Waste basket update Tutorial

As I wrote earlier on my 'cat box' post, I have been updating many of my home's fixtures with Rustoleuom rubbed bronze spray paint. Spray painting is a pretty easy task that even the novice crafter can tackle easily.

My latest project on this series is my bathroom waste basket. It's like a miniature trash can, and I truly love it. I am not too fond of open baskets, as you can see the waste inside. And who likes to gaze at trash? This basket has a nice lid that conceals the waste and a pedal for easy opening if your hands are full. So what's the problem here? Well, the finish. In my old home everything was brushed nickel, here most of the house was already rubbed bronze when we moved in...and we are slowly transitioning whatever wasn't. I'd hate to have to buy a new trash can, when I have a perfectly good one on my hands. So, out comes my can of spray paint and a new project begins.

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Here is my trash can all taped up and ready to be sprayed (I used masking tape to cover all parts I did not want to get bronzed). I removed the lid as it made it easier for me to spray the two separate parts. I have yet to spray the small rack that you see in the picture. I have not yet decided if I will spray it or not (my basement bath is chrome...so I may use it down there as is).

Since I did not want to worry about spraying the inside I filled the bin with a paper wad and only taped a few inches for safe measure.

I went on to spray several thin coats, first on the bin itself and then on the underside of the lid. I sprayed several thin coats until every 30 minutes until I was satisfied with the coverage. A few hours later, I flipped the lid right side up and sprayed the top. I did the same with the bin (flipped it upside down) to make sure I would get all angles. Again, I sprayed thin coats every 30 minuter or so, until I was happy with the results. And here is my finished product. I think it looks pretty good. Off course it does not have the Venetian bronze finish with the copper undertones, but it looks better this way when the rest of the room is accessorized in a bronze finish.

And a profile ^__^

Be honest. You LOVE the yellow formica countertops don't you? LOL. Don't despair. The granite has been ordered and should be here soon. I can't wait!

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 Most other 'bronzing' projects are PB (pre-blog), so I don't have many pictures of the step-by-step. But, I thought you may enjoy seeing how they turned out, so here are a few.

I sprayed all of my air vents...this one is in my kitchen. I really love my new tiles.

My laundry's fan. The colors are a bit off since this is a windowless bathroom. 

Virtually no light in here.

And finally, my guest bathroom bathtub's plumbing (the handheld shower has not been spray painted. It is actually a true Venetian bronze finish and so is the shower rod. This should give you an idea of what the spray paint looks next to the real deal).

Here is a close up of the faucet.

I had actually thought of replacing the tub's faucet handle with a newer style one, but then a friend of mine (who did) advised me against it. Apparently her new handle does not seem to successfully mix the water temperature as this old one did. Her water is always either too hot or too cold, so I may just have to live with this handle after all -__-

There is really no limit to what you can spray paint. I have seen other bloggers spray paint shower enclosures, door handles, cabinet hardware, light  fixtures, ect...your imagination is the limit. Spray paint is a quick and easy way to update your home on a budget!