Three tablespoons of each are enough for a small pendant. Stir until the salt dissolves into the vinegar. Hey, kitchen magician! All you need for this technique are equal amounts of vinegar and salt. Acrylic clear coats, beeswax or renaissance waxes can help protect the surface and the color. When you’ve hit upon a shade you love, add a sealant to finish it off. Experiment and see what color works best for your piece. Pro Tip: Heating copper can result in drastic color changes to avoid this, pull the torch away slowly. Try not to get too attached to a particular tint until you get the hang of this technique, because a bright reddish tint (for instance) might quickly fade into a bluish tone. The key is to stop before you’ve gone too far. Heat PatinaĪs you heat copper with a torch, it starts to change color, turning different shades of bright red, purple and blue. Now it’s go time! 3 Ways to Patina Copper 1. Your piece will not only have a more satiny finish but when you do add a patina, it will have more surface to work on.Īfter you finish, handle the jewelry by its edges so you don’t transfer any oils back onto it. If you don’t, grab a scrubbing sponge (like Scotch-Brite) and gently scuff the surface. (That means no fingerprints!) If you have a pickle pot, this is a great time to get it out. To get the best results, prep your pieces first so they’re free from dirt and oil. Try ’em all and see which method you like best. You can patina your copper pieces three different ways, each resulting in a different look. If you’re looking to add dimension to your handmade copper jewelry, it’s a super fun technique to explore that’s a little wilder than the usual matte, shiny or brushed looks. Patina is the blueish-greenish layer on the surface of copper that comes from age or chemicals (we see you, Statue of Liberty!).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |