HERE’S HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE *ANYTHING* LOOK LIKE REAL BRONZE WITH THIS EASY BRONZE PAINT TECHNIQUE | YOUTUBE VIDEO

Hi sweet friends and thanks for dropping in! Today I’m sharing this salvaged MDF table top that I’ve turned into a DIY Faux Bronze Tray. The great thing about the fake bronze paint technique is that it will work on anything – plastics, ceramics, wood, glass, and more!

It’s also one of my favorite days of the month – Trash To Treasure Tuesday. I’m joining my T2T crew and sharing links to their projects below. I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ve created and I hope you join me on today’s tour as well!

Here’s the tabletop I found curbside a few years ago. I removed the three wood legs when I first brought it home. I have no idea where I put them but I’m sure they’ll turn up somewhere…lol.

This table top is made of 1/4″ MDF and measures 19 inches in circumference.

THIS POST IS SPONSORED/CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE.  YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Trash Table Top  – SALVAGED
Half Mood Hardware Handles
Klein Screw Cutter Tool
Oval Paint Brush
Shop Towels
Metal Primer
Bronze Patina Paint
Gold Shimmer Glaze
Black Gilding Wax
Gold Gilding Way
Gator Hide Topcoat

DIY FAUX BRONZE TRAY

Here’s how I turned this MDF board into a realistic-looking bronze tray…

 PREP  

I started by removing the hardware that the three wood legs screwed into. Then I gave it a good wipe-down with a damp sponge.

ADDING HANDLES

I tested a few handles and liked the half-moon hardware on this tray. To attach them, I measured the center of this circle and then quartered it using a square ruler and pencil. The screws that came with the hardware were too long so I shortened them using my Klein Screw Cutter Tool.

Pro Tip – Using some painter’s tape, I taped it to the back of the handle and marked the holes with a pencil.  I measured the same distance on both sides of the tray and drilled some pilot holes. Then I drilled the holes and screwed in the two new tray handles.

PRIME METAL

Now that my tray handles were attached, I primed them before applying the bronze paint. This allows the bronze paint to stick to the metal.  It will also prevent the patina from eating through the metal. I didn’t end up using the patina spray but it’s still great for better adhesion.

FAUX BRONZE PAINT

Using my small oval brush I painted on two coats of this Bronze Paint making sure to apply it in different directions.

Then using the tips of the brush, I stippled the wet paint for additional texture.

To add even more variety, I used a shop towel to pat down areas of the wet paint.

GLAZE SHIMMER

Once my two coats of textured Bronze Paint had dried, I applied some Gold Shimmer Glaze.

Right after I brushed the glaze on, I immediately used a shop towel and wiped off the excess.

ANTIQUING WITH WAX

To create a realistic bronze metal patina, I also stippled on some black and gold gilding wax. I went heavier around the handles and edges where more wear would have naturally occurred.

TOPCOAT

The next morning after everything was dry, I sponged on three coats with Gator Hide.  I’ll be using this tray to stage and style my painted furniture but I like it so much, it’s going to sit on my living room table for the fall season as well.

FINISHED DIY FAUX BRONZE TRAY

Here’s the finished look. It turned out even better than I imagined it would!

I styled it with these Gold Leaf Pumpkins you may remember from a few years back.

 

Check out all this gorgeous antique patina!

And I love the metallic shine it reflects when the light hits it just right.

What do you think? Does it look like antiqued bronze to you?

This DIY tray is going to work amazing for staging and styling my painted furniture AND I love it on my table as well.

YOUTUBE TUTORIAL

Here’s the full step-by-step tutorial on YouTube. Our #siyoutubefamily is already a community of 41.3K so don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t done so already! So exciting, thank YOU! 🙂

And now for some Trash To Treasure FUN!

You’re going to LOVE what my creative Trash To Treasure ladies do! 🙂 Below are the BEFORE photos. Visit the links underneath to see the amazing AFTERS and learn how they did it! I’m heading over to take a peek as well! x

 

1. PRODIGAL PIECES

2. GIRL IN THE GARAGE

3. ARTSY CHICKS RULE

4. CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL DIYER

5. SALVAGED INSPIRATIONS (HAPPY YOU’RE HERE!)

Here’s another look at this DIY Faux Bronze Tray Makeover before and after. I hope it’s inspired you and given you some ideas for your projects!

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THIS DIY BRONZE TRAY MAKEOVER OR  FEEL FREE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE… I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. IT MAKES MY DAY! 🙂

Happy painting my friends!

Denise x

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