Door Knocker Revamp Tutorial

When we moved to our current house, there was a personalized door knocker with the previous owner's name on it. So we measured and went to look for a door knocker to replace it. We looked high and at Lowe's. We looked at Home Depot and at every place online. We simply could not find a door knocker the right size and color (silver or steel or brushed nickel). We weren't picky, they just couldn't be found! So I decided to try a little experiment, at least until we find something that fits!

First I used my best and trusty friend, my Dremel, to make the previous owner's name disappear. I used the bit found above... the light tan colored stone bit. Don't ask me what that bit is called... maybe a grinder of some sort? My husband didn't like the look, but I told him the brushed metal finish is all over the Denver International Airport! It didn't work :( Oh well, now what?

So I decided that maybe it wouldn't look so bad if we added a painted monogram.
Here is how I did it!

I measured the area where I was going to put the monogram and printed out the letter "A" in a bunch of  different sizes and fonts. I chose one, and then cut it out with the exacto and mat. I cut all the pieces out and left them in place.

Then I sprayed the back of the paper (with all the pieces) with spray adhesive. Then I stuck the paper on the door knocker. I carefully removed the portion that was going to become the letter (the black part), leaving the white spaces in the letter.

This is my palette and brushes, and yes, I used the expensive Q-Tips! :) Actually, I used them to put down a "primer coat", which was just a test. Then I sprayed the monogram with the spray paint.

Once the paint was dry, I removed the paper. I noticed a few places where the paint bled a bit, so I used my trusty Q-Tips and a little nail polish remover to clean it up! After it was dry, I sprayed the oval part of the door knocker with the clear acrylic top coat. I don't know how it will last, but I'm hoping it will work for a while. It's not perfect, but at least it will give me a chance to find something!

I linked up at Thrifty Home's 83rd Penny Pinching Party!