Inspirational Galvanized Buckets
Sometimes you find items for a project at the most unlikely places. On a recent trip to a store called Rural King, I found this trio of small galvanized buckets with a matching tray that I just knew I could add a little bit of DIY magic to for a home decor item.
These little buckets and tray were adorable but much too shiny for what I envisioned for the project. So the first thing I decided to do was age the buckets to give them a more rustic look.
To start the aging process, I first sanded the outside of the buckets and trays with 220 grit sandpaper. This effectively scuffed up the buckets to allow the vinegar to work.
Yes, I used vinegar to age the buckets.
I tried to soak the buckets and tray in a vinegar and water bath but it didn't really oxidize the metal as well.
Finally, I put the buckets outside in the sun and wrapped a dishcloth soaked in vinegar around each side of the buckets. After a few hours I achieved a more oxidized look.
But since I wasn't in a hurry to finish this project just yet, I left the buckets outside in the weather for the next week and watched that the process continued to work on the oxidation started with the vinegar and it gave each bucket and the tray a nice aged patina.
For the final step, I used my Cricut Joy machine to create the words of Faith, Hope, and Love to decorate the outside of the buckets but you can achieve the same look with paint and a stencil.
What I like the most about these adorable, and inspirational buckets, is that I can use them in a display together or alone, even the tray.
I'm sure these will end up in new blog posts during the holidays.
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