Galvanizing A Plastic Pumpkin

Cecilia, over at My Thrift Store Addiction, had two plastic pumpkins she redid (click here to see her makeovers). I loved her idea and had to try my hand at it! Fortunately, when I visited her and we were out thrifting, I found this pink pumpkin for 25 cents!  I couldn't wait to get it home and transform it!

I decided to see if I could make it look galvanized. The first step was covering the pink. I started by mixing up some chalky paint - 2 Tablespoons of white unsanded grout (make sure you get the lumps out), mixed with 2 Tablespoons of water then add 1 cup of flat latex paint in a taupe  or grey color. Mix well. I painted the entire outside surface with my mixture and let it dry.

Next I took silver craft paint(any brand will do as long as it's a metallic silver) and dry brushed it over the chalk paint. It's ok if it's a little streaky.

 After that dried, I watered down a rusty brown craft paint and lightly brushed it where I wanted it to look rusty. Make sure to get it in the eye, nose and mouth cavities but not on the teeth.
Lastly, I put Modge Podge in a few spots and sprinkled cinnamon over that to give it a more authentic rust look.

 Add a plant and voila! A galvanized planter!

I think it turned out pretty good! And he's pretty adorable with a plant but you could use him inside to hold candy.