Copper Polishing Is Child's Play

Copper polishing - Fun for all the family!

You should have seen the boys faces when I explained what their next "chore" was at the weekend.

I want you to take that big bottle of tomato sauce and smear it all over those pots.

They loved the slippery, tactile feel and that sort of forbidden feeling about playing with food.

Then it turned into a science lesson about the acid in the tomatoes reacting with the tarnished coating on the copper. I can just imagine Mr 9 when he gets back to school this week.

The sauce is the perfect medium for being able to lay down an even coat and just sit there a while to do it's job. After a while, a bit of a scrub with a brush and a hose down. Maybe they will need a coat or two more but I'm just pondering how stripped back to shiny I want them, a little verdigris is nice too.

These have come out of old hot water cylinders and boiler washers. They go perfectly with my copper theme for Christmas this year but unfortunately won't fit the tree stand but they'll look nice as planters or maybe present barrels or drinks tubs at family gatherings filled with ice. Wouldn't they be gorgeous overflowing with white petunias and poinsettia? Maybe I'll turn all three into a quirky water feature for the garden.....

Here is some ideas on pinterest