Blue And White Decor: DIY Spring Chinoiserie Paper Craft

Did you ever try to buy a chinoiserie vase in a color other than blue and white?

It’s nearly impossible.

Trust me on this, because I’ve been looking for one in pink and white and it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. Occasionally you can find something in green or even more rare, black or red.

But if you switch the search to blue and white there are countless variations in every size and shape and ranging through every single price point.

The truth is, blue and white is one of the most popular color combinations that people use to decorate their homes.

The quintessential component in a blue and white room is without a doubt a chinoiserie vase or urn. Yet many of these items can be quite costly so you may want to build your collection over time.

Or there’s another simple and affordable way to add chinoiserie to the decorative items in your home.

The concept is to buy inexpensive galvanized vessels and decoupage them with blue and white prints. This is infinitely less expensive than buying chinoiserie vases and there are endless patterns to choose from.

The first step is to buy a few galvanized pieces and I opted for pitchers to use as flower vases. I already had the smaller one, so I found a taller one for compositional interest.

I also made sure I had Mod Podge and a couple of brushes to apply the other components.

Next I selected the patterns that would be used for my decoupage and this is where I spent the most time. A much more efficient way to do this would be to order them online but I didn’t leave enough time to complete the post.

So instead I drove from store to store and discovered all the shops that have closed in my neighborhood!

What I was looking for is printed paper napkins and I’ve linked several in the resource list.

I also chose to paint the pitchers first to be sure the silver didn’t show through the pattern. I used white chalk paint which I applied with a medium paint brush and I had to remind myself to skip perfection as this would just be an under layer. I made sure the paint was dry before moving to the next step.

Now, I certainly didn’t invent this technique and I’ve seen it used on everything from pumpkins to flower pots, but everyone finds their own method of working.

Given the angles of the vessels and the curve of their bodies, I chose not to worry about matching the pattern. If I wound up with an overall toile look that would be good enough for me.

I separated the napkins into a single layer, applied the Mod Podge to sections of the pitcher with the sponge brush and applied the pattern in long vertical strips.

The finished result is about as spring-y as you can ask for and I was delighted when all was done. It seemed to be crying out for tulips and I was happy to oblige and I love the sunny centerpiece on my kitchen table.

Does this mean I’ll never buy porcelain chinoiserie again? Of course not.

But how nice it is to have an option for additional pieces when I decide to decorate a room in blue and white decor for spring!

For more tips and resource info check out:

Decorating with Blue and White Decor

For another spring craft try:

DIY Easter Centerpiece