Paint it Gold, Whatever It Is

June 10, 2021 / 22 Comments

The Midas Touch

Are you sick of hearing about wedding stuff? (Because I am.) This is another one of those projects that, yes, technically was for my wedding day, but can also be for any day. (Like… Tuesday, for example…) You can use this painting technique to elevate the look of figurines or frames or other decorative things. To do this mysterious project yourself, the first thing you’re going to want to do is paint it gold, whatever “it” is.

Here’s my “thing”…

1920s full color skeleton figurine

1920s full color skeleton figurine

Kind of corny looking, but I loved the figurine itself. (Find it here.) Our wedding was a 1920s “Gatsby” affair (and we’re kinda bad-assy) so the flapper and gangster skeletons were perfect. I just wasn’t a fan of the colors, so I painted it gold.

1920s skeleton figurine painted gold

1920s skeleton figurine painted gold

I used Krylon metallic paint in Gold Leaf. (You don’t have to paint it gold. Any metallic paint will work here.) I gave it a few coats and let it dry completely. Mine was super dry because I procrastinated a couple of weeks before finally getting around to doing the next step, which is…

Adding the Antique Look

Two days before my wedding, I remembered that I forgot to finish this project, so I took a little bit of black, acrylic paint (I used FolkArt paint in Pure Black) and put it in a disposable bowl.

FolkArt acrylic paint in pure black

Dab of black paint in a disposable bowl

I thinned it out with a little bit of water and painted it onto my figurine in small sections (making sure to get it into the crevices), then I wiped it off of the high spots with a damp paper towel.

Gold 1920s painted figurine with black paint wiped on

Gold 1920s painted figurine with black paint wiped on

You don’t want to let the paint dry before wiping it off, so it’s important to work in those small sections.

Gold 1920s painted figurine with black paint added with a brush

And don’t be alarmed when your hands look like this… Thirty-six hours before your wedding… Twelve hours before your manicure… Because black paint is super easy to get out from under your fingernails.

Hand with black paint all over it and under fingernails

No, it is so not. Wear gloves, dummy.

So, this is how my little figurine turned out. The caterers forgot to display it until the end of the night, and my guests barely noticed it, so it’s a really good thing I got it done in time.

1920s skeleton painted gold figurine with black antiquing

*** Note to brides planning a wedding: No one cares but you.

Paint it gold. Whatever it is.

At least it looks cool enough to display in our living room now. Painting things gold definitely makes them look fancier.

And, in case you were worried, I did manage to get that black paint out from under my fingernails…

My hand with my wedding rings

Guys, I’m married!

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22 Comments

    • My Crappy House

      June 17, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      Ruh roh. You KNOW I love this figurine! I was just pandering to the interwebs… This is the best figurine ever

  • Katherine Davies

    June 10, 2021 at 8:39 am Reply

    Soooo delighted for you both! Love the figurine – bravo!

    We might have originally subscribed to your blog for other reasons, but the wedding stuff is a wonderful bonus. You’re up in my original neck of the woods. I hope you love every minute of it – I’m really enjoying your great photos on Instagram!

    • My Crappy House

      June 17, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      Thank you! We really did enjoy our time in New England. Did you move abroad because they are such bad drivers? Because… MAN, are they bad drivers… lol

    • My Crappy House

      June 17, 2021 at 3:59 pm

      I will definitely be writing a post about the wedding with pictures and all, but I do have a couple right now on my Instagram (and Facebook too because everything I post to Instagram gets posted to Facebook…)

  • Joan

    June 10, 2021 at 9:27 am Reply

    I’m not sick of the wedding stuff! I’m enjoying the shots from the Honeymoon. The statue definitely looks better now!

    • My Crappy House

      June 17, 2021 at 4:00 pm

      There absolutely will be! As soon as I get my pictures back from my photographer, I’ll be writing a post wedding post. And then we can all move on!

  • Em

    June 10, 2021 at 1:54 pm Reply

    There had BETTER BE LOTS of wedding stuff. I want all the deets so I can admire your creativity on all the things.
    Loooove the antiquing over the gold!!! Love the figurines. Want to see what you did with the assumed centerpiece and/or table name stands.

    Yes, I want to l know it all…in as many posts as you’d like. That way I can forgive you for not inviting perfect strangers to attend.

    • My Crappy House

      June 17, 2021 at 4:02 pm

      Haha you’ll definitely be getting another wedding post that sums it all up. And possibly one other because one of the projects I did was really cool, but I’ll ask you guys in a poll if you care to see that one. Just waiting for the pictures to come back from my photographer…

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