Best Kitchen Canisters

Tips for Repairing Ceramic Canisters

Ceramic canisters come in an array of beautiful styles and designs. They can be utilized as kitchen canisters or for decoration in other parts of your home. Ceramic kitchen canisters are available in all shapes and sizes and can be attractively displayed on a kitchen counter or shelf to enhance your kitchen decor. You can even purchase these as canister sets in the same size or sets of small, medium and large.

One drawback of using ceramic canisters is that they can be quite delicate and fragile to handle. Many ceramic items break or chip easily, detracting from the beauty of the product and resulting in their having to be discarded. However, with a little time and know-how, some ceramic items can be repaired to look like new. The following are some tips for repairing ceramic canisters in the event they are chipped or broken.

Supplies Needed for Repair:

Epoxy putty – found in local hardware stores in small tubes that will need to be mixed before application

Filler – found in local hardware stores

Sandpaper – found in local hardware stores; you will need medium and fine grade

Acrylic paints and paintbrushes – found in crafts stores or where artist supplies are sold. Buy only basic colors which can be mixed to provide different hues.

Disposable paper or styrofoam plates – to mix the paint and putty

Some ceramic canisters are used as just decoration.

Instructions for Repair:

1. Evaluate the damage to your canister so you can best calculate how to repair. For simple cracks, clean and dry the area well and apply a filler to seal the crack. Let the sealer dry for several hours and apply paint over the area to match the color of your canister.

2. For chipped or broken canisters, clean and dry the area to be repaired. Mix a small amount of epoxy putty on a disposable plate to meet your repair need. Begin by gluing the larger pieces first, and then work on the smaller chips. Apply your epoxy paste along the edges of both the canister and broken pieces with your fingers and re-attach. Let it dry for 24 hours or more.

3. Examine your canister for rough edges formed by excess glue. Using small pieces of sandpaper, sand these areas until they are smooth. You can begin with medium grade sandpaper and switch to fine grade to achieve optimum results.

4. Once your glued areas are completely smooth and even, you are ready to paint. You will probably have to mix colors to match the exact hue of your canister which may take a little while. Once you have matched the color you need, paint over the repaired area to blend with the rest of your item. Let it dry completely before beginning to re-use.

Not all broken ceramic canisters can be repaired in this fashion. Sometimes the item is too damaged to repair. For family heirlooms or expensive antiques, you may consider seeking professional repair services. However, for average repairs, the steps above may help to restore your item for future use.