Rusted Fire Pit to Decorative Candle Holder

SO, I'VE SAID MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A CHIROPRACTIC PRACTICE IN OUR TOWN. WELL, OUR MASSAGE THERAPIST KERRY WORE THESE GLASSES TO LUNCH THE OTHER DAY. I LOVED THE COLOR AND IT INSPIRED ME TO PAINT SOMETHING.

 

FIRST, I HAD TO FIND THE SAME COLOR. I WENT TO MY LOCAL HARDWARE STORE. I WAS NOT LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR BRAND OR A PARTICULAR FINISH. I JUST WANTED THAT COLOR.  I DID WELL (OR PRETTY DARN CLOSE). IT IS BY "COLOR DECOR" AND IT' S CALLED BLUE, EASY ENOUGH. IT WAS ONLY $2.99 PER CAN, SO I BOUGHT 4 CANS, JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE.  AND, HEY, IF I HAVE ANY LEFT OVER, I COULD ALWAYS USE IT FOR ANOTHER PROJECT.

 

SO NOW, WHAT TO PAINT?  THEN I REMEMBERED I HAD AN OLD, RUSTED FIRE PIT THAT MY SISTER HAD GIVEN TO ME. IT HAD BEEN SITTING OUT ALL WINTER LONG, SO IT WAS REALLY BAD, INSIDE AND OUT.

YOU CAN HARDLY SEE THE NEARLY RUSTED OUT BOTTOM, BUT, TRUST ME,  IT'S THERE.

SINCE THE FIRE PIT WAS SOO RUSTED I WANTED TO GET AS MUCH RUST OFF AS I COULD. THE FIRE PIT NEEDED TO HAVE A SMOOTH FINISH BEFORE I PRIMED AND PAINTED IT. I ALREADY HAD SOME WIRE BRUSHES, BUT YOU CAN FIND THEM AT YOUR LOCAL HARDWARE STORE FOR A COUPLE BUCKS. THIS SMALL WIRE BRUSH BELOW WAS GOOD TO GET IN THE SMALL CREVICES AND THE MESH ON ALL THE SIDES.

 

THIS SMALL WIRE BRUSH WOULD HAVE TAKEN FOREVER, SO I ALSO BOUGHT A BIGGER ONE TO USE ON ALL THE LARGER, FLAT PIECES OF METAL. IT WAS A FEW BUCKS MORE BUT IT WAS WELL WORTH IT. CAN YOU IMAGINE SCRAPING THIS FIRE PIT WITH JUST A TOOTH BRUSH SIZED WIRE BRUSH??? IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME FOREVER!!

AFTER SCRUBBING OFF AS MUCH RUST AS I COULD AND GETTING THE SURFACE SMOOTH, I PAINTED IT WITH A FEW COATS OF WHITE PRIMER SPRAY PAINT. SORRY, I HAVE NO PICTURES TO SHOW YOU THIS STAGE.   I REALLY LIKE THIS BRAND OF PRIMER.  RUST-OLEUM PAINTER'S TOUCH.

AFTER THE FIRE PIT WAS PRIMED, INSIDE AND OUT, I SPRAYED IT WITH MY BEAUTIFUL BLUE BY "COLOR DECOR".  HERE'S HOW IT TURNED OUT.

 

AND SINCE THE BOTTOM WAS PARTIALLY RUSTED THROUGH, I HAD A PIECE OF THIN METAL CUT TO SIZE. YOU CAN FIND THIS METAL AT YOUR LOCAL HARDWARE STORE. THEY COME IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT DESIGNS. I JUST DIDN'T WANT THE RUST TO SHOW THROUGH.                  

SINCE THE PRIMER AND SPRAY PAINT WERE NOT FIRE PROOF, I DON'T RECOMMEND TO BURN WOOD IN IT ANYMORE SINCE IT WILL BUBBLE UP AND RUIN ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT IN TO PAINTING IT. USE CANDLES INSTEAD TO ILLUMINATE THE FIRE PIT.

EVEN WITH CANDLES YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT SOURCE OF LIGHT AND IT LOOKS PRETTY TOO!! ALL YOU NEED NOW IS FRESH COCKTAIL.



CIAO