How to Restore Your Own Porcelain Pottery Antiques

Clean the broken or damaged porcelain piece with liquid dish soap rubbed onto the surface. Rub warm water into the soap, which creates suds and wipes off dust and dirt. Rinse the porcelain with fresh water and pat dry with a microfiber cloth.

Mix the epoxy on a paper plate with a craft stick, following the instructions of the manufacturer. Typically, you add equal amounts from two tubes. If the epoxy comes in an applicator with two tubes, then squeeze a small amount onto the plate and mix with the craft stick.

Sand down the edge of the broken pottery with fine-grit sandpaper. Apply a thin layer of epoxy to the edge and gently press the piece that broke off the porcelain. Hold the edges together until the adhesive sets. Wipe off any adhesive that leaked out with a damp cloth and let the epoxy dry overnight.

Repair chips and cracks in the same way. Apply the mixed epoxy to those surfaces and let dry overnight. Touch the top of the epoxy, making sure it feels dry and not sticky or tacky. Gently sand the surface with the sandpaper, making the epoxy as smooth as the surrounding porcelain.

Apply a small amount of acrylic paint to the repaired spot with the small paintbrush or an artist’s paintbrush. Paint over the repaired area and lightly feather the edges, making the new paint match the existing paint.