Rusty Steam Punk Tea Set

Who’s to say tea sets have to be proper and fancy?

How about a little steam punk vibe for those that prefer the edgier side of life?

My client is just that! She’s edgy and bold and courageous and she wanted a tea set to prove it! LOL! Not really….. she just wanted a tea set to match her guest bedroom in this color palette….. with a steam punk vibe! So here’s to the Rusty Steam Punk Tea Set.

This blog is a bit different in that I didn’t document the project progression in photographs. I’m sharing before and after pics with you today as well as a full list of products used. I do have project progression documented in video format that I will share with you in just a bit.

While beautiful before painting…

The original tea set is my favorite of any that I have ever painted! I loved the natural stripes built right into the design of the set. And I really love the beaded trim around all the edges. I wasn’t sure I’d ever offer this one for sale…. but a long time on-line friend loved it as much as me and I couldn’t not offer it to her!

List of the basic steps to painting ANY tea set and using design transfers to enhance your finish.

1. Always clean your tea set with White Lightening to remove any and all oils. Rinse well with water and dry. 2. Prime with two coats of slick stick. First coat needs to dry overnight. Second coat needs to dry a few hours. 3. Paint your set based on your design plan (1-2 coats is plenty) and let dry. 4. Add any detail such as stripes, faux rust, checks etc. and let dry. 5. Apply transfers over completely dry paint, making sure to burnish well. 6. Apply any gilding wax or metallic mousse for accents and let dry overnight. 7. Apply top coat of choice over entire set including all painted areas and transfer applications. 8. Total cure time is 21 days.

For the Rusty Steam Punk Tea Set, instructions:

For this particular set I primed in Slick Stick.
I base coated in the Silk line paint (all-in-one paint with built in primer and protective top coat) in Sun Kissed (or you could use the DB chalk paint in Drop Cloth for same color tone).
I used a custom mix of Silk paint in Wharf and Black Sands for the charcoal gray (the DB chalk equivalent of Gravel Road).
The checks on the lids are done the custom gray mix mentioned above with Saltwater (white).
I then just went a little crazy with courage in painting my own faux rust using the chalk mineral paint colors in Rusty Nail, Terracotta and touches of that deep charcoal gray mix.

Steampunk – Transfer by Dixie Belle:

The Dixie Belle transfer of choice here is the Steampunk transfer…. which offers crazy fun options of gears and pipes and hats and boots and a bespectacled dude….. and strange flying objects! LOL! It was so much fun choosing which pieces of the transfer to feature on this set. I tend to use my fingernail to apply the small transfers to the tea pot sets…. rather than the large wooden applicator stick that comes with the transfer. It just gives me more control and seems to work better in a small space.

The Finish…

I then applied the Dixie Belle Mousse in a custom mix to achieve this amazing rose gold/copper metallic finish! I mixed the Gold with the Amber 50/50….. and then infused with a bit of top coat in gloss for this gorgeous hue that dries in 20 minutes and does not require a top coat. The entire piece is top coated with sprayed Gator Hide.

Questions Answered:

Many people ask if I paint the inside of my tea pot sets and the answer is …… I do not. I only paint the exterior. I am also asked if the sets are usable or for decor only. I personally recommend for decor use only. I do believe they would hold up to occasional and very light use. I would never submerge the painted sets in water. I accept custom orders for these sets as well…. with shipping to anywhere in the US. I also offer this as a two hour course guiding you through the entire process.