About our Charms

All of our charms are LEAD FREE made in the U.S.A. and made from solid brass sheet stock.

WASHING INSTRUCTIONS FOR RAW BRASS ITEM 

Wash the brass charms & other brass items in a solution of dish detergent and warm water to eliminate oil residue from the manufacturing process. An old toothbrush works great for scrubbing the charms. Rinse thoroughly in warm water. Dry the charms immediately to prevent water spots. Raw brass items that have spots or a dull finish can be cleaned with any brand of brass polish. After using the polish, wash the piece with dish detergent & water, then rinse and dry it before antiquing and painting it.

Tips on ANTIQUING & PAINTING the Charms

PAINTING: Items may be painted with acrylic, or metallic acrylic craft paints after antiquing them. I recommend putting one coat of spray lacquer on the pieces after antiquing them before painting them. The paint seems to stick better.

ANTIQUING: Items may be antiqued with dark brown or black acrylic craft paint for a traditional look. Coat the entire piece. With paint and immediately wipe off the excess paint with a paper towel or soft rag, old tee-shirts work well leaving paint in the crevices. If it is to light, simply repeat the process. If it is too dark or you just do not like the way it looks, you can scrub the paint off with a toothbrush, and start over. For a different look, you can pickle the brass pieces with white acrylic craft paint, or experiment on your own for a unique colour effect.

SEALING: After antiquing and or painting, the brass pieces must be sealed to prevent tarnishing. Either a spray or brush on sealer may be used. You may use any brand of water - based varnish or polyurethane, or spray lacquer from your local hardware store. Use a satin or gloss finish, depending on how you want your pieces to look. I have found the best way to spray items is to lay the pieces on a piece of newspaper in a large, low sided box. Change the newspaper between each coat of spray.