Ready to make some Mexi-style kitchen accessories?
Hispanic Heritage Month is in full swing, being Mexican-American, that’s EVERY month for me! I still look forward to this special time of the year because it kicks off a four-month string of events, traditions and holidays. Not only does crafting shift into high gear, but also cooking! From pumpkin spice everything to coffee drinks to albondigas (soup) to empanadas! No matter what your cultural background, we are all going to spend extra time inthe kitchen this season, whether we are baking or tasting. So why not add a fun flair of personality to your accessories?
In that spirit, I decided to dedicate this month’s Big Lots DIY to everyone’s favorite room in la casa – la cocina. The kitchen!
This was my inspiration for the Mexi-style kitchen accessories:
I came across these wood spoons – which to me, looked pretty thirsty for some bright paint colors! And then I also scored a tablet stand and utensil cup! I bought some vintage Mexican cowgirl printables designed by artistJese Hulguera from Etsy, plus:
– Bamboo Tablet Stand (great for reading recipes in the kitchen!)
– Bamboo Utensil holder
– Bamboo Utensil Set
– sandpaper
– acrylic paints, brushes
– white craft glue
– glitter (optional)
– high gloss sealer
NOTE: Big Lots has a LOT of wood items that you can paint, so you can paint even more than this!
First, sand everything down. These items come with a light varnish. Sand it all down to rough up the surface so it will grip the craft paint.
Basecoat everything in your favorite colors. I used all brights!
Let it all dry, then add a second coat.
And the handles on the spoons too!
Once it’s all dry, it’s time to add embellishments. For the tablet stand, I figured the tablet would over the surface, so I just decorated the edges. I used the end of the paintbrush to make the flowers, I also outlined the edges. And I painted swirls, then trimmed it all in black dots.
I even painted the little shelf! Once it’s all dry, use a spray sealer to add a protective coating!
And then the decoupaged cup:
1. Glue the image to the dried surface.
2. Apply a layer of white craft glue or decoupage medium over the surface of the image to seal the edges.
3. Add glue from a fine tip nozzle, then add glitter.
4. Let dry, then use a dry brush to remove excess glitter.
5. Spray outside using a high gloss varnish. This is an important step so you seal down the glitter flakes!
For the spoons, I added patterns of contrasting colors. Spray glaze those as well and let dry completely before using them in the kitchen.
Done! I think would make a fabulous housewarming gift or hostess gift!
Or you can just make them for your own kitchen, right?
Maybe have a party with your family or friends and you each make your own set! The glitter is my favorite, it really brings everything to life!
Thanks for reading through my project, I hope you like it!
The pictures that you bought on etsy are by the artist Jose Helguera who I consider the Norman Rockwell of Mexico. When I was a child my mother would go shopping in Juarez across the border from El Paso. Sometimes she would buy almanacs from grocery stores,tienda de abarrotes, and they always had an Aztec theme or Mexican patriotic theme. I learned lots of legends and stories about Mexico from these almanacs my mother bought, sadly they were mostly thrown away at the end of the old year, but pictures are available on the internet.
Correction the name of the artist is Jese Hulguera.
Thank you! I added his name to the article!! Gorgeous and timeless artwork!