How to Paint Metal with Chalk Paint

Nearly every morning, I wake up to this:

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I hate to complain because when this is on the counter, it means my husband made me a yummy breakfast.

I needed a solution so the oatmeal could stay on the counter and not bug me. I came across this darling ice bucket at Wal-Mart:

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I didn’t like the galvanized metal, but I couldn’t pass up the shape and little scoop.

I planned to use the bucket for oatmeal, but the fact that it was intended to be an ice bucket got me thinking that I needed an ice bucket as well. You know, for all the parties I throw…

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Honestly, there were so many cute galvanized containers I had a hard time narrowing it down to just two!

I stopped at Home Depot on the way home to select the perfect shade of blue for my galvanized metal bucket makeovers. I chose Behr “rainwater.”

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Note: I always buy the cheapest sample jars of paint at Home Depot, and it bugs me when the paint guy automatically “upgrades” me to the more expensive stuff. You DO NOT NEED the “Ultra” or “Marquee” for making chalk paint. Just make sure you buy flat/matte.

The weather today was perfect for painting outside, so I took full advantage and worked on my projects while these guys swam.

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First, I made my own chalk paint using BB Frösch Chalk Paint Powder. It is the affordable way to chalk paint, and I pick whatever color I want.

Click here for a six second video on how easy it is to mix your own chalk paint.

Note: If you do not mix your paint into chalk paint, it WILL NOT bond with your galvanized metal. It will simply peel or scratch off.

The first coat took about five minutes and didn’t look that impressive. I prefer to get one thin coat on whatever I am painting, then after it has dried, I apply the second coat. I feel like this gives me better coverage and fewer coats than trying to get thick coverage with one coat.

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Note: I didn’t paint the whole inside. I only painted about 5 inches down since any time I use it, it will be filled at least that high with ice.

I applied the second coat after about 15 minutes, and it was ready to wax 30 minutes later.

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Note: If I were going to store this outside, I would have sealed with poly instead of wax.

Since I don’t plan to store this outside, I went with my favorite way to seal a chalk-painted surface. BB Frösch Finishing Wax dries and cures in minutes (not days or weeks like many brands), and it’s easier/less time consuming to apply than a poly.

If your’e wondering how the waxed surface deals with water, check out how it just beads up!

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This project only took about 45 minutes, and it was ready for a party!

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As for the ice bucket-turned-oatmeal container, it looks better, too:

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Looking for more inspiration? Follow BB Frösch on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Find an online chalk-painting workshop just for you here.

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Published on March 30, 2017

19 thoughts on “How to Paint Metal with Chalk Paint”

  1. I love this! I think I’ll look for a lidded one to put my food scraps in for composting. Right now I keep a plastic cool whip tub…not that decorative. If the tub could fit down inside of this it would be perfect!

  2. Love it but could you please leave chalk paint recipe? I watched the video but okay so maybe I’m just old I just couldn’t get it.
    I also love the galvanized products from Walmart. The paint makes me love them more. Thanks for the idea.

    1. Diane–

      I mix 2 heaping tablespoons of BB Frösch Chalk Paint Powder with 1 to 1 /2 tablespoons water. This is not an exact science–you just want a donut glaze consistency, so if you need a little more water, that’s fine. Then, I add a smpale size jar of paint (7.5 to 8 oz. or 1 Cup) and shake! Hope this helps!

  3. Great tutorial. I’m going to paint and decopague a metal trolly. I will use fabric and Mod Podge for the decopague and am wondering about the bits I want to paint.
    If I paint with chalk paint should I wax or seal with Mod Podge or use something else?
    Any advice much appreciated. Thank you.

  4. If I want to use chalk paint on metal outside, you said to finish it with poly. Is that polyurethane?

    1. Use a polyacrylic instead of polyurethane. You want a water-based poly so it has less chance of yellowing.

    1. Yes. These lockers are used indoors. If you want to paint lockers that will be kept outdoors, I recommend sealing with a poly acrylic instead of wax.

  5. I googled if I could paint galvanized metal and your site came up. Lo and behold you were showing the exact same ice bucket I am inquiring about. I could not believe it. I have my answer now. I bought it at my local Walmart last night for 2 dollars. What a deal, now to get painting!!! Thanks so much for sharing ?

    1. If there is any chipping paint or rust, you will want to remove that. Otherwise, a good clean is all you need as long as you add BB Frösch Paint Transformer to your paint (if you don’t, the paint will have issues bonding)

  6. Hi

    I just bought your starter kit and I want to paint a metal chandelier.
    How do I go about doing this?

    1. For a chandelier, I would remove anything you don’t want painted (chains, light bulbs, etc.) Then, be sure to add BB Frosch Paint Transformer to your chosen color paint according to directions.You can apply with a brush or a sprayer, but a brush will probably be quicker since a sprayer requires more clean up. Brush the first coat on thin and in cross-hatch strokes. It won’t look like much, but trust me that the second coat will level in nicely. A thin first coat is really meant to be a bonding coat so if it’s too thick, it will take longer to dry and bond. When applying the second coat, be sure to not overwork your brush as this may cause the first coat of paint to lift since it hasn’t been sealed. Once your paint is dried, seal with BB Frösch Premium Finishing Wax. Send photos of the before and after!

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