Metal Trunk Makeover

Can you paint metal??? Absolutely!!!!

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Product list:

White Lightning

Slick Stick

Plum Crazy Chalk Mineral Paint

Best Dang Wax Clear

Best Dang Wax Black

Synthetic Brush

French Tip Brush

Dish Sponge

Here's the before shot of the metal trunk - looking a bit sorry for itself and filthy dirty. As always, the first step is to clean with White Lightning. This piece was dirty it actually took two passes with White Lightning then a rinse with clean, warm water. 

Next is the magic ingredient! Slick Stick is Dixie Belle's adhesion primer which allows you to paint surfaces which aren't porous for example glass, plastic and metal! This product is also fabulous if you have laminate pieces or a high shine surface which you are unable to sand. Top tip! Make sure you always clean with White Lightning before applying Slick Stick! Never skip the cleaning step as this can lead to adhesion issues.

For best results, follow the instructions on the tub. After the first coat wait for 2 hours to allow to dry then second coat needs to be left to dry overnight. I always use a synthetic brush to apply Slick Stick to eliminate brush strokes and unwanted texture. I allocate one of my synthetic flat brushes for priming.

Once you've allowed the Slick Stick to dry overnight you;'re ready to paint! I used 3 coats of Plum Crazy Chalk Mineral Paint with a synthetic brush for full coverage. The only part I didn't paint was the clasp - I wanted to keep that original as it had some great patina on it!

Here's the trunk after 3 coats of Plum Crazy. Its pretty but it needed something else!

I applied a coat of Best Dang Wax in Clear with a dish sponge all over the chest.

Then using the French Tip Brush I applied Best Dang Wax in Black around the corners, edges and handles.

Then, using the same dish sponge as an eraser, I removed the excess black wax. This left the black wax exactly where I wanted it without it being too heavy. How much you leave on is down to personal preference and the overall look you desire. 

Below is the finished trunk and some close ups! I hope this short blog has inspired you to get painting pieces you didn't think were possible!

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