Re-Painting Props

Here is an interesting item i found at Micheal's Crafts. It's a chalkboard pedestal sign usually used as table menus, table placements at weddings or just a decorative home accent.

I popped out the chalkboard and replaced it with my Witches Spells menu. Although the aged white looks nice, i am going to repaint it to match the candlestick.


I have seen many of these on the internet in different styles including a back-lit candle picture frame.

 You want to start by base coating the pedestal and frame black, front and back. This piece can be painted in many variations. As you can see in this picture the frame looks like wood as well as the filigree so i will be painting it a dark oak color. The base will be a metallic copper with a green patina.

Now start your dry bushing with Folk Art Burnt Umber over the whole frame and base. This will take away the harshness of the black base coat.

Lets bring the wood frame to life. I dry brushed only the frame and filigree two coats of Burnt Sienna. Normally i would dry brush a beige color like Honeycomb for accent, but i want the wood to look dark. The black base coat showing through the wood grain will enhance the the Burnt Sienna.

Now lets start having some fun with the base. I really like working with the Folk Art Metallic paints for accents. Dry brush a couple of coats of Metallic Copper. Also you will notice i dry brushed the little beads around the inner frame with Copper as well.

The fun part is adding a patina to the Copper. I dry brushed about three coats of Folk Art Bayberry. It's a light green when applied to the copper gives it that tarnished green patina. Add some Bayberry to the beads on the inner frame as well.

If you don't want to much patina, try using a painters paint sponge and daub it on in random areas. Make sure you have enough of the black base coat and Copper showing through.

To finish it off and bring out all the colors, apply a coat of Americana mat varnish. Now you can see how it matches my display theme.