03/03 DIY Projects

DIY Gold Desk Dishes

 

DIY-Gold-Desk-DishesI had a really hard time coming up with a name for this DIY.  “Desk Accessories” or “Desk Organizers” didn’t feel specific enough, but I wonder if “Desk Dishes” is even regularly used in desk organizing terms…  You get the idea though, right? Everyone needs something to corral random knick knacks on top of their desk!

They’re actually made from glass sugar jars, which  added to my confusion on what to call them.

Taping the jars

I applied painters tape on the inner rim of the jars, having to make vertical cuts along the part of the tape hanging over the edge so that it would fold over.  Then I taped aluminum foil to the outside surface since I only wanted the inside to be painted.  I sprayed two coats of Rust-Oleum Gold Spray Paint (affiliate link) and two coats of Clear Acrylic Coating (affiliate link) on the inside surface.  The acrylic coating is to protect the paint, especially since it will be coming in direct contact with whatever is placed in the dishes.

Dishes painted gold

I love how painting the inside looks, as opposed to typically painting the outside.  This way it looks more like liquid gold was swirled around on the inside (ooh fancy!)  Since these are clear glass vessels, the gold shows through on the outside anyway, so either way is a win.

Gold Desk Dishes DIYThat acrylic tape dispenser is what inspired the design of this project.  Yea, true, I like to paint everything gold always, but I thought the glass and the gold of the dishes would look consistent with the acrylic and gold of the tape dispenser.  There’s also a matching stapler, which I shared on Instagram and man did you guys like it!  Still have a few more things I want to add and finalize with my desk, and for sure I’m keeping strong on the gold.

Curious to know… what would you call these gold dishes?  Holders?  Catch-alls?  Containers?

38 comments on “DIY Gold Desk Dishes”

  1. I love that you painted the inside of these bowls instead of the outside. I don’t know why but it seems to make all the difference and they really stand out!

  2. I really like the gold. At first I thought it could be done for all different like house hold dishes, but then realized something that isn’t used for food. Anyone could match their color theme. Excellent gift idea also.

      1. Hi Kelsey! I got a question like this before that I received via email and didn’t realize I didn’t post my answer here! This was my response: The trick is this- my lines really aren’t that straight, I promise. It’s nearly impossible to tape a perfectly straight line on a curved object. The tape will have to crease and fold on itself a bit to make its way around the dish, which you can kind of see in the photos, and the tape will have to rip a little bit to fold over the top edge of the dish, which you can also kind of see in the photos.
        I hope that makes sense! The second photo collage in this post shows all the rips and creases that I’m talking about. Let me know if you still need help!

  3. I LOVE this! The gold is so gorgeous and such a fun pop of color. And I’m super-impressed with the set of desk stuff that you made (from stuff that wasn’t a set you just bought and painted gold). Just hopped over to your blog after seeing this post highlighted at various linky parties and I’m loving your blog – can’t wait to explore your blog more and see your other projects! : )

    -Mel the Crafty Scientist

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