there’s a hole in my bucket.

Published on by Quandie

OK, so I promised a post every day this week, but I never said each post would be extensive, did I?

Today I’m sharing the quick and easy makeover of this pair of buckets.

You may remember that I picked these up at those back to back barn sales I found back at the end of May.  They have obviously been around the block a time or two.  I don’t think either one could actually hold water at this point.  But that makes them perfect to use as planters, or just as decor somewhere in your home.

I started with the smaller of the two buckets.  I rather liked the original patina on it, so I simply cleaned it well using Dawn dishwashing soap, and once dry I added a section from the Paris Valley transfer from re.design with prima.

It’s definitely a more subtle look, which I like personally, but fully realize would not be everyone’s cup of tea.

For bucket no. 2, I decided to paint it white first, thus allowing the transfer to take center stage.

Once again, I washed it well and this time I also sanded the outside lightly to give the surface more gripping power before painting.  Then I mixed up some of Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint in Ironstone, which is her brightest white.  I ended up painting three coats on the bucket to get good, solid coverage.  Milk paint tends to be a little more sheer than other kinds of paint, so if you’re using the white or very pale shades it can take up to three coats.

Once fully dry, which happens pretty quickly with milk paint, I sanded the paint to distress the finish.  Then I added another section from the Paris Valley transfer to this bucket.

The milk paint worked perfectly.  It mostly adhered, but got chippy in just a couple of spots giving this an authentically aged look.  I find that milk paint will adhere to a dull metal finish (like galvanized metal), but it won’t adhere well to a shiny, smooth metal finish.

I filled the bucket with some Annabelle hydrangeas which have just started to bloom here in my Minnesota garden.

By the way, I added a coat of clear wax to each of the buckets after applying the transfers.

It’s so easy to add just a little something extra with some paint and a transfer!

Which one is your favorite?

27 thoughts on “there’s a hole in my bucket.”

  1. They have such different personalities – I would have a hard time choosing! Thanks for the daily posts this week. Such fun!

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  6. Either one…Can’t pick, they are each one special. Just goes to show the old saying “one persons junk is another persons treasure”!

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  7. I love them both! But the white one is my favorite! We have about six buckets we got at an auction last year! I may need to do something like this and sell them in our booth.We are also doing a flea market in September, would look good with Mums even though I am not a Mum person! 🙂

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    1. I like using Limelight hydrangeas for fall as they start to turn coppery pink. Or another possibility would be filling them with those fabulous ornamental cabbages for fall. I’m not a huge fan of mums either 😉

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  8. Ooooh so pretty! I love crusty/rusty paired with the beauty of nature in my gardens, so I think I like the rusty bucket a tad bit more.
    Love your creativity.

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  9. The white is my favorite dear Liza dear Liza, the white is my favorite dear Liza the white! (humming along and now have that song stuck in my head!) Miss Quandie! Only TWO BUCKETS to share today? What a slacker!!! (-; (-;

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  12. I absolutely love your work and admire your creativity. The buckets are great! I do have a question though. How do you get the halos around the transfers to disappear so they don’t look like stickers? I’ve tried them several times and that halo/sticker look is always there even after i sand with a 400 grit sanding sponge. I so want to use them because so many are beautiful.

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    1. Well, the honest answer is, I don’t. They are there to some degree. Adding a little bit of sheen with a topcoat over them helps minimize them at bit though. That’s why I generally add a coat of clear wax over them. But from certain angles you can see them. I guess it just doesn’t bother me.

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      1. Thank you so much! I just really don’t see the halos on your work. I think I may also have received a faulty set but am so scared to try them again. You make everything look so easy and so very pretty!

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