Very Verdigris

I found this funny little vase at Goodwill the other day.

It didn’t have a price on it, but I held onto it, in spite of the ominous messages they played in the store about “items not having a price tag will need to be taken to a manager. Sales clerks are not authorized to set prices.” What.Ever.

I’m still recovering from foot surgery and I was already near the front when I heard the message. I wasn’t about to hobble around the store to track down a sales manager. I decided to take my chances.

Sure enough, the sales clerk came up with a price all on her own. $.50!

I certainly wasn’t going to complain.

The little vase is a funky clay type material. I’m not sure how to describe it, except “gritty.

My boys/man call it my Aztec vase, although there are clearly flowers all over it. I gave this vase my Verdigris treatment.

I spray painted the vase in my hammered copper spray paint.

I actually used a couple of paints for this treatment.

The Americana “Indian Turquoise” is has a bit of green to the color, but the Folk Art “Deep Ocean Blue” is more of a true blue/aqua color.

I started with the Folk Art paint and covered the vase with paint.

Make sure to get into all the grooves and to give the paint a few minutes to dry. I then take a damp cloth and wipe off the paint. I like to use an old sheet for this process. If you use a cloth with a nap to it, you’ll remove too much paint out of the grooves. The old sheet is smooth and helps you remove the paint from the high points.

Let the paint dry for a few minutes and do it again. I kept alternating between the two colors and then occasionally hit it with a layer of Valspar’s Antiquing glaze to tone things down just a bit.

Towards the end, I just dry brushed on the “Indian Turquoise” to hit the high points. The layering of the colors is what gives this technique it’s dimension.

As you wipe it down between layers, you can get the shine of the spray paint to come through, or you can leave it slightly covered by the paint. There’s no wrong way to do this. Since I like the shine, I wiped things down a bit.

Cost Breakdown:

• Vase – $.50
• Spray Paint – Stash on Hand
• Acrylic Paints – Stash on Hand

Total Project Cost – $.50

Total Project Time – About 30 minutes, not including drying time for spray paint

Do you have a favorite faux metal treatment?

Suesan