Today's 12 Days of Christmas project is hot...
as in you need a fire to make it happen.
Galvanized buckets are about $15 each at the local ranch supply store. But, a 99 cent thrift store pail and a little fire are all you need to make a rustic bucket for Christmas decor.
I put this one in my wood stove. No wood stove? Have a bonfire or use an outdoor burn barrel (or ask a neighbor if you can use their fire). I left it for the whole day, turning it with the fireplace poker.
A bit of the paint (the tennis racket) did not want to burn off completely, but when the bucket was cool, I used a dry cloth to wipe the ash away and most of the design disappeared. I spray painted the bucket inside and out with a clear finish to seal the ash on the pail.
Then, using Funky Junk Interiors Old Sign Stencils (BUY HERE), I stenciled snowflakes on the outside of the pail. These stencils are perfect for stenciling an awkward item like a bucket because the high quality mylar is flexible. I used the winter's graphic stencil on the bucket. PLEASE NOTE--Prices shown are in Canadian, it will convert when you purchase. I clear coated the pail again when the paint was dry.
I put a thrift store decorative tree ($3!!) in the bucket and decorated it with thrift store snowflake ornaments.
It would be cute filled with Styrofoam snowballs, twigs and branches painted white, Christmas books, or a poinsettia.
I love the fire finish and plan on throwing more buckets into the fire. What would you use it for?
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This is so cute, Becky! I would never have thought of burning the finish off!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Each finish comes out a little different. I have a couple round, metal trays in the fire right now. I am not sure what I am going to do with them, but I have a few ideas.
DeleteThanks for ideas for Christmas projects,been looking thru allmy old stuff for ideas, might just have an old metal container,not bucket, to stencil snowflakes on. Great IDEA,SMART, TO WIPE OFF ASH FROM BURNING OFF FINISH. I used to watch Home and Family when we still had satellite, Do you make lots of holiday projects? Dish, tv, long time ago.Don't miss having to pay for it tho, way too expensive.Hope you're having good and productive week.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, I love creating Christmas projects. I have lots more in the works. I have been without a car for about a month, so my thrifting has been infrequent. I really get so many ideas from thrift store goodies. I watch Home and Family every now and then, but not often. I wonder if you could find it online?
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