Giving new life to metal drawer handles using spray paint

When you give a chest of drawers a makeover the handles are the finishing touch that completes the look. If you are stuck with dated brass handles you might be tempted to buy new ones entirely, but in this tutorial we’ll show you how you can bring new life and a new look to metal handles and best of all you’ll only need a fraction of each aerosol so you can add the leftovers to your craft stash ready for your next project.

before and after painted drawer unit

Materials for painting a knob with spray

 

pinty plus paints for metal

How to paint metal handles with spray paint

Next we will show you how to paint metal handles with spray paint in just four simple steps.

before metal drawer pull

1 – Clean the metal handles before painting with spray

It’s really important to clean the surface of the handles well before applying the spray paint. Doing so avoids any problems with the paint not adhering well or any dirt creating lumps and bumps and ruining the finished look.

 

cleaning metal drawer handle before painting

2º.- Apply spray primer

Apply a layer of Zinc Primer and pay attention to cover the entire surface completely, getting into the intricate parts of the design. The good news is it’s far easier to do this with a spray than with a brush!

metal spray primer priming a metal drawer handle before painting

3º.- Choose your finish colour

Once the primer is dry choose the colour you would like as your top coat. We’re using spray paint from our Evolution range which is hard-wearing acrylic paint. There are lots of choices of colour, but we have picked black to compliment the yellow of our drawers.  Apply the paint in light layers keeping your hand moving 25-30cm from the surface.

 

pintyplus evolution spray paint black black painted metal handle

4º.- Protect the handles with spray varnish

When the paint has dried, we recommend protecting the finish with a layer of gloss varnish; handles get hard wear and a lot of handling so it makes sense to protect the paint.

Now we just have to put the handles back in their position and enjoy your new chest of drawers.

reattaching painted metal drawer handles

spray painted metal drawer handles

To see more inspiring ideas follow us on social media @pintyplusuk or like our facebook page.

709 - Pintyplus - Gun For Spray Paints

£17.99

View product

Pintyplus - Evolution - Gloss - 400ml

Extra-quick drying RAL Gloss acrylic spray paint. Suitable for use both indoors and outdoors.

£9.99

View product

Pintyplus - Art - Crafts Varnish - 400ml

Fast drying acrylic craft varnish spray. Does not yellow.

£13.50

View product