Hey there friends! I feel like things are finally getting back to some level of normal around here, even in the midst of summer craziness. Thanks for sticking with me through vacation, guest posts, & link parties... I'm ready to get back to some project talk. Does that sound o.k.?
So...several years ago before brass was back in style, I picked up this fantastic tray for a few dollars at a thrift store, and promptly spray painted it black. Don't mind the dust, I pulled it out of storage.
Fast forward a few years to today when brass is all the rage again, and I've seen that tray on some popular home decor sites for a pretty penny. So what's a girl to do who has realized the error of her ways? After confirming with my dad-who-knows-everything that it would be ok, I decided to strip the paint off.
It couldn't have been easier! I used this:
and within just a few minutes the paint was already bubbling up, ready to come off. And just FYI, don't try spreading stripper around on your piece with a foam brush. It will eat your brush in about two seconds, trust me. Use a super cheap chip or regular bristle brush.
When the paint was all bubbly and loose, I used the hose to rinse it while I rubbed lightly with a piece of very fine steel wool, just to get all of the nooks and crannies clean.
Here it is all cleaned off! Now I remember why I painted it...it wasn't in the best condition.
I didn't think that it would completely shine up, but I've said it before and I'll tell you again, BAR KEEPER'S FRIEND is awesome for brass! With some water and a light scrub it even cleaned off the spots that I thought were permanently discolored.
Here's the beauty all cleaned up:
So shiny!
It's nice to know that sometimes mistakes can be reversed, and maybe the result can be even better than the original!
