4 Chalk Paint On Brass Transformations

If you follow my blog, you already know how much I love chalk paint. While I’ve painted many things with it, I especially love that it has enabled me to transform brass pieces into home decor with real character that I never could have captured with spray paint. Here are 4 of my latest brass transformations……. I forgot to take a Before picture of this, but I know you’ve all seen a bazillion of these brass cricket boxes. Just by chalk-painting the outside and waxing it, all the pierced shapes really stand out now. If you line the inside with a contrasting fabric or paper, it would make an adorable presentation gift box. This is a lovely vintage hand mirror, with great Art Deco details on the frame, but it needed a little more personality. Now it’s an attention-getter, fit for display on the vanity. I’ve used this technique before, by painting the whole frame, then waiting a few minutes of drying time, then carefully wiping the paint off the raised details. If you wipe off too much, you can always touch it up with a thin brush. Then I waxed to seal the paint. I wait a day before buffing the wax, just to give the paint a little more time to harden. Even then, sometimes a little paint will come off during the buffing, but it will add character, so no worries. This is a Chinese bell that I purchased as is. I knew it was meant to be hanging from the holder, so I brought it home to repair and paint. A few coats of chalk paint later, and a ring to hang the bell, it is now ready to serve as a dinner bell or for meditation. I haphazardly layered Black, Brick, Rust, & Aqua, then clear and dark wax. Finally, I lightly sanded all the raised details to highlight them by exposing the brass beneath. Last, but not least, are these wonderful Italian frames. (Wouldn't you know it, after I edited my Before pics, I accidentally deleted all the originals. So these unaltered frames are courtesy of another Etsy shop, with a link to them.) Though these are pretty dime-a-dozen, they have such wonderful lines with great chalk paint potential. I painted the frames in deep Turquoise/Teal, then highlighted them in metallic gold. Rather than just painting the frames and leaving the glass and pictures intact, I thought it would be fun to transform them into a mini chalkboard grouping.
Before:


After:
After carefully prying out the glued-in masonite backing boards, I painted them with several layers of chalkboard paint. I wanted something to hold the boards in place, yet keep them convertible from chalkboard back to picture frame if desired. I cut some tongue depressors to fit snugly into the backs, painted them gold, and covered the board backs with textured metallic tissue and sealed them.
Now they’re elegant in front and back!
So there you have it. Four easy transformations that give a beautiful new life to brass, rather than gathering dust on the thrift store shelf.