Consider Patina For Used Glass Decor
Imagine making a simple glass vase or bottle look like a piece of aged metal with a beautiful patina. I’m sure you have seen thrift store shelves filled with glass bottles, jars and vases and wondered what you could use them for. I’m going to show you a simple and fun technique, using four easy steps, to transform those glass vases and bottles into into patina decor that looks like a beautifully aged metal.
I recently tried this technique with a few glass vases and bottles from Goodwill. Initially I was planning to spray them with a spray paint in turquoise and light green sea glass. However, I didn’t do a good job with the spray paint and they turned out streaky. Instead of trying to redo the spray paint, I chose an aged look with patina paint. That was my first attempt at using Patina Paint and I love it! I’m hooked!
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My Favorite Method to Create an Aged Metal Patina Finish On Glass
Let me tell you about my favorite method to get a patina finish. Dixie Belle created a Patina Collection that is so simple and easy to use to transform your decor and furniture. Patina is a rust-like film, usually in greenish or blue or rust color, that develops in nature when metals and a few other materials are exposed to air over many years.
Patina Paint allows you to get that same aged look on your home decor. The Dixie Belle Patina Paints come in copper, bronze, and iron. The Patina Spray offers a choice of green or blue. The paint and the spray work together to create a unique look depending on your combination of choice. You can check out the Dixie Belle Paint Company website for a fun video on their Patina Collection https://dixiebellepaint.com/how-to-use-dixie-belle-paint-products-1/#patina
These Patina Paints are safe to use on all types of objects and materials. This includes glass, wood, metal, and even cardboard. I have even seen it used on Styrofoam! I recently wrote a blog post about how to use the Dixie Belle Patina Paint products on metals. You can check it out here: https://simplyrefinished.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2345&action=edit. In this post, I focus on how to patina glass decor items to give them this really cool patina finish.
Before You Start the Patina Process
First, let me warn you that this process is a little messy, so I recommend placing your items on cardboard, newspaper, or some type of drop cloth. If you have nothing else, even using a large plastic garbage bag taped to your table or other surface works well. I also recommend wearing gloves and it’s best to use the patina spray in an area where there’s some ventilation.
Second, is to clean your décor. Remember that you can use simple soap and water and rinse well or clean well with a 50/50 mix of denatured alcohol and water. The other option is to clean with Dixie Belle’s White Lightening, which works very well. All of these need to be rinsed and the item allowed to dry.
Next, we’ll go through the steps in the patina process in some detail. You can get my helpful printable Quick Steps To A Patina Paint Finish.
Steps in the Patina Process
This process is simple, and I break it down into four easy steps to transform your glass decor items, giving them an aged patina finish.
STEP 1
Firstly, apply a primer that works for slick surfaces. You can apply paint directly to a slick surface and overall the adhesion is not too bad. However, for best results to get good adhesion of the paint to the glass, I would do a primer coat. This gives the paint something to grab onto to help it adhere better with less risk of chipping off in the future. My favorite primer for slick surfaces is Dixie Belle Slick Stick. This stuff is the bomb for any type of surface that is shiny, slippery, and surfaces like laminates. Dixie Belle Slick Stick comes only in white and it takes a few hours to dry. The instructions say to apply a second coat, but I only used one coat of Slick Stick on these glass jars. I’m not always patient with these projects!
STEP 2
After the Dixie Belle Slick Stick is good and dry, apply a layer of chalk or mineral paint in your choice of color. I love Dixie Belle’s Paint. There are so many colors to choose from and the coverage is fantastic! You can find your local Dixie Belle Retailer here https://dixiebellepaint.com/find-a-dixie-belle-paint-retailer/ or you can order directly from Dixie Belle here https://dixiebellepaint.com/paint/. I love that the Dixie Belle Paints dry very fast, usually in 1 hour or so, depending on the humidity. If you don’t have Dixie Belle Paint on hand, you can use any chalk paint brand.
STEP 3
Now, we can move onto to the following steps where you use the Dixie Belle Patina Collection. Once you choose you Paint Color (copper, iron or bronze), you apply your first coat. Certainly you are not limited to just using one color per piece. I have seen people using multiple colors of paint on the same item. You can apply with any type of paint brush or even using sponges to dab on the paint in specific areas. You can use the Patina to cover the entire piece or just small select areas. Two coats of Patina Paint will be applied, but the first coat should be allowed to dry completely before moving forward. Once the first coat is dry, apply a second coat of Patina Paint.
STEP 4
Now comes the fun part! While the second coat of Dixie Belle Patina Paint is wet, you spray on the Dixie Belle Patina Spray in the color of your choice. As I mentioned earlier it comes in green or blue spray. You can, just like the paints, use both sprays on the same piece. For a less controlled look, just spray on the Patina spray using the nozzle provided. For a more controlled outcome, apply the Patina Spray only to select areas using a sponge or smaller paint brush.
What to Expect
The final patina finish will take anywhere from 2-6 hours to develop. You will begin to see some action taking place as soon as you apply the spray. After the Patina Spray is dry and you are happy with the finish, you will need to wipe the surface with a damp cloth or paper towels. There will be a fine dust over the areas “patina’d”! Is that a word? I don’t think so, but we can make one up. Once you have wiped the dust off, you will likely want to seal your piece with a topcoat or sealer, such as Dixie Belle Clear Coat. I use mostly Clear Coat in Satin or Flat. Dixie Belle Gator Hide is another option. If you don’t have any of those topcoats, use any Polyurethane topcoat or a wax to seal.
Get my printable Quick Steps To A Patina Finish to use as you start on your next patina project. See the bottom of this post.
How To Use Patina In Your Home Decor
As you can see, this four step process for using Dixie Belle Patina Paint on glass, is easy and fun way to change your glass decor into aged patina. It will quickly transform your simple clear glass vases and jars into something much more unique and fun. Patina looks great with so many types of decor including farmhouse and coastal and even more modern styles.
I hope you will head to your local thrift store and pick up a few cheap used glass vases and bottles and turn them into an aged work of art using Dixie Belle Patina Paint!
Below are a few finished glass pieces
Get My Quick Steps To A Patina Finish
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