How to transform a thrifted bucket into a piece of beauty ~Guest Post by Pretty Handy Gril

Today my friends I have a treat for you. The amazing Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl is here to show you how she turns an ugly thrifted pail into a beautiful work of art. Pretty Handy Girl is the name Brittany goes be and I think it must be the understatement of the year because she is pretty all right, but when it comes to being handy her name should be Astonishing Handy Girl.

There isn’t a power tool that has secrets for this lady and she shares all her knowledge so openly and freely on her blog Pretty Handy Girl that it has become a true site for empowering women. Love that.

Anyhow enough of me, lets give the floor to Brittany…..

Thanks Songbird for inviting me to guest post today. When I look at this beautiful white aged pail I can see it sitting atop your white suitcases. I hope your readers enjoy this tutorial on painting an aged pail. I was strolling through our local Goodwill last week looking for goodies donated by people trying to claim a last minute tax write-off. I came across a bucket with a $1 price on it.

It may not look like much, but I honestly had a vision and ran to the register before anyone else could claim it.

Miss Mustard Seed’s aged painted pails have been stored in my memory banks since I first saw them. (And that is saying a lot, considering I can’t remember what I ate for lunch today!)

Marion used crackle medium, but I read somewhere that you can use regular Elmer’s glue mixed with a little water instead. So that is what I did – and guess what – IT WORKED! Materials:

Instructions:Pour glue in jar and add a small amount of water.

Use enough water to thin the glue so it would be easier to paint on.

Brush it all over the outside of the pail (bottom too!) And let it dry.

Take out flat white paint and paint one coat on the pail.

Work quick because the paint gets gooey quick and you don’t want to keep brushing over the paint when it starts to dry (trust me on this one.)

After the white paint dries, take out some acrylic paints and paint some stripes, flowers and a monogram on the pail. (Sheesh, I should have put an “M” on there for Marianne Songbird!)

To protect the paint from chipping off, brush on a coating of matte Mod Podge.

Pretty adorable right? Well, that’s not the end: hop over to my blog to see how I bought these for $2.49…

…and then cut and sewed a bucket liner with the Goodwill Pants.

I added a few bath and indulgent finds to create a perfect spa-themed gift for any friend.

I hope you enjoyed this easy tutorial. Come on over to Pretty Handy Girl and view more of my gift idea tutorials. Or take a few minutes and be empowered to use a power tool!

www.PrettyHandyGirl.com A DIY Blog Empowering You to Complete Your Own Project

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Wasn’t that great? Makes me want to go and visit the thrift shop immediately and then crackle something…..

Show Brittany some love and let her know how awesome she is in the comments and of course if you don’t already: be empowered, follow her blog Pretty Handy Girl, you won’t regret it.

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