Rusty Aged Patina on Watering Can

Today's project features a decorative watering can that I bought at a local thrift store. I thought it was darling, but maybe a little too sweet, so I will give it a make-over that will add a bit of character and history.

I am working on perfecting a painted rusty patina. Before I scale up the process on a large piece I decided to give it a try on a couple of small pieces first. I began by applying a new dark base coat.

My main color is Provence. I am literally scraping the paint from the bottom of the can, but I try not to let a drop go to waste.

I used a combination of Chalk Paint, acrylics, and water colors (affiliate links) to create my rusty color palette.  On a larger piece I would use all Chalk Paint, but for a small project like this, I like to use the small tubes of paint. For this project I used chip brushes which helped create the rusty texture. It looks like a hot mess, but hopefully you'll agree it all comes together in the "after" photos.

AFTER:

Here is the watering can with its new rusty patina.

 Does it look like it's been sitting outside for a few seasons?

I worked heavier areas of "rust" into the metal seams. Some techniques that I tried didn't work out quite as planned, but overall I am happy with the final result. I have another project that I will apply a similar technique to and will post that once it's finished. In the meantime, please enjoy the close up photos of the patina below. Thanks for stopping by The Black Sheep Shoppe today!

I have another project that I will apply a similar technique to and will post that once it's finished. In the meantime, please enjoy the close up photos of the patina below.

The technique I used today was based on the Industrial Rust class taught online by Jonathon Marc-Mendes at the Painted Love Academy (NO affiliate -- just sharing the information). If you register you will have access to one (or is it two?) mini-tutorials for free. I will continue to work on the technique and plan to apply it to a larger furniture piece once I find the right project. Stay tuned! In the meantime, thanks for stopping by The Black Sheep Shoppe today!