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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

TRIVET

I've been known to have a really hard time not giving gifts before the special date.  I can get so excited over something that I can't wait until the actual Birthday, Anniversary, even Christmas....so I end up giving the gift early! This project was one of those....but I forced myself to hold off and wait.   I came up with this idea as I was making the photo coasters.  I wondered, what else can I make that would utilize ceramic tiles?, and that was when the idea of a trivet came to life.  I knew this would be a fun gift for my daughter and her husband. In addition to individual gifts, I like to give gifts that they both can enjoy at Christmas time....usually, they're related to the house.

I already had a 10" square ceramic tile that had been sitting under the bathroom vanity ever since we moved into our house 18 years ago.  It was one of three leftover tiles the builder left us when they constructed our fireplace.  I knew it would work well as the base for the trivet.  From there I worked on my computer to come up with the design for the top.   My son-in-law's family is from France, and he has a particular affection for the Eiffel Tower, so I decided to build off of that idea.

I found a great water color image of the Eiffel Tower, added the word "Paris" in a coordinating color and then added a bunch of french cooking/baking/food related words in various fonts to the layout.  I printed the design on a linen type paper since I wanted some texture....this particular paper also tore well, which is exactly the look I wanted for the edges.

To finish the top, I used Mod Podge, of course.  This time, I went with the hard coat variety since I knew I wanted the trivet to have a more durable finish to it.   Finally, I cut some cork and glued it onto the underside to give it a finished look and protect countertops/tables from scratching when it was used.
So there she is.....how fun is that?  I can even see displaying this on a wall or setting it on an easel when it's not in use versus just shoving it into a kitchen drawer or cupboard shelf.    Now you can see why I was so tickled to give it!  I love the way it turned out and designing a one-of-a-kind piece that I knew would be appreciated makes it really special.

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