Teapots… not just for teatime

As you’ve probably gathered by now, I’ve been a bit obsessed with upcycling and repurposing as many items as I can get my hands on recently (you can read more on my drinks cabinet makeover here).

Last week I had an unfortunate accident with my teapot lid and smashed it on the floor, but rather than throw the teapot away I started thinking about what else I could do with it.  After browsing on Pinterest for only 5mins I found a whole raft of cool quirky ideas.

Storage

A teapot is ultimately a container, and even if it doesn’t have a lid you can still store loads of things inside.  It’ll depend on the size/height of the teapot, but some outside-of-the-box suggestions can include kitchen utensils, make-up brushes, tealights or use it as a desk tidy 🙂

clockwise from left: Fun pin cushion tutorial / Toothbrush holder / Wall mounted hooks

I love the idea of putting it in my bathroom to store toothbrushes and toothpaste inside, but I’m not sure it will go with the botanical theme I’m planning… so that’s a no.

Planters

Whether using it as a vase for flowers, or for planting herbs or succulents, my poor broken teapot could be a perfect planter.

clockwise from top-left: Potted flowers / Kitchen herb garden / Clear glass terrarium

Oh if only my teapot was clear glass I would have so made a terrarium-style succulent planter, but sadly its not.  With Spring in the air perhaps I can use mine to plant some daffodil bulbs or tulips, or a nice basil plant for the kitchen windowsill.

Home accessories

If you have more than just a teapot to upcycle, and you’re feeling adventurous then these lamps are awesome!  The majority of tea-set lamps and centerpieces I’ve seen online feature traditional floral prints, but these plain white and black versions are just stunning!

Left: Black tea-set lamp from hautelook.com / Right: Great tutorial on how to make your own lamp

It’s almost worth popping to the local charity shop this weekend to hunt for an old tea-set I can upcycle… but perhaps another time when I don’t have a bathroom and bedroom makeover to plan too 🙂

Outdoor decor

Metal and ceramic teapots are also ideal outdoor planters, and can make an attractive outdoor window sill display for flowers or a mini herb garden.  I also spotted a really cute birdhouse makeover that you can adapt to suit your garden and hang on a wall or from a tree branch.

Left: Windowsill display / Right: Cute bird house

 But the crème de la crème for an outdoor display has got to be this fantastic spilling teapot light!  It looks so elegant with the lights pouring out of the spout onto the rocks below.  I found this cool how-to guide that shows you everything you need to do to make one yourself.

Spilling solar light teapot display – great idea for late night parties

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As I’ve spent the last few weeks adding to my pant collection, I am leaning towards the planter idea for my teapot.  Thankfully it’s plain white so I might paint it a jazzy colour and use it as a centerpiece for my dining table at Easter.

Keep an eye on our Instagram feed to see how I get on 🙂