DIY: Enameling Silver

If you are a collector of antique silver items like us, you come across many pieces with silver loss. Now, these pieces are still beautiful and if you like the aged look, don't do a thing. But if you are wanting to freshen up your silver finds, enameling is a great option.

This large serving piece is gorgeous, however, one of the handles has had some major silver loss. We decided to add a pop of color to each handle, in order to make it symmetrical, as well as a little more modern.

 Now, here is our step by step process in fixing this piece up:

First you want to purchase an adhesive primer, as well as an enamel paint.

The primer allows the enamel paint to stick to the silver's smooth surface. We applied two coats of primer to the specific area that we wanted and let it dry for about an hour. When applying coats we used a soft bristle paintbrush so that our brushstrokes weren't too noticeable.

Once the area is mapped out with primer and dry, begin the enameling process. The color we chose was a dark blue with a hint of green. In between coats, allow for a sufficient drying time. If the undercoat is not dry enough, your enamel will start clumping. Below is an example of the handle with one coat of paint.

We have found that three coats is enough to sufficiently cover the area.

Here is the final result! We livened up this traditional silver piece with color, and you know we just love color.

-Design-Bazaar