Faux Metal Trinket Boxes Tutorial

I love to create different faux finishes on wood. Walnut Hollow boxes are the perfect blank canvas for creating. The wood finish on their boxes is smooth and ready to work with…I didn’t have to sand or prime anything! Keep reading to learn how I created two different faux metal finishes on these Walnut Hollow unfinished wood boxes.

Supplies:

• Walnut Hollow boxes:  Roomy Box and Card Box
• Gold Spray Paint
• Silver Spray Paint
• Resin Birds (dollar store)
• Wood scrapbook embellishments
• Metallic Paste: Black and Rose Gold
• Green Patina
• E-6000

Step one: Use E-6000 to glue the birds and embellishments to the tops of the boxes. Let the glue dry completely.

Step two: Spray paint the boxes with metallic spray paint. I used silver on one box and gold on the other. After the outside had dried I then spray painted inside both boxes.

Step three: Start with the silver painted box. Dip a soft cloth in the metallic paste and pick up a small amount. Rub it over the bird, and wipe it back, leaving the dark finish inside the creases. For hard to reach places, use a stiff brush.  Continue working this way, adding paste and then wiping some back. I like to leave a darker “tarnish” in the recesses of the decorative elements and on the corners and edges of the box. The finished piece has a faux pewter appearance, don’t you think?

Step four: To create a patina and faux copper finish on the gold box, start with Rose Gold Metallic Paste.  Just as you did before, use a stiff brush and a soft cloth to add the rose gold paste to the recesses and corners of the box.  Finally, brush on the green patina and then wipe it back so that the “tarnish” adds character and dimension to the box.

If you think the finished box will get handled a lot and you are worried about the finish chipping, you can seal the final product with a clear spray. This step is optional, and I usually don’t do it since I use my boxes as storage or as shelf decor. What other kinds of faux finishes do you like to create on wood?  Check out Walnut Hollow’s complete line of unfinished wood boxes to choose one for your next project!