Found an old-school metal bucket in the backyard and decided to convert it into a trash can (there is a lack of trash cans in the house and a few rooms can definitely use one, especially the office). While I probably could have used the metal bucket as-is I decided it was a great opportunity to have some fun with it.
I decided to paint the word "TRASH" on the metal bucket so that everyone would know that this old metal bucket sitting on the floor wasn't just any old metal bucket but an old metal trash bucket! I know pretty useless right? But hey, it looks super cute now, plus it goes really well with my orange office!
Things you will need:
1. An old metal bucket (or any metal bucket)
2. Alphabet stencils (I went to Blick, a store that I rightfully call "a little piece of heaven" and purchased plastic alphabet stencils for a mere $3.00, they're reusable too which just makes my day!)
3. Pencil (not a mechanical pencil, the lead will just break once you try to trace the letters on metal)
4. Acrylic paint (any color of your choice, I chose orange to match the orange office)
5. Paint brush(s) (the smaller brushes seemed to work the best for me)
What you need to do:
First step: Trace the letters of the stencils across your metal bucket to make the word or words you wish to make, suggestions? "Basura", "Toss it here", "Don't be a litterbug", "Rubbish", "Garbage" etc. etc. Get creative, think outside of the square and in the circle, your letters don't have to go straight across you see? How about staggering or going diagonally.
Second step: Paint the letters in with your color choice. Take your time, take a break if you need to, don't feel like you need to rush through it, it is only a trash can after all. I found it easier to trace the edges first since that was the most difficult to do and then filled it in with slow, long strokes.
Third step: Create a textured coat over the first coat which will not only make it look even cooler but the color even brighter. As you can see from the picture below, the "S" only has the first coat of paint, once I put the textured second coat of paint it will look brighter and more funky like the "A" next to it. Create the texture by using the same color paint, dab the tip of your brush into the paint and dab away, add as much or as little texture that pleases you. Keep in mind that you don't have to wait for the paint to dry to do this texturing step, you can wait for the paint to dry if you'd like though but allowing the first coat of paint to dry doesn't really change the final look.
And you're done! Now you've got an awesome trash bucket for your equally awesome but now more awesome room.
