I’ve been on the hunt for some cool vintage industrial-style locker baskets for a while now. I love the look, and I knew they would definitely come in handy for all types of storage. Problem is, they can cost quite a bit of money, especially at antique markets or flea markets. I found the perfect ones this summer at the Antique Tobacco Barn in Asheville, NC. I was so excited until I looked at the price tag! I had to pass them up. But last weekend I stopped in one of my favorite stores on earth, HomeGoods, where I found some new/faux vintage locker baskets. I knew I would have to figure out how to make metal look aged in order to achieve the look I wanted.
Here are my HomeGoods finds:
I picked up a cute yellow table runner and two vintage-style locker baskets – and they were a steal! Now, clearly there was a problem though. They were yellow and green, and although they were really cute, they didn’t exactly have the industrial feel I’m going for. I decided to work some DIY magic to turn them into the type of locker baskets I really wanted. While the yellow and green could work, they just weren’t my taste.
I started by spraying them with primer and then giving them each a coat of metallic silver spray paint.
After the spray paint dried, I used my secret weapon, Ebony Rub ‘N Buff, to add some faux patina.
You can find Rub ‘N Buff online or at Hobby Lobby and it comes in several colors. I just rubbed it onto the basket with my finger and wiped it with a clean white cloth as I went along.
This process is messy! My hands were black when I was done, but from what I’ve heard using your fingers produces the best results. If you really just don’t want to get messy, you could try using gloves or a brush. (It washes off with soap and water and a little scrubbing though.) I did use a small artist’s brush to get in the nooks and crannies and to touch up some of the splotchy areas. After you apply the Rub ‘N Buff, you just buff it with a cloth until you get the finish you want.
And here are my “faux” vintage industrial locker baskets:
You could definitely do this with any metal item. If it’s already metallic silver, you can just skip the spray paint and go straight to “aging” it with the Rub ‘N Buff. You could also use this technique to create a galvanized metal look on anything that is shiny silver.
Do you love making new things look old too? Or do you prefer making old things look new? (I’m a fan of doing both.)
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-Erin
