▪Anthro Hack▪ Easy Faux Zinc Letters

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good DIY! Tis the season to be merry. And boy am I ever! Shortly after Turkey Day, my husband and I rushed to Joann's. While he played with bells, lights, and Christmas trains, I scoured shelf after shelf in search of more cardboard letters. Tragically, the letters for "Merry Christmas" had already been taken.
After countless minutes of begging, an employee finally searched the store's back room for any additional letters, but alas, it was in vain. Black Friday had left hardly any remnants. Down, but not out, I did what any respectable DIY'er would do. I adapted and overcame. Of course the inspiration this "Noel" was Anthropologie's zinc letters.

If you're a long time follower, then you may recall the last time I used aluminum foil and mod podge to create a metallic shine. Next, I dry brushed black paint on top for definition and for imperfections.

 Check out this tute for all the tips to make yours work on the first try.

I used silver, artists' grade, acryllic paint and painted two light coats. You could see cardboard through a little after the second coat. Where are the pics you may be asking? Well, I did this project in between visits with all the family that was in town. Perfect time to start a painting project, right?


After the silver paint was dry, I used a black glaze. You can wipe it on, then wipe it off with a slightly damp cloth. Try to apply your glaze in inconsistent, haphazard ways. You want them to each look a little different in the end. As my Professor used to say in Hawaii "They should be same same, but different."

I like the end result of both techniques. But I like thealuminum foil faux zinc "B" I made just a little bit better. It's really hard to tell that it's foil and it looks legitimately metallic. 

What about you guys?  Do you have a preference between the 2 styles? 

A fun little update- I went ahead and added a "L" so that I can display my letters the rest of the year, too! You can check it out in my bedroom reveal! Have you worked on any fun Christmas projects yet? Let me know.