Vaseline and Paint…on 100 Year Old Ceiling Tile

So here is where I left off…I had just conformed these ceiling tiles around the edge of a wood board to make them in to magnet boards and the paint on one of the tiles started coming off in CHUNKS (like 5 inch sections). So sad! I really wanted to preserve the beautiful chippy loveliness of the tiles but, I now had to come up with something else so that it would still look original and this is what I came up with…..Vaseline.

After all the paint was removed I gobbed on the Vaseline. I used almost a half a jar of dollar store petroleum jelly. I put it on with a Q-tip so I wouldn’t get my hands so yucky. Then I painted it the closest color that I had (my heirloom white) and it was too white. So I mixed my own spray paint with two different brands to get just the right white. Yeah, I’ve never mixed spray paints while they are wet before but, hey it worked.

Love the detail of the tile!

Two different spray paints mixed together to produce just the right white to match the other “original” painted tiles. The vaseline just keeps the paint from sticking to the areas where it is applied to. Kinda like the wax technique but, you don’t have to sand back to reveal the areas where the wax was applied.

You can see where the vaseline was applied. Let it dry completely before you wipe or you will mess up the finish around the vaseline areas. Be patient!

Then my daughter wanted to be the first to see if the vaseline really worked. Fingers crossed!

It worked! Leaving the original patina of the 100 year old tiles showing through. Phew!

Beautiful!

We used paper towels to take the paint off because I just wanted to throw away the rags when I was done…kinda messy! Although your fingers are thoroughly moisturized by the time you are done with this project. Ha ha!

I attached picture hangers to the back and felt so there wouldn’t be any scratching of the walls.

I used picture hanging supplies bought at walmart.

They are now hung in my studio……

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!!!

Can you tell which one isn’t original paint/patina? Wahoo! I almost can’t remember which one it is…I guess that is a really good sign.  Vaseline worked and I have my original beauty that I fell in love with, the first time I saw them! I am so happy with how they turned out!

They are so pretty……and functional!

They fit perfectly above my fabric buffet. (although I thought only two would fit and I would give one of the ceiling tiles to my sister for Christmas, nope….keeping all three and now I have to figure out what to give her for Christmas. I am really happy I didn’t get rid of one of my set!)

Now I have a place to hang my ideas, pictures or thoughts! So perfect for this space! My studio is finally coming together, piece by piece!

Can you tell which one I did the vaseline technique on?