Mail Holders Refinished

Taking a break from card-making, I wanted to show you a little project I did this summer.  I had been looking for something to keep incoming mail organized for forever.  While shopping at Pat Catan's this past summer I found this:

It was exactly what I was looking for except the lavender color.  The other color option was pink - not what I wanted either.  The price, however, was perfect:  under $5.  I bought two of them.

Fixing the color problem was easy.  I bought a can of Rustoleum Hammered Bronze spray paint and sprayed the inside and out with about 3 coats of paint.  When it was dry, I used a sponge brush and painted the entire surface with a slightly watered down black acrylic craft paint then wiped it off with a paper towel.  I was careful not to put too much pressure while wiping as I wanted to leave the black in the crevices. 

This is the final project:

Exactly what I wanted.  Can you believe the difference?  Amazing what a little paint can do.

Here is the before and after together:

And hanging on the wall:

I still haven't found a decorative hook to hang them on the wall.  In the meantime, a plain ole nail works.

Here is a picture frame that I refinished using the same paints that I used on the mail holder:

Previously, it was an unfinished wood frame.  I added the fleur de lis accents that I found at Pat Catans before I painted it. 

Thanks for looking.

Carol

Linked to:

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

I Heart Naptime

The Gunny Sack
Skip to My Lou
Our DIY Diaries