I found this big old honking enamelware basin at an estate sale this weekend.
All the other good stuff that I had seen in the Craigslist ad was already gone by the time I got to the sale, 15 minutes after it opened, so I was surprised that I found this tucked away in the basement.
Don't you hate when you are standing in line to check out at the sale and you see the people in front of you buying your stuff.
It has a Lisk Flintstone foil tag on it still. Wonder if Fred and Wilma had one like this?
It's huge - probably 2 feet wide. Not 100% sure of its original use, but I'm guessing maybe a baby bath.
It has some chips around the rim, so it was used for something at some point.
This lavender is called Ellagance (Lavandula angustifolia) and no, I did not misspell elegance. That's how it's spelled on the plant tag.
It flowers the first year and has a bushy appearance and, best of all, I found it at Walmart for a pittance.
My first thought was to make a fairy garden out of the basin, hence why I have lavender setting in it, but now that I have it home I'm not sure if I want to rusty it up by using it as a planter.
So, would you use it as a planter, as I originally intended, or find another less rust inducing way to use it?
Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions
That would make a great planter or plant holder, Pam! I love the way your purple plants look in it.
Sam I Am......
Well, would leaving it outside harm it that much? It is enamel after all but your tag would get wrecked. I have a big one like that and I don't use it outside simply because I dye wool and they are great for that. But now I'm thinking how cute yours is with the plants in it and maybe I could find another one when it's time to dye my wool? LOL!
Debby
Hi Pam. The chicken run was hilarious. Murphy and I were just sitting there and all of a sudden here comes the chicken squaking away. We both thought "video" but it was too late. So funny though. I'm not sure the Buxton is sold yet. They are selling all the houses that they have B & B's in. The Orr's are getting up there in ages. I would think that the cats and the ghosts would stay. I had an experience their in the pub......ghostly.
Into Vintage
I like the idea of using it to keep adult beverages cold or maybe you can tuck in plants in plastic pots and fill in with moss -- might help reduce rust but rust is the new black so maybe it's not all bad.
Also - thanks for clearing up that pittance thing. I have always wondered about that. 😉
andrea@townandprairie
The chips add charm, but I wouldn't necessarily add more. Do you knit? Could you store yarn or felt in it? Hang it on a wall?
Vickie @ Ranger 911
I have pictures of my mother bathing us in an enamelware tub just like yours. Of course that was in the Stone Age, so the Flinstones probably had one, too.
You could roast a whole pig in it. Just a thought.
Tammy Partin Spangler
Thanks for visiting my blog! I love enamel ware. I don't think this is a baby tub even though you could probably bathe one in it. I used to have a baby tub and the rim is rolled over more. Blessings, Tammy
Sweet Posy Dreams
It would make a great container to ice down drinks at a party. That shouldn't contribute to rust too much as it could be dried after a few hours of use.
gail
well, funny you should ask that question. I found one exactly like that at a garage sale two weeks ago and it is still empty. I'm trying to decide the same thing. It would look really pretty with flowers, but it will rust for sure and it's in such good shape. I was thinking about cutting a whole in something and making it part of a potting table but I don't have the saw to do it...nor do I know how to use it if I had one LOL
gail
suzieQ
Pam, this is the kind of problem I have all the time. Do I use my finds the way I sometimes want or should I be respectful of their age and be a caretaker of the piece? I would be on the lookout for a tub that was more worn for the outside and keep this one inside. The soaking tub wins my vote because I have soaked linens in less than pretty plastic containers.