Bright Painted Fall Chargers

I have had a set of wooden chargers hanging around my house for ages. I picked them up at a thrift store (two years ago!) for $1 each. I pulled them out of hiding and dusted them off. They were chipped and scratched and in a general state of disrepair.

I used MyColor Pantone paint in the very bright color of Vermillion orange.

Lightly sand each charger with 220 grit sandpaper. If you want to take the step, prime the chargers with a latex primer. Any darkly finished wood will take quite a few coats regardless of paint type, but primer makes it a little easier.

The first two coats went on thin but I knew things would perk up soon. Let each coat dry thoroughly before applying the next. After two more coats I was rewarded with an amazing bright orange.

The chargers screamed for a metallic accent, don’t you agree? I mixed metallic rust and metallic light gold craft paint two to one (heavier on the rust). You can use any metallic you’d like, find them in the acrylic paint aisle at your local craft store.

Pull out some painters tape (I use FrogTape!) and tape off a corner of your charger. I wasn’t too specific with this step, I eyeballed the tape line for each charger and threw it on.

Apply your metallic paint with a brush. I put on two coats (craft paint dries fast!), let it dry overnight, and applied two more coats in the morning. Fun tip: the plastic FrogTape container makes an excellent bowl for mixing paints!

Remember, peel off your painters tape immediately after applying the last coat so you don’t pull paint with the tape. This is crucial!

Let them dry overnight and coat with polycrylic. I used matte polycrylic, but there are many finishes available.

I paired my bright chargers with muted fall colors to really let them pop: black plates and olive napkins with natural elements as the centerpiece. (and yes, that’s snow in the yard…winter is here!)