How to Fake: Metal Patina

There's something so cool about tarnished, aged metal. I love old aluminum pails and buckets, and use them for all sorts of things; planters, ice buckets for picnics, mail containers on the counter. Sometimes it's difficult to find the right size with just the right patina.  I found two shiny brand new ones that were perfect for my herbs, but just a bit too shiny for my taste. So here is how I cheated a bit. Life hack number 501: Making new aluminum look old with nothing but a few tubes paint!

Not bad right? I took about 20 minutes to do two of them, and it was the drying time between coats that took the longest. All in all it was super easy. Here's what I did:

Paint colors needed:
-Moss/Pea Green
-Sky Blue
-Brown
-White
-Gold or Bronze Metallic

You will also need:
-Sponge/sponge brush
-Paper towel or rag
-Old tooth brush

Starting with blue and green, dab the paint on using a small sponge or sponge brush. Let partially dry. Swipe/dab here and there with a dry cloth or paper towel. Add the brown and the bronze- gold in patches especially near any seams and handles where metal would naturally rust. Mix a few Tbs of water with a squirt of the green paint and, using a soft brush, coat the entire container. This should create a thin mask of watered down green. Allow to fully dry.

Now you're ready for the last step, which is the icing on the cake! Using your white paint mixed with a tiny bit of water, spray on in random patches. I like to dip an old tooth brush in my white paint/water mix and then using the tip of my finger spray and flick it on randomly.

Make sure everything is dry and you're done! You may choose to spray a few coats of matte finishing spray on to keep your new patina from scratching if the container is going to be handled a lot. I left mine plain and I'll be careful not to scrape or scratch it.  

My new "old" tins are perfect for my herbs, and they look pretty convincing, don't you think? Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

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