Antique Tin Plates...No They're Plastic!

ScavengerChic
by ScavengerChic
I have a super easy tutorial for you to make your own (plastic) antique pewter/tin plate, a tutorial I think anyone can do.
This beautiful "tin" plate actually started out as 4 very gold plastic plate chargers just sitting in a thrift store waiting for me. Since gold doesn't go with my black, white, tan, gray, aged wood color scheme I have going on in my house, I knew the chargers would be the base of my next makeover.
A painted on coat of black chalk paint starts the project. Don't be too concerned about painting in only one direction, the brush strokes are going to add to the vintage feel of the fake tin.
Since I didn't have any silver spray paint in my supplies I first experimented with a few acrylic paints dabbed on and blended then sanded. Let me just put it this way...it didn't look good. It looked like acrylic paints just dabbed on and sanded and not in a good way, I was missing the shine of silver. Back to the store.


Instead of acrylic paints, I left the store with a can of Rust-oleum Weathered Steel spray paint. Weathered Steel sounded like the perfect color...and it was close. The spray paint had a little texture but it still looked like spray paint.
After the spray paint was dry, I went back over the entire plate with some watered down black acrylic paint. It looks dry in the above picture, but take my word for it, it's still very wet. While the paint is wet, wipe it off with a paper towel. If the tin doesn't look aged enough, hit it again with more black until you have your antique finish.
To see my plates in their new home, lots more pictures and the little detail I added at the end, make sure you click on the link below. See ya soon.
ScavengerChic
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Amy Ogden-Paparone Amy Ogden-Paparone on Jun 09, 2016
    These are my favorite chargers ever! I also have brass ones, 12 real brass, and 10 plastic that I would love to make look like old tin ones. Do you think this technique would work on the real brass ones? Your are gorgeous! LOVE them!!
  • Sonia Paul-Smith Sonia Paul-Smith on Jun 09, 2016
    They look great. Just one question. Did you put a sealer or some kind on them after to protect when you wash the charger?
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