The North End Loft: yard art

Jul 10, 2012

Old Painted Milk Can

A few months ago, I shared this old black milk can and asked your advice about what the heck to do with it. This milk can was a gift from my husband via his parents. It's about three feet tall and weighs about thirty-five pounds. It's not a baby milk can. It's the real deal from a dairy.

You see, I love old milk cans. Love them!

But not old black and red milk cans.

I love milk cans that are rusty and decrepit and kind of beat-up,
like this one at Blissfully Content.

I wasn't sure how to get from black and red to grey and rusty, so my milk can sat outside all spring waiting for me to get a clue.

I finally mustered up some courage, made a plan, bought some paint, and just went for it. After all, could my milk can really come out any worse-off than it already was?

No.

I started out by priming and spray painting the whole milk can satin nickle.

After it dried, I dry-brushed a little white acrylic paint on the larger surfaces, then I mixed some metallic copper and black on a plate and applied it, also with a dry brush, where rust might develop naturally. I used the rusty milk can in Blissfully Content's photo above as a guide. Finally, I sealed it all with an outdoor waterproof sealer.

These are the products I used.