Nav bar

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Instantly Aged..........................a quick fireplace mantle makeover

Have you ever wanted a quick way to spruce up your mantle without having to commit to a long, drawn out process? Whether your mantle is wood, stone, or tile, there's always an easy fix for an update.
I'll show you what I did to my white wood mantle to get instant age in a couple of hours.

Here's what I started with:

I wish I had taken pictures while I was painting so that I could show you the step-by-step process. However, on the night this transformation took place I was watching tv, and for some reason I couldn't tolerate this white out of the corner of my eye. So, off to the basement I went to see what I had that would get rid of that white before morning.
After a bit of searching, I found some of those little bottles of Ceramacoat paints. I ended up with Butterscotch paint, black paint, and a brown glaze. I gathered my paint supplies and headed upstairs without a clue as to what I was going to do.

I started by painting the mantle with the three bottles of butterscotch paint I found. (What is that........about 9 ounces??) I didn't really care much for that, so I dry-brushed over it in black. Of course I got the black too heavy, so then I had to wipe it down with a warm wet cloth to back some of it out.
It was starting to  look better now,  but it was still a little 'too dry' looking for my taste. I decided to go ahead and whip out the glaze. I mixed that half and half with water,and went to town with it.
When it was all dry, I sealed it with a matte topcoat.

Here's what I ended up with:


A Close up:


Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that I added this wood embellishment to it before I started.

And here's a close up of the corbels:



A simple an easy project that can make a big impact in a short amount of time!

7 comments:

  1. That turned out lovely! I just attempted my first "aging" project today on an ornate wood mirror frame using an antique pewter kit. Thinking I like it! Similar applications as this w/ the black paint, etc. Thanks for showing us your step-by-step.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Polly! What a fantastic makeover! Wow! Aging something isn't as easy as people think it is especially if you want it right! This is absolutely right! Really nice - Have fun with more projects! Sincerely, Jeannette

    ReplyDelete
  3. Look at how those corbels stand out now! It's gorgeous. I've thought about doing the same thing but totally don't have the nerve.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Ladies. I could go on forever on this blog about projects in my own house. My problem is that I have a full basement sewing and project room, so I know I have whatever I need downstairs.............which makes the projects never ending.

    Stacey, try it. If it goes south, repaint it the original color. It's easy then it looks. Just be sure to let each coat dry completely before yo start the next color.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Polly, this is STUNNING! Whadda lovely fluke! :D

    I'm snooping around blogland for that feature I'll be presenting soon. Thanks for some fun eye candy, girl!

    Funky Junk Donna

    ReplyDelete

I realize we all have busy lives, and taking the time to comment is not always easy. When you do find that time, it makes me appreciate you even more. If you like what you see or read, feel free to pass on the link to my blog with others. Thank you so much for stopping by!

I try to respond to everyone that comments, so if you do not receive a response, it's possible that you are a "No-Reply Comment Blogger" and may not know it, which means I can't find your email addy. Copy and paste this link in your browser to find out how to fix it.

http://makeminebeautiful.blogspot.com/2010/02/are-you-no-reply-comment-blogger-and.html

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails