Linen and Twigs

Giving Bead Garland a Vintage Touch

Hello Friends! I’m guessing that you are well on your way to decorating for Christmas or are at least thinking about it. I got a bit of a jump on it this year which gave me a little more time to critique and edit my decor. There is some decor that I know exactly what I am doing with it and others that I pretty much just wing it.

This past year I think I am starting to hone in on my style. For the most part, if I like something, it will fit in somewhere but most recently I have been obsessed with vintage gold mirrors…like if I don’t stop getting them, I might need an intervention. They have the prettiest curves and the warmest golden color frames. They’re not crazy shiny but a warm cozy gold. The kind of gold that you don’t usually find in todays decor.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were yard saling and I came across a grocery bag full of gold bead garland for a whole dollar! I know, right? Big spender.

Anyhow, I really liked it but when I brought it home, the gold looked too shiny in comparison to the vintage gold touches in my home.

Here’s where the quick trick comes in and I mean quick. This whole project took me less than ten minutes. I piled all of the bead garland into a cardboard box. (Moment of truth: It was an empty Bojangles chicken box…It’s entirely up to you if want to buy a box of chicken for your family so that you can reuse the box but I highly recommend it!)

I used a variety of metallic spray paint colors that I had on hand.

I would randomly spray the beads alternating colors. Then I would mix the beads around with a gloved hand and repeat.

I was using light and random coats of paint so it would almost dry immediately.

Some of the paint colors were shinier than the others. Some were warmer and some were duller. Some of the original gold shone through as well.

The mix of metallic colors gave the beads an antique look as well as giving it more dimension. They almost resemble the antique glass bead garland from long ago rather than the plastic ones from nowadays.

I think it would be fun to play around with other colors as well. Perhaps adding some copper or rose gold would be pretty too.

I think it’s the mix of the colors that pick up the light that makes it so pretty. Also, there was no filter used on these pictures so you could see the actual color of them although I have to admit, they look prettier in real than in pictures.

So there you have it! A quick tip for a quick fix to customize your decorations to coordinate with your home.

Happy Decorating Friends!