How to Age New Galvanized Metal & Make a Vintage Window Memo Board

Rest assured, my love for making something new out of something old is still in full swing.And lucky for you, I figured out many things NOT to do when aging new metal sheets. But in the end, I learned what does work and I love how it came out.And here is how you can do the same… Materials and Tools Needed: Vintage Window Metal Sheeting (details below on aging new metal sheeting and what to get) Work Gloves Eye protection Metal Snips Flat Head Screwdriver, hammer and pliers Tape Measure and Straight Edge Miter Box Thin wood for strapping Small Nails Hanging Hardware Magnets / Accessories Step 1 – Prepare your window 

My window still had the pieces of trim together that were previously holding the glass in place. In order for the metal sheet to lie flat, I needed to removed the back piece of trim. Using gloves and protective eye wear, I used a combination of pliers and tapping a flat head screwdriver to removed all of the trim. Step 2 – Cut Your Metal to Size Measure your window and cut the metal to the appropriate size. I used a combination of a tape measure and a straight edge to cut mine. Be sure to cut to the outside of your line to not cut your piece too small. 
Step 3 – Attach Wood Strapping Now you need to your hold your metal in place. Cut thin strips of wood to size using a miter box. Attach them (I used four) across the back of the metal using nails attached at an angle. Step 4 – Attach Your Hanging Hardware Step 5 – Hang and Decorate I used some magnets from the craft store and glued them them to a mix of vintage pieces I had in my stash. From a blue bottle that now works as a vase to dominoes and a small measuring cup. The vintage knife flower holder was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law and it already had the magnets on it. Isn’t it so cute? I pulled some hand written recipes from the cookbook given to me at my wedding shower and put them front and center. A few state and French flashcards, a fun green car, and a vintage hook for a towel and I was done. Okay, now for the part about the metal. Below is a picture of what I was looking for but didn’t find the first time out. This can be found in Home Depot in the PLUMBING SECTION. When you show up on a Saturday night, 15 minutes before close, you might not find someone who knows where it is – even if you know what you are looking for and describe it in great detail. This sheet costs around $9. I ended up buying a piece of regular sheet metal that cost $19 and that is what you see in the picture. This type of metal is found in the same display where you find the slotted metal pieces that you would put on a radiator cover. I used the same technique on both sheets and I love the results of both – but they are slightly different. The sheet metal came out more white. However, they both have the appearance of weather galvanized metal. To get the aged look on metal – galvanized or not – place the sheet on a garbage bag outdoors or a work area. Make sure it is a flat surface or prop up the edges to contain the mess. Make sure it is well ventilated, there are no pets around and you use gloves. Use toilet bowl cleaner in a gel formula ( I used Lysol). Coat the whole surface with the cleaner and leave it. Check on it every two hours or so until you get the desired look. The ended up leaving the sheet metal overnight to get it where I wanted it. For the galvanized sheet, I found on one side it seem to only work in some areas and left other areas shiny. However, the underside that was in contact with the garbage bag and where cleaner had dripped onto, worked all over. My best guess is that maybe each side is treated differently. Next time, I would put it IN the garbage bag and place the cleaner on both sides. I love how it came out and I see more galvanized projects in my future. And if you want to see another project I recently finished in my kitchen stop by to read about my DIY Console Table. Can you see the yummy hand writing that we found on the wood? Oh - and you may notice a new little subscribe button on the side of the blog and at the bottom of the post here. If you already receive my posts through email, there is chance to sign up for a new monthly newsletter. I know - very exciting - it will be filled with all kinds of fun tips and tricks, new projects and personal thoughts. And if you don't already receive the latest post through email - you can sign up for both. All the cool kids are doing it! Thanks so much for reading and wishing you a day filled with grace.