CROCK TOPS: Here's How

I love crocks. . .I have lots of them. . .They are a staple in this house. . .But, storing them poses a problem. . .and sometimes I need a top on one to hide what's inside. . .So John and I came up with several solutions to my dilemma. . .The first one is so simple I'm almost embarrassed to mention it. . .

For the smaller size crocks, round breadboards are fantastic. . .Left as they are, or sanded, painted or stained. . .Isn't the one on the left a beauty? . .I rarely see such an ornate board. .  .Love the patina. . .Most have been heavily used and they show it, although a little cleaning and sanding brings them back to life.

But then what do we do with the larger crocks? That was a puzzle for a while. . .Sure I could have bought wood boards at a lumber yard, but that was too 'new' for me. . .I wanted something that looked aged. . .Also wide boards are expensive. . .and I had lots of large crocks to cover. . .

Once I was on the look-out for round breadboards, I began bringing home large more modern cutting boards found at thrift stores, too. . .mostly for $1 or under. . .John uses them with his leather craft and I use them in the kitchen instead of my vintage ones. . .Over the last few years, they began stacking up. . .

One day I was gathering the cutting boards I didn't use when  cakes were ready to come out of the oven. . .The stack of cutting boards were on the cabinet top and in my way. . .I quickly picked them up and placed them on some crocks on the floor. . .Cakes came out and cooling on racks. . .All was well. . .Now back to what I was doing. . .What WAS I doing? . .Cutting boards. . .Yes. . .That led me to a light bulb moment. . .as I looked down and noticed that the boards covered the top of a large crock. . ."Oh, John Dear. . ."

All kidding aside. . .isn't this a simple solution?

And to think it was right there in front of me for a couple of years. . .

Now comes the fun part. . .After finishing the Crock Tops with whatever method you choose, try some embellishments. . .I'm for fast and easy, so I pulled out a stamp and permanent ink stamp pad. . .Took no time at all. . .

The possibilities for embellishing are endless. . .Try stamping a border on the outside edges. . .Stencil or paint graphics on the top. . .Make them your own creation. . .

The thickness of the cutting boards allows me to stack the crocks as high as I dare. . .I like to graduate the sizes as I stack in order to display the embellishments around the top edge. . .

I truly like our solution. . .and it's so economical. . .We cut four tops from three cutting boards, costing only $3 total. . .An Easy. . .Fast. . .Simple. . .project that adds so much to the open crocks. . .They  look amazing. . .

It's also a good excuse for thrifting. . . I'm always looking for that. . .aren't you?