I absolutely love using vintage crates, baskets, and boxes as stylish storage – unfortunately, they aren’t always easy to find. So I found an inexpensive solution: I painted ordinary plastic bins to look like vintage metal. All it took was three simple steps and now they look fantastic!
I started with two plastic bins that looks like lockers baskets and a plastic bucket, all from the dollar store. They were all in very bright, happy shades that just weren’t what I was looking for at all. But not anymore!
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Materials for Painted Metal Finish
Inexpensive plastic container
Foam brush
Clean rag
I started with primer. I chose to use gray automobile primer because it sticks really well to plastic and gives a great matte gray finish. You can pick a can of this up at most home improvement stores for just a few dollars.
Once the primer was dry, I pulled out the chalkboard paint. Chalkboard paint also has a nice matte finish. I used a foam brush to rub a thin coat of chalkboard paint on and then immediately wiped the excess off with an old rag.
The final step was to add a hint of shine. I used some silver craft paint and a chip brush. I just barely loaded some silver paint onto the ends of the brush and then wiped the excess off onto a paper towel before lightly dry brushing it onto the bins.
The final effect looks pretty authentic to me! And super affordable. The bins and bucket were each a dollar. I had all of the other supplies on hand but even if you had to buy them, you should be able to pick up all three paints for around ten dollars. Not a bad deal – especially if you are planning to do several bins at a time.
I’m sure these will eventually find their way into my sons’ rooms, but for now I’m using one locker bin to corral some books on our bookcase.
And the bucket was the perfect size to hold our winter hats and mittens.
And you can bet I’m already looking for more cute containers that are just waiting to be discovered and transformed into ‘vintage metal.’
Looking for more easy ways to get that vintage metal look on the cheap? Check out these projects:
Make your own industrial metal letters
I originally posted this tutorial at Domestically Speaking on 1/28/2015. The project and all photos are my own.
Note: I still love this tutorial for updating basic plastic storage, but since I wrote this tutorial some super affordable metal locker baskets have come out. If you’d rather skip the paint, you can see some great ready-to-buy options below.
Dacia @ Lemon Drop Life says
Love this idea! They turned out great!!
Carrie says
Thanks Dacia!
Kate says
If I wanted to give it a hint of a tad of ‘rust’ would I use some brown spray base?
Carrie says
Kate, I am not sure because I haven’t ever tried that. But it seems like that would work well. Or you could dry brush a rusty color around the edges at the end.
TC says
This is super awesome! And your photos and steps are very easy to follow. Super, super cool!
Carrie says
Thanks! It is good to hear the tutorial was easy to follow – I’m always working on that!
Raquel says
Love this idea! The look of tin is so pretty but they can be pricey. Pinning!
Carrie says
Thanks Raquel! That is exactly how I feel. Of course, I would love to have the real thing. But I think this is an awesome alternative for super cheap!
April Hamilton says
How have these held up? Did the paint scratch off over time, just wanted to know before I decide if I’m going to try this.
Carrie says
So far they have held up great and the paint hasn’t scratched off at all. I haven’t used them for anything super high traffic like holding toys though.
Julia L. says
I’m so excited to try this! I’m planning to do this on some large planters for my patio- we’ll see how they hold up outside, but I won’t mind doing some touch up next year if they need it. The look you achieved is exactly what I was looking for- thanks for sharing!!
Carrie says
Thanks Julia! I don’t know how it will hold up outside either because I haven’t tried it but it is definitely worth a try!
Debbie says
I am considering doing this to hold ice and drinks at my wedding… Do you think the paint would be ok?
Carrie says
I haven’t tried it with liquid inside, but I’m not sure I would advise it. You would definitely need to put some type of sealer over the paint and I would probably do a test run first to make sure the paint holds up.
Tirré says
I am going to try this with some clear wall pockets I have. A nice vintage look.
Carrie says
Thanks Tirre, I think that is an awesome idea!