Wednesday, November 5, 2014

How to Polish Brass

If there is one thing I am obsessed with right now, it is brass. I LOVE finding the perfect little brass creature, and bringing it back to its old glory.


Any of you that follow me know that I am always changing things up on my coffee table. I knew Mr. Crab would be a perfect addition!



I have been drooling over brass crabs for a long time now. I follow adore magazine on instagram, and so many of their posts show a brass crab on a coffee table etc. These are a few pics from www.adoremagazine.com




I watch these on ebay all the time. It was just a matter of time before I would fork it out to buy one. I would have paid much more than I did. When I was visiting my brother and sister-in-law a few weeks ago, I went into a thrift shop. Tucked away, among the other dusty collectibles display case, was this dirty and dingy brass crab. 

I asked for the man to open the case right away. I was SO excited. I was thinking it would have a sticker of around $20. I DIED, when I read $5. This was one of the most amazing thrifting good karma moments I have EVER had! My heart was beating fast. I don't think my sister-in-law or my daughter (who were both with me at the time) understood. It was quite possibly the hi-light of my trip!
I brought it home, delicately wrapped in it's thrift store paper, and it sat for a few days, while I researched how to restore it. I read a few online tutorials. It seemed that most brass polish was created equally, so I decided to try what I could find. I bought this, and you can too, using my affiliate link. Just click below:


All you need to do is first, test your piece with a magnet. If it is real brass, the magnet won't stick, and you are fine to use brass polish. If the magnet does stick, it has another metal as a filler, and the cleanser and polish may ruin the finish.

Clean your item with warm soapy water.

Dry it off, and then get your brass polish out. I used multiple rags and a toothbrush. I also wore gloves.  Squirt some polish on your item, and start to rub with your cloth. Use a toothbrush for hard to reach areas. I used lots of cloths, and polished the entire crab about 3 times. before I got the finish I wanted. Look how shiny!


He's my favorite!


The coffee table is thrifted.
Books are thrifted.
Statue is from Belize.
Gold Frame and box are from TJ Maxx.
Succulents are from Homegoods.
Rug is from Target.
Through today, by clicking the affiliate link above, you get 15% off a furniture purchase of $150 or more!
Couch is thrifted.
Thanks for stopping by. 

If you see a cool old brass decoration, get it, and polish it. You just might love it!

Have a Happy and Creative Day!

Risa

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