How to Age New Metal (Rust finish)

I partnered with Modern Masters for this post.

I’m so glad you guys all loved the chalkboard art and free printable we created last week. Click here if you missed it.

I also let you in on a little secret.

This basket, this rusty old basket, well, it isn’t that old.

In fact, this is how it looked when I picked it up from the dollar section at Target:

My secret weapon? Modern Masters’ Metal Effects in Rust. You can see the full set here.

It really was super easy. You may remember that I used another one of their metal effects on a Coastal Upcycle for Swap it Like Its Hot last year. I used the copper patina on this little lobster in Conor’s room.

I like using metal to create an authentic finish. So metal would age in this way, but you don’t need to just do metal as this paint also works on any paintable surface. The paint contains real metal particles and when you spray the reactive agent on the metal reacts to the specified finish. Here’s a step by step.

How to Create Rust on New Metal

Materials

Modern Masters’ Reactive Paint Set in Rust
A metal basket and metal brackets on the chalkboard

Method

Step 1 – Primer. If you’re painting a surface you don’t want to ruin. You should use the primer. I decided to skip this step for my project because I didn’t care about protecting the metal.

Step 2 – Paint on the Oxidizing Iron Paint. I applied two coats, allowing to dry between coats. For the basket, I painted only where the rust would naturally form. I focused on the joints, the handles and the inside of the basket.

Step 3 – Apply Rust Activator. Wait 5 minutes and apply rust activator again.

Step 4 – Seal Permacoat Xtreme. The permacoat seals the rust in and will minimize and further corrosion.

I am so happy with the results! I have so many ideas for this paint from hardware to furniture and a few smalls inbetween. The nice thing is it is for indoor / outdoor use. Think of all the fun garden projects you can do with it!

For the blackboard, I applied the paint all over the metal bracket and spritzed as above. I also added some black acrylic paint to add more age.

Here you can see the before: