Saturday Step by Step: Faux Metal Mailbox

Hello and welcome to all my crafty friends! It's Nancy here, and I'm honored to be hosting this weeks Saturday Step by Step. 

I wanted to try something totally new to me - a weathered metal technique. It was risky, because I didn't know how it would turn out, but I persevered until I got the look I was going for. I embraced a rich, seasonal color palette for this altered 'cornucopia' style mailbox overflowing with earthy autumn delights. I made two of them. One is to be a gift for a dear friend. I'll be using mine as a centerpiece on our Thanksgiving table.      

We'll transform this paper mache mailbox in to a rusty, weathered metal finish. You can find this mailbox at Michael's, AC Moore, or Hobby Lobby. I've had mine in my craft closet for a couple of years! You can also use this technique on any chipboard or paper mache piece you have in your stash.  

When fall is in the air I start craving hot cider and pumpkin donuts. But it doesn't end there. My other addiction is this Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves die. If you've been to my blog you may have noticed I've used it on several creations this season. For this project we will cut 7 leaves of your choice using this die. 

You'll  need a few simple supplies. Here I have a tiny bird's nest from Michaels, some purchased paper flowers, and a twine bow. Feel free to improvise with your embellishments depending on what you have on hand.

Some moss, lichen, and berries add elements of nature to the project. I picked these up last year at Michael's when they went on sale.  

Now it's time to prepare the embellishments. I dampened the nest with water then sprayed it with Vintage Photo Distress Ink to darken it a little. After it dried I adhered small pieces of moss here and there. 

I dampened the paper flowers with my mini mister and sprayed them with Tim Holtz Distress Inks in various colors. I used three different colors on each flower for a variegated look. I'll leave a complete list of the colors I used at the bottom of the post. 

The leaves receive the same Distress Stain treatment as the flowers. I like the way the orange leaves turned out the best. I also pressed the orange leaves into the paper towel I used to spray on. It left a nice pattern on the leaves.    

I guess I got over-excited about trying a new technique, because I totally forgot to take photos of the first three steps. I'll demonstrate each step on a piece of chipboard instead. 

I started by prepping the mailbox with a light coat of gesso. 

My next step was to spread random areas of texture paste and whipped spackle, then left it to air dry. 

After the mailbox was completely dry I gave it a coat of brown acrylic paint. When it dried I noticed a some tiny white spots remaining. They will be completely covered in the next step.   

Now it's time to apply two good coats of Antiqued Bronze Distress Stain. Some of the brown paint continues to show through. This exactly what I wanted. I dried the stain with my heat gun. It caused the paint to bubble, adding even more texture.   

Finally I sprayed on a light coat of Walnut Stain Distress Spray and dried it with my heat gun. 

I re-attached the mailbox flag. I had to punch new holes because the original ones were covered in coats of paint. 

When adding embellishments I work from largest to smallest. In this case I started by adhering the nest at the opening of the mailbox, placing it as far to the left as possible. 

The leaves came next. I placed them in three areas, fanning them out to form a semi circle around the mailbox.  

The leaves become a guide for the placement of the flowers, as shown in the photo below. 

In the below photo all the flowers have been added. 

Now add some moss and lichen... 

The final touch...berries and a twine bow! 

I've included a few close ups below.   

Thank you so much for joining me! Don't forget to check out our latest challenge here on the Frilly and Funkie blog. Sending wishes to all for a happy Thanksgiving!

Hugs,

Ranger Inkssentials Non-Stick Craft Sheet	Tim Holtz Tonic Studios 9.5" Titanium Scissors	Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents	Ranger Inkssentials Wonder Tape - 1/8"	RANGER MIXED MEDIA CARDSTOCK 8 1/2" X 11" 10PK
Ranger ADHESIVE - WHITE FOAM ROLL 1/2" X 1/16"x 2.1 YDS.	Tim Holtz Tonic Studios Kushgrip Snip w/Non-Stick Blade & Cap	Ranger Heat It Craft Tool	Dina Wakley Media Mediums - White Gesso	Sizzix® Accessory - Precision Base Plate for Wafer-Thin Dies
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain - Carved Pumpkin	Ranger Tim Holtz Ground Espresso Distress Spray Stain	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Spray Stain - Fossilized Amber	Ranger Tim Holtz Twisted Citron Distress Spray Stain	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Gathered Twigs
Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Walnut Stain	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Wild Honey	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Crushed Olive	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Vintage Photo	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Tea Dye
Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Spiced Marmalade	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Tarnished Brass	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Rusty Hinge	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Peeled Paint	Tim Holtz Ranger Distress Stain Spray - Antiqued Bronze
Tim Holtz Ranger Metallic Distress Stain - Antiqued Bronze	Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves Die	Ranger Inkssentials Mini Mister	Tim Holtz Water Brush, Detailer Brush Nib	Tim Holtz Ranger Water Brush, 1/2" Broad Tip
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Jute Twine