Refreshed and Painted – Vintage Cutglass

My granny loved cut-glass.  I remember her visiting our home, and as a huge favour to my mom, she would wash the cut-glass collection that decorated the sideboard in our diningroom. I remember the sense of pride we all had as the pieces were placed back all bright and gleaming. A few years on, I remember how uncool cut-glass became.  It was easy to find in vintage stores, because no-one wanted it any more. But now all is forgiven.  Cut-glass has a place in a different sort of way. I had some pieces that had mineral stains from being used as vases.  I had tried, unsuccessfully to clean them, so I thought I’d colour them instead. ☺  

The vases were coated with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  I diluted the paint with a little water to make it slightly more liquid. I poured the paint in, then rolled the bottle around until the inside was evenly coated. Here is an overview of how it was done:

Painted Glass:

Note – The paint can take a long time to dry, and you may need to re-roll the vase to keep the coating even. Try to add as little water as possible.  Aid the drying with a hairdryer.

Do you Know how Glass is Cut?

“The pattern is drawn on the vessel, usually with red-lead and turpentine. The design is then roughed out with a power-driven wheel equipped with different edges depending on the type of cut required. These cut surfaces are coarse and not as long or as deep as the finished cuts. The cutters are true artists who use sight, feel, physical strength, and their extraordinary memory for patterns, details, and cuts… Wedge cuts are made with diamond-tipped wheels and produce deep facets. Flat cuts are made with the same equipment but are not as angled; they provide contrast with the deeper wedge cuts.” Madehow.com