My sweet Nanna was here visiting me in my downtime post-surgery. She told me she saw something online about using bar soap as a tool for antiquing things. I've had this beautiful print from Voila Paper Co for a while now, but haven't found a frame I felt could do it justice. My problem + Nanna's craft talk = forgoing reading other tutorials and jumping right in, and documenting how it goes.
What I used:
-a cheap frame.... (less pressure than messing up the expensive ones)
- 2 spray paints (1 color for the base, 1 color to go on top)
-fine sand paper
-bar soap (shout out for locally made Hazelwood Soap Company)
-[not pictured] a small paintbrush, for the reckless
First, spray the entire frame with the color you want to show thru in the antiquing. Read YOUR paint can for drying times. Mine said "Dry to touch in 10 minutes; requires 24 hours before handling". I let this gold dry for about 30 minutes before I moved to the next step.
Grab your bar soap and hit the high ridges with it. This will make these parts easier to sand off later. You don't have to give it too much, just a good waxy film. Flick off those little soap clumps before proceeding to the next step.
Next you're gonna spray all over with your top color. The gold metallic went on SO NICELY, and this turquoise was a little thinner. (Could have been my insufficient can shaking? We'll never know). Take the time to do two coats if you are seeing this in your project too. It will be worth the extra time.
Much to my dismay over delayed gratification, I set my project aside to dry for a full 24 hours. Again, read YOUR paint can. But, you DO NOT want to sand paper on paint that isn't set up (that's what my husband's warning was, anyway).
24 hours later, starting sanding those high ridges LIGHTLY. Or at least start lightly, and your base color should start to show through. Lookin' good!
If you go too hard on the paint (ha), it's going to be OK. Spray a little paint on some cardboard, get a little paint brush and touch it up.
Voila! Double Voila!
It's not perfect, but it's all mine and I'm so proud of it.
"and at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty,
your hair messy, and your eyes SPARKLING"
-my new mantra for life
You can find this Voila Paper Co. print and several others over at Elsa Fine.
Now GO spray paint some stuff!
