This was a super fun project for me! I have been looking for a few items that would suit a Patina Paint makeover and found these two bookends. The Dixie Belle Patina Paints we carry add age and color to a piece to make it look like it was originally copper, iron or bronze and was out in the weather for years. I have been really loving the bronze color lately so decided on a bronze with a green patina finish for these horse head bookends.
The really interesting thing about these paints is you get to watch them change right before your eyes into what looks like an old aged piece. For this project I thought I would use these horse head bookends because I could picture them in a heavy metal. They were also two different colors so this would match them up. I think they are originally blue mountain pottery pieces and looked like they would suit an old aged copper look using the patina paints. So I got started.
The first thing I always do is a clean using Dixie Belle White Lightening cleaner. I spray it on then wipe it down until the cloth is clean. This de-greases the piece and preps the surface for some paint.
Next few base coats of Dixie Belle Pine Cone to cover the piece from top to bottom. I like to do this so if I miss some copper paint later it still works and looks finished with no original paints coming through.
It hardly takes any paint at all. I used a 8oz Pine Cone and will be able to do a few more projects with it again soon as there was tons of paint left over.
I don't worry as the first coat always looks rough. Just let it dry for at least 30 minutes and then do a second coat and it looks so much better.
After the second coat let it dry again for at least 30 minutes.
Then it's time to apply your Patina Paint. I picked out copper and did a full coat of Copper Patina Paint over both the bookends. The copper color is so beautiful! I it even looks great before the patina.
Next I let it dry 30 minutes. Then a quick coat of copper again and while it is wet I spray it with the Green Patina Spray over the wet paint areas using gloves and opening a window. I then let it sit and the reaction takes place.
I then touch up spots I like or don't like with the copper paint and a sponge. This is all personal choice as you can apply as much or as little of the spray as you want. Overnight it drys and reacts a bit more. I find the spray bottle it comes in is a bit strong of a spray so I transfer the patina green spray into a mister bottle for this purpose. Then it goes on more like a mist with less runs.
Here's my finished bookends....
I was super happy how they turned out. They look like aged copper and have a nice warm tone to them. I can't wait to do this again.
Hope you enjoyed!
Andrea Hinz