It’s trivial, but functionally important: I’ve been looking for the perfect ring dish. I know that ammonia-based cleaning products can get our diamonds back as sparkly as they once were, but it seems silly to subject my jewelry to this kind of cleaning routine when the problem can be avoided in the first place by simply removing my rings before dishes, showers, and other intensive hand-dirtying activities.
But, the world isn’t as full of un-intrusive, cute trinket dishes as one would hope, and I haven’t found anything fits my criteria. My wish list isn’t terribly demanding: less than 3″ wide/deep, white and gold, giraffe or other fun animal related.
I did find this at anthropologie, which was the closest to meeting my wishes, but rings don’t fit over that cute little guy’s head.
So, I did a little Pinterest hunting, and found that I wasn’t alone in wanting the perfect ring dish! I perused Doe a Deery’s tutorial, added my own spin (and dimensions) and went at it! The result? Adorable animal ring dishes that are exactly what I needed.
A quick step-by-step:
1. Figure out how much space you want the dish to take up. There were loads of cute ideas using vintage teacup saucers, but that’s much footprint than I was looking for. I ended up purchasing $0.99 small white sauce dishes from World Market.
2. Even though you think glueing before painting is a good idea, don’t do it. (I learned) It’s much easier to paint the little critters when you’re not avoiding the dish or waiting for the super glue to dry. (PS nail polish remover removes superglue residue.)
3. Scuff up the bottom of the critters before you glue them; I used a nail file. This helps create a better contact and bond between the surfaces.
4. Be patient and wait for things to dry! I used two coats of craft paint – but I bet I could have gotten away with one if I hadn’t touched things so much, leaving gaps in the coverage. Using a water-based craft paint also means easy clean-up from the dish.
5. A quick coat of Krylon shine will ensure your little guys stay super gold as you take your rings on an off!
The giraffe is the perfect size for my bathroom shelf, and the hippo doesn’t take up too much room on my too-crowded kitchen above-sink windowsill. Both add that little bit of personality I was looking for – and all of the function I needed!
~Lainey
the Attic Birds 