How to Create a Faux Iron Finish

If you want to refinish an existing piece of furniture, wall art, picture frame or other item there is a very simple and inexpensive technique to achieve the look of real iron.

What you will need:

1 or more cans of black spray paint in a flat finish (amount depends on the size of the piece you are refinishing)

1 small tube brick red acrylic paint

1 small tube earthy brown acrylic paint

Small thin paintbrush(s)

Paper plate or painter's palette (if you own one already)

Paper Towels

First, completely spray paint your item black. Remember to spray paint in a well ventilated area: outside is best. Allow your piece to dry overnight. Once your item is dry, you can apply the rust finish. Although intentionally making a piece of art or furniture look rusty may seem counter-productive as we typically don't like having rusty objects in our homes, the key to achieving a real iron look is the rust finish. It mimics the look of actual iron and gives your piece dimension. Otherwise, you item will simply look like it's been painted black.

On a paper plate or painter's palette, mix the red and brown acrylic paints until you achieve your desired shade of "rust". I opted for two colors of acrylic paints rather than one "rust" color so I could slightly vary the shade of the rust throughout the finishing process. Rust itself is not perfectly uniform, so the "rust" on your item does not have to look perfect either.

Once you have mixed your desired shade, with your paintbrush start with a small section of your item and apply the acrylic paint to any grooves or indents. If you have few or no grooves or indents, apply the paint wherever you feel rust would naturally occur. After you have applied the paint in a small area, take a paper towel and quickly rub the area. Some of the paint should remain intact in the grooves and indents, while some will be blended into the surrounding areas. If you have no grooves on your piece, you will want to smudge the paint on the flat surface so there are no hard edges.

Continuing in small sections repeat until you have applied the rust finish to the entire piece. Don't over apply the rust finish - you want some of the black to show through as it would on actual iron. The rust is only a highlight of the areas that, if the piece were actually made of iron and exposed to the elements, would rust naturally. The rust finish should be subtle yet visible. There is no right or wrong though; just follow your gut. Once you are finished, allow the acrylic paint to dry and voila! Your item now has an aesthetically pleasing faux-iron finish!