homemade Martha Stewart Black Coffee Metallic Glaze

Once upon a time, I acquired an old, sad bedroom set, and decided to make it my little project. I painted some pieces turquoise and some pieces cream, and added black hardware. And, I loved them! They were adorable. Buuut... it felt like something was missing. So, while digging through my stash of crafty things in my garage, I stumbled upon a jar of Martha Stewart Black Coffee Metallic Glaze that I had used for another project. Perfect! I started painting away and managed to stain my bedside table and my headboard with that single jar. I then ran out, but I still had to do my dresser and desk. No problem, right? I'll just head to the store and buy another jar. Except... THIS PRODUCT WAS DISCONTINUED. Nooooo! Are you kidding me? I went to every single home improvement store in the vicinity and every single store was out. Like, OUT out and never getting any more. Ever. GAH. So, what's a girl to do? Well... make her own, of course.

So here is what you need to make your very own amazing metallic glaze:

- 1 quart clear glaze {I picked up the Martha Stewart kind because, well, it's discontinued and it was on clearance. And I'm cheap. But any clear glaze will work}
- DecoArt Elegant Finish Metallic Paint in Rich Espresso {found this at Jo-Ann's}
- Sample size of Glidden's Bittersweet Chocolate in Eggshell finish
- Rust-Oleum Wood Stain in Matte Ebony
- Water, as needed

Let's get to work! Honestly, it's pretty easy. Find a good-sized container, and fill about half of it with the plain glaze. Add in some of the metallic paint and mix well, then add a bit of black wood stain to darken and a bit of the Chocolate paint to make the color less gold. You are basically just going to add colors and mix them until it looks right! I can't tell you how much of each I used because I honestly have NO idea. Just add a bit, mix, and see if it looks like you want it to! I had a smidge of the real stuff left over to compare, but really it's up to you and how dark you want the stain to be! When you have achieved the color you want, slowly mix in some water. This stuff is SUPER thick and way more concentrated than the Martha Stewart stuff, so don't be too generous when applying or it will probably come out darker than you're wanting it! So, how do you use it?

First, make sure the piece you are glazing has very dry paint, and is clean of dust and debris. Also it shouldn't have any hardware {forgive me, this was a second coat so it would match the other drawer... oops}! Using a brush, generously apply the glaze all over the surface in even strokes. Then, using a cotton cloth, like an old t-shirt or old sheets, remove it in straight, even strokes. Some people prefer to remove in a circular motion, just do whatever you like best! If there is too much glaze left and the piece looks too dark, moisten the cloth and rub the furniture in even strokes again, until it looks nice and even. If there are spots where you accidentally removed TOO much glaze, just lightly brush a bit more on, and gently remove with the cloth. And, that's it! Let the piece dry thoroughly before adding hardware or setting anything on top of it.

Here is my finished piece! Hellloooo, beautiful. I'm obsessed! This dresser was glazed entirely with my homemade glaze and I am loving the results. It looks just like I wanted. And, because I know y'all want to KNOW how similar it is to the real thing, here you go...

The headboard was glazed using the original glaze. The dresser was done using my own glaze. Pretty close, don't you think? I'm beyond happy! Oh, and the best part....

This "recipe" makes a TON of glaze! So you can glaze everything to your heart's content. Now, okay, the jar isn't completely full but it's definitely a good amount and certainly more than you would get in a storebought jar. I hope this helps out other crafty, DIY-obsessed people out there that are devastated by the original being discontinued. Good luck and happy DIY-ing! 🙂