Reusing or Repurposing Broken Plates, Pottery, or Assorted Ceramics

Do you have a bunch of broken, awful looking, glued together, overly chipped plates and saucers around the house?  How about some of your children’s ceramic work that is really cute because you love them, but you have no idea what you are going to do with it?  (Parents, don’t shoot me.  I have four kids and well, in the art department, they didn’t get any good genes.)  Well, hand me the plates and the fuggly ceramic projects and I give you some ideas on how to reuse them.

Smash the Plates to Create Works of Art

Do like the Greek.   Smash them, and give them a second life. And you know what?   You don’t need a wedding to smash the pottery.   And I will let you in on  a little secret.  (Come closer….)  It is really fun and a great stress reliever.  All in the name of green!  Whoot!

How did I reuse my broken plates?

Watch the video below as I reuse them in lieu of small stones for drainage for my pots.  I even smashed Son#3 and #4 art.  (Don’t hate me.  I am not even sure what the ceramic figures were.  The boys wanted me to throw them out since they even thought they were hideous. So, I got permission.  Whew!  You know I hate clutter.)

And by the way, Son #2 thought I was insane as he watched me continuously throwing the dishes onto the driveway to make smaller and smaller pieces.  Especially since I am the world’s biggest spaz.  I would throw it and the plate piece wouldn’t break.  Does this count for being the biggest spaz? If my sister is reading this, don’t comment.

Reusing them in  Other Clever Ways:

Here are some other ideas on how to use your “inner” craftiness to give those plates and broken ceramics a new life.

• Using your broken ceramics to make a table top
• Make a mosaic flower pot.  Simply add pieces of the broken ceramic plate or saucer to a pot.
• Dream of cool stepping stones in the garden?  Well, got plates, right?  Use them to make a mosaic stepping stone.
• Gluing them back together and make a two tier cake stand or single tier cake stand using a vintage or your own chipped tea saucer or candlestick holder.  You can even use that broken mug as the bottom.  So, Martha.  Just make sure you use non-toxic glue.

• Send your favorite heirloom plate to Julie at The Broken Plate Pendant Company.  She will make the pieces into jewelry!
• Or if you are really crafty, consider making the jewelry yourself. If it is heirloom quality or a keepsake, I would opt to send it to Julie. Remember, I am a spaz.
• Use chipped plates as edging in the garden.  (By the way, if you look at the chipped plate edging picture via the link, check out the bowling ball edging.  Genius.) In fact any of the broken ceramic can add detail to the garden.  I personally wouldn’t put vintage plates which might have lead in them in my veggie garden.  Maybe the flower garden?  Would you?
• Use broken mugs for arts and craft supplies, pens, and storing small items such as paper clips.  Maybe as a holder for my glasses that always disappear. D*mn, gremlins.

Join the conversation:

• How have you re-used your broken plates, pottery, etc?  Spill the beans, crafty ones.  Got a great picture?  Send it to me.  Or include a link of your creation.
• What have you done with your children’s ceramic projects, especially the really ugly ones.  Come ‘on.  Have they mysteriously disappeared or been given to Grandma?
• Do you use your old pottery in your garden?

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