You probably expected some clever end to that phrase, but there isn't one. Teapots don't lend themselves to puns as well as old soldiers . . . the best I could do was they just steep away or they just break away. Perhaps you can think of the definitive ending, if so please pass it on!
So where is this leading? To my old teapots and their new home - high in a mulberry tree! As an avid tea drinker, I love teapots and tea sets. Despite normally being a 'never-breaks-a-dish' girl, my teapots have a higher-than-average break rate. (And I should qualify that last statement by saying the only one of our dishes I've broken was the gravy boat - of course, it wouldn't be a bread plate, would it?) It's hard to say what my problem is with the teapots. It's usually the lid that chips or breaks, which is odd because you would expect it to be the spout. Once it was the spout (and that was on a Brown Betty, known for its sturdiness!) and once it was the whole pot. But, twice is was just the lid and my husband thought of a very clever way to use the lid-less pots: as bird houses!
I love this idea because I was very attached to these teapots - one was a wedding present and the other was purchased in England and brought safely home in my checked luggage (you'd be amazed at the things that have traveled in my checked bags over the years . . . but that's another story).
The pots have been hanging in the mulberry tree for almost three years now; we clean them at the end of the season with the other birdhouses. They're very pretty during the winter months when the tree is bare. And, for some strange reason I haven't broken any pots since we put these up - one of those weird coincidences like never getting a red light when you want to apply lipstick . . .
I'd love to know what you do with your broken dishes . . . just in case my new gravy boat has a mishap at Thanksgiving!
This is a fabulous idea! My daughter has a teapot collection, and these also would be great in the garden on shepherd's hooks. We're always looking for more yard art to liven things up a bit. And birds are generally good for our garden...even better if they could keep out the squirrels and rabbits. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOH WOW...what a clever idea..I have used the odd teapot or 2 for herbs over the years but your idea is awesome..thanks for sharing,cheers Vickie
ReplyDeleteWow, these are beautiful teapots. I use my broken dishes and china to make mosaics, and intersperse them with stones in a walkway. I had an old concrete pond in the back yard that was leaking, so I resurfaced the whole thing with a mosaic. It was quite beautiful, but then the raccoons got to be such a nuisance, eating all the fish and tearing up the pond plants, that I filled in the pond. Something for future archaeologists.
ReplyDeleteI saw another use for old cups, saucers, and teapots though. I think it was Anthropologie that had a lamp called "one lump or two", made from stacked cups, saucers, and a teapot...not nearly as nice as yours though.
Thanks for the great comments on the teapots. I love all your ideas and can certainy empathize with the squirrel, rabbit, and raccoon problems - although I would not have guessed raccoons would catch and eat your fish. Vickie - I'm going to try your herb idea - I have a small pot I bought for $3 from a hotel china sale and it dribbles when you pour so I'm going to try herbs in it next spring! Thanks for stopping by,
ReplyDeleteLeah