Candlesticks: brass is back

My post today is about a very simple candlesticks makeover. I was just thinking, that maybe there are many out there wishing to carry on a DIY project at a even more practical level. A project that does not require lots of space, the time and all sorts of materials. This is for you who has just a couple of hours to transform an old piece into something really nice and special.

The pieces: a pair of old brass candlesticks. The materials: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (colour of your choice), clear wax and dark wax ( not compulsory). Brushes

You seriously can do this while you are looking after the kids, or cooking or doing the accounts, or doing all of these at the same time, depending on your own multitasking skills. It requires 3 minutes to paint at a time, and then some time to let the paint dry.

Give the pieces a base coat using a bright colour (just a suggestion). I used Provence. Let it dry while you carry on with other duties. 

When the paint is completely dry, apply the second coat. I used a 50/50 mixture of Paris Grey and Old White. Why use two coats of two different colours? Well when you distress the peace the base colour comes up quietly and the second coat just blends nicely into the first coat. The colour combinations are endless.

Now you can reassume your other duties while the second coat dries completely before moving on to the waxing. The drying time when painting on brass is longer than painting on wood, since the brass does not absorb the paint,  the paint has to dry on its own.

Once completely dry, distress with soft sandpaper as much or as little as you wish. Very little if you don’t want to show the brass. In this case I preferred to  distress enough for some glitter brass to show.  Clean off the dirt resulting after the distressing.

The waxing is optional, I would recommend applying the wax if you want to protect the final look, you can choose to use only clear wax or both clear and dark for a more aged appearance. 

Now everything is done, including the dinner and the accounts, or almost.

Trust me, when you have done this once, you will realize how easy it is to change the look of almost anything with a bit of Annie Sloan’s chalk paint and some inspiration.  So go back to the charity shop to rescue those old candlesticks you just gave away!

If you do not have access to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, you can still use any  paint for metal, but in addition you have to apply a first coat of antirust paint to make sure the paint sticks to the piece. Using antirust paint is not fun, it is oil based and it stinks and it just makes the process much more complicated.

I am going to visit a good friend on Friday. And today’s makeover is one of the presents I am taking with me. I will come back with a photo shot of the candlesticks final destination. Promise. 

Here is another project, where I only used one colour and I did not use dark wax, just clear wax and a good polish.

xoxox

Adriana

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