29 June 2009

Gigantic Silverware :: A Thifty Makeover

I'm a child of the 1970's, so when I saw that Pottery Barn had decided that the kitchy, gigantic silverware that used to hang in many kitchens were hip again, I clapped with glee.

The price, however, did not make me gleeful. When you could get them (they're sold out now), they were $150 for the set! Sheesh!

So imagine my delight when I snagged this set of ginormous silverware at a garage sale for $1.00! Yep! $1.00! If you want to see the other treasures that I snapped up at this garage sale, click here.

A few coats of my beloved Krylon Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint and Voila!

It wasn't until I got them home that I noticed the carvings that looked a bit like Tiki faces. Not that I have anything against Tiki faces, but they're not my thing.

No problem. I just turned them around. No more Tiki faces.

A side note: I am fully aware that these are kitchy, silly and perhaps a bit tacky. But I still love them. And that's the great thing about decorating my home with garage sale finds. These cost me $1.00 and 1/2 a can of spray paint. When I tire of these in a couple of months (and I surely will), I will have no remorse about taking them down and using them to serve gigantic food to my gigantic friends.

~~~~~~~~~~

Just so you know that I'm not alone in my love of giant silverware:
Super-sized silverware in the Half-Note Cottage ~ The Lettered Cottage
More gigantic silverware ~ Just a Girl
A slightly different variation ~ the BLAH BLAH BLAHger
Tijuana fork and spoon..before and after ~ Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs

Who else has ginormous silverware? Tell me so I can link them up here. I want to be the definitive resource for all oversized kitchen utensils.

63 comments {Click here to leave a comment}:

Anonymous said...

As one of your MOST gigantic friends right now, I would request some gigantic pasta or some kind of gigantic dessert. :-)

K

Amy said...

So cute! I am so glad giant silverware is back. Hurray! I just love what a simple can of spray paint can do for thrifty treasures!

Kelli said...

I love them! They make a gigantic statement! Ha-ha.

Janet said...

Ah, yes, I remember the gigantic silverware well. I love them!

Christi said...

I don't have any, but just passed some up at the thrift store a few weeks ago. $6 was too much for me!

Jennifer Juniper said...

That is so funny, I was just going to tell you that Just a Girl found gigantic silverware a few months ago!

My aunt used the big spoon to spank my cousins when they were bad. She used to say, "You'd better stop it or I'm getting the BIG SPOON!" Soooo, I'm a little bit afraid of gigantic silverware:)

duchess said...

Looks good & what a deal.

Traci @ The Bakery said...

I found some just like that last weekend and couldn't buy them because of the Tiki faces....lol. I have old spoons and forks for drawer/door pulls in my kitchen. I've been looking for some of the large sets to put on the end of one of my cabinets....still on the search!!!

Nicole A. said...

I love them! They look fantastic!

Astrid in Bristling Acres said...

I remember seeing those in the Pottery Barn catalogue and falling in love with them. I, too, wouldn't/couldn't spend that kind of money. $1 is a steal!

Leigh Ann said...

I love it! I will be scouring fleamarkets and yard sales for ginormous eating utensils now! I loved your last line about serving gigantic food to your gigantic friends...made me LOL :0)

Anonymous said...

The gigantic silverware is awesome but I think I'm even more in love with the color spray paint you used. I've really gotten into the swing of redecorating with paint. I have plans this summer. :)

Jill@Barnes Yard said...

I keep seeing these fun utensils! Cute! And only a dollar???

Caroline said...

They look awesome!..You could fill the tiki faces in with wood filler if they were too weird for you!..I'm like you I don't care for that kind of thing either. My BIL and SIL went to Africa once and brought us back the masks and such. I hung them for a bit in my recroom and that was enough!..I felt like they were looking at me all the time!

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

After seeing the giant fork and spoon in Marie's house on an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, I wasn't sure how I felt about them. But I LOVE them in your house! Cute. :)

{oc cottage} said...

Is 5'9" gigantic enough? Just let me know when the party is!!

m ^..^

Dot O said...

They are absolutely ADORABLE!!!

Georgia Girl said...

Love those....another option for you when you get tired of them is sale them on here to someone who would love them....hey you could make a couple of bucks or two...Especially since some of your blogger stalkers live in small country town girls who have not even a stop light in their town...much less any places to find great things like this...only way we find them is online or going to the big city....sounds like a great plan to me...what cha think?

Sarah said...

I'm all over your gigantic silverware and I'm keeping my eye out so I can score some of my own. :)

Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality said...

Someone else at my party this week found some too! I'll have to try to remember who it was.

And, here's an idea for you. You could use some wood putty to fill in those Tiki faces & repaint. Hah!

I think they are cute, but probably won't scramble to find any. Brings back too many horrid memories of 70's decor to me.

Valencia Jones-Edwards said...

My mom had those when I was litt;e. Wow talk about flashback...lol

Windy said...

My Mom had a giant fork and spoon over the stove when I was a child. I know she doesn't still have them, or I'd go get 'em! Love it!

Cindy said...

Oh WOW! Great idea! I bought a giant set several weeks ago. They are on my kitchen wall right now. I'm taking them down and spray painting them! What a great idea to hang them with the tiki turned around. I'm play a little bit, but may turn the spoon to look like yours and have the fork the regular way. THANKS for the idea!

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Isn't that the neatest thing about decorating our homes, we can do whatever we like and makes us happy. I think they're great. Hugs, Marty

Rebekah said...

I think I remember Layla at The Lettered Cottage doing a post on giant flatware a while back. Love yours! I saw a pair at Goodwill last week but passed them up because, well, they just weren't big enough. :)

Unknown said...

Ha! I'm with Anonymous. Some giant sized chocolate cheesecake would go well with that fork :)

You know I'm a fan. It's been fun visiting around your silverware over email.

Southern Fried Gal said...

You so crack me up. Before I even saw the tiki faces I thought it was clever that you turned them around for a different spin. Love that paint and will be investing soon!

Misti of Studio M Designs said...

LOVE THEM! Do you feel my utensil envy? I am eyeballing them with much jealousy right now!

~Misti

Anonymous said...

I love the big silverware too. I picked up this same set at the Salvation Army a few months back. I was going to cover up the tiki faces by wrapping some twine around the handles but it didn't look right. So now I'm off to try your method. Thanks for the tip!

Sallie said...

Marie Barone.....in Everybody Loves Raymond!!

Vanessa Greenway said...

They're adorable!!! I always keep things I love in my home or decorate with them. I would probably try to sand the Tiki faces off the silverware. Let me know when you get tired of them and I'll buy them from you! :) Have a great day! Vanessa

Runner Mom said...

Yours turned out cute! You cracked me up with turning them around so you don't see the tiki faces!!I do not have any on my wall---but I do remember them!!

Hugs,
Susan

Beth said...

I also found my set of gigantic kitchen silverware at a thrift store....paid $1.00! I spray painted my black. Love 'em! I don't care if they (or my style) looks like it's still in the '70's, LOL

Joanna said...

I think they are cute!! Reminds me of the ones that hung in the kitchen of Everybody Loves Raymond!

Sarah said...

How big are those pieces?

Its So Very Cheri said...

Are great finds and deals so exciting-look what I found some plate and did -the plate makeover on my blog www.itssoverycheri.blogspot.com

Cheri

Martha said...

They look beautiful! I love them! I want a set! :)

Unknown said...

My mom had these in her home too while we were growing up.
It's funny how things come back in fashion.

Carol in Indian Springs Village said...

Love these! I found fork, spoon and knife on the markdown at Homegoods this weekend...they are a 'silver' color but I'm going to go with the oil rubbed bronze paint. Wish mine had been $1 but got all 3 pieces for under $9 so that wasn't awful.

Tara said...

They have some giant silverware over at Hobby Lobby for a more reasonable price too..I was there last week and it was on sale for like $10 I think.

Jill said...

That big 'ole spoon and fork make me so nostalgic. My mom did ceramics when I was a kid (in the 70's) and we had these hanging on our wall in our kitchen...avodcado green, of course!

Crystal said...

I "inherited" the exact same tiki faced spoon and fork from my MIL. When I saw you found some I couldn't wait to see what you did with them! Turning them around was a great idea, the faces creep me out! But now I'm think I might have to try filling in the faces like some of the ladies suggested and leaving one right side up. Great paint choice too!

Gwen said...

I have zero wall space in my kitchen and dining area, but if I did, you betcha, I would want these!

the BLAH BLAH BLAHger said...

I've got them, too! : )
http://www.theblahblahblahger.com/2009/04/im-hooked-on-my-new-green-kitchen.html

sarah may said...

LOVE THEM!!! My granny has had the exact same set on her kitchen wall since before I was born and has promised they are mine when she goes to be with the Lord!

happyhubbub said...

I have my mom's original Home Interiors fork and spoon! They were originally a soft buttery yellow with light brown "antiquing" painted on and they're metal. I painted them a lovely, hammered finish (I forgot the color!) dark color and I've had them up for close to 8 years now - love 'em!!

My picture to share is not that great though because my youngest took a series of shots on the sly with my camera. They're out of focus and not centered but you'll see them in their place of honor over the water cooler if you go here and scroll down...
http://wildwesthome.com/2008/12/12/through-a-childs-eyes/

Debra said...

They turned out great! I think everyone I knew had them in their homes when I was growing up in the 70's!

Roeshel said...

You're hilarious!

Great find and love the transformation! I love them. The giant dessert sounds good too! lol

Kelleigh said...

Oh my gosh! I picked up some oversize (although not as gigantic as yours) silverware this weekend for a buck, too!! Check out my last two blog posts. The Friday Haul 6/26 shows the before, and the I Totally Lied post shows the after. Hee, hee! How fun! I've been told that I should frame them up with a funky frame. Cute idea!

Amanda.Sedeno said...

Oh my goodness, looks like we shopped at the same place. I just found a set on Saturday, i posted a blog about it today, go and see!! :D

Heathahlee said...

You KNOW...this post would go well with my Linky Party I'm having! Hint hint! : )

We had those gigantic utensils at my house, too!

Meredith said...

Kimba, love your sense of humor!

KatBouska said...

Honestly I have no idea how your brain even comes up with this stuff. You would have a HAY DAY at my house. Zero decorating done. It's a clean slate. Please. COME OVER!!!

Linda Summerfield said...

I am drawn to gigantic silverware. I have a 6 foot wooden fork in my dining room. I think we should form a secret club!!!

Signing Out said...

Well, I love 'em! They look fantastic painted black!

Jane

Melissa said...

I have mixed emotions when I see the gigantic wooden spoon and fork. You see, when I was little, that was our paddle. My mom had them up as decorations until she got desperate and pulled one down for a spanking. The spoon was used first until it broke, then came the fork. The rest is history.

On a good note....I think I turned out pretty good!

Melissa :D

Kimberly Wright said...

I can't help it, everytime I see a set of these I think of the Everybody Loves Raymond episode in which Raymond and his wife have an argument over a suitcase and his own parents have had an argument about a set of gigantic silverware for there entire marriage. Great find!

Falling Around said...

My grandparents used to have these hanging in the breakfast room. I always loved them.

Kate Riley said...

Don't ever take those down - they're fabulous ! Me so jealous.

Those could toss one huge salad.

Bigger is better, baby !

Unknown said...

Gotta Love the fork and spoon!!! I have them hanging in my kitchen!!! I love them

Thrifty Decor Chick said...

I'm dying here...I just bought some today, but mine aren't as big as yours. I'm still not sure if I'm going to use them, but I couldn't pass them up. :)

Anonymous said...

I also have mucho grande silverware hanging in my kitchen. I found mine for half price at Hob Lob. I think I got fork and spoon for under $20. They even had a knife ;o)

Erin J. said...

I don't think they are tacky at all! I actually have a set just like them and had been looking for some for a very long time! My great-granmother had a set and I remember them from when I used to visit her. I have always wanted my own set for my kitchen. Great idea turnuing them around:)