Breathe New Life Into a Thrifted Treasure
We like to eat outside when the weather is warm, and I enjoy having cookouts. One thing that is a constant with outdoor dining is the breeze that will take all the napkins off the table before you can catch them. So, when I found this lovely iron napkin holder at a thrift store for $1, I nabbed it. The lady behind the counter had to ask me what it was, LOL, they just don’t make these things anymore. It was in really rough shape, the surfaces which at one time might have been a brass color had significant rust. But I knew I could do something about that.
Put the thrift store treasure in a bucket with some cleaning solution an let it soak a bit to help loosen the dirt and rust.
Clean it up as best you can with a wire brush. A dremel tool also works well for taking flaked paint off metal items.
Apply several coats of black rust-protecting spray paint, allowing the coats to dry at least an hour between coats.
Allow to dry overnight, then it is ready to be a part of your outdoor table, holding napkins in place when there is a breeze. For full instructions, see my blog post URL below. Come visit for a variety of subjects including quilting, tablescapes, mountain living,
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