ribbon would add a fun and classic touch to the piece, though the style of ribbon is really up to you.