Follow these steps to age any pewter project with patina, then polish it with metal polish. A patina residue will remain in the grooves and ridges of the design, while polishing will shine the areas where you did relief modelling, enhancing the three-dimensional effect.

You Will Need

• cotton wool
• baby powder
• patina
• shallow bowl
• rubber gloves
• paper towel
• metal polish

To Make

1 Remove all traces of oily residue by thoroughly wiping down the right side of the pewter with cotton wool and baby powder. This will ensure that the patina will take – it will not adhere to areas where there is still some oiliness left. Rub firmly, but not too hard, otherwise you may damage the thin outer layer of tin on the pewter.

2 Pour a little patina into a shallow bowl, wearing rubber gloves, and use cotton wool to apply an even coat of patina to the pewter.

3 Rinse well under a running tap after about two minutes, then pat dry with a paper towel.

NOTE The longer the patina stays on, the darker the pewter will be. If the pewter is too dark you can rinse it with water. Immediately rinse metal tools that have come into contact with the patina in order to prevent permanent discolouration.

4 Place the pewter right side up on your work surface and polish it using cotton wool and metal polish. Take care not to press too hard.

NOTE If the pewter turns black, use clean cotton wool and damp polish to remove the dry polish. Do not try to scratch it off.

Text and images: Ideas