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How to Make Faux French Enamel Number Tags (That Look Like the Real Thing!)

March 1, 2018 by Bre 2 Comments

I know I’ve said it a million times on here before, but I’m gonna say it again – I LOVE making simple updates to my decor with inexpensive items and supplies.  A few years ago I made a set of chalkboard wall hooks for my front entryway (you can see that post with its embarrassing photography here – wait until you see how much my skills have improved!).  I got tired of the chalkboard look, however, and needed to give it a new look.  I wanted to add French enamel house numbers, but at over $20 a piece, that was too pricey.  So I got to work and made my own Faux French Enamel Number Tags that look pretty close to the real thing!  It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

Supplies Needed for Faux French Enamel Number Tags

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  • Oval wood cutouts
  • Acrylic paint (white, black, brown, orange)
  • Vinyl number stickers OR number stencils and black paint
  • Mod Podge (glossy finish)
  • Dark brown wax
  • Paintbrushes
  • Stencil brush
  • Drill
  • Material to hang or affix your French enamel number tags (I used decorative furniture nails to fasten mine to the wall hooks)

How to Make Faux French Enamel Number Tags

Start by painting the oval wood cutouts white.  Regular acrylic paint does the trick for this step.It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

Once dry, place your number stickers onto the ovals or stencil your numbers onto them.  I cut out numbers with my Silhouette Portrait but you absolutely do not need a vinyl cutting machine for this project!  Regular black number stickers or stencils and paint will work perfectly!  It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

Once all of the numbers are in place and/or dry, cover everything with a coat of Mod Podge in glossy finish.  This is meant to give the ovals a glossy look like enamel.  You don’t want them to be dull or they will look less realistic.  It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

After they’ve dried, apply brown wax in strategic areas (like around the outside edges of the ovals), to help give the faux enamel number tags an aged look (you can see it on No. 47 in the below photo).  I used this type of brown wax, which is what I use on furniture projects and had available. If you don’t use brown wax regularly, buy a less expensive brand of wax like this!  It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

The brown wax will dry quickly, and then you can add some faux rust to the enamel tags with paint!  I got a little carried away with my “rust” and wish I wouldn’t have put so much on.  I’d recommend applying the paint very sparingly and in small areas to see how you like the look.  You can always add more, but you can’t always take it away!  All you do is dab a thick coat of black paint with a stencil brush, then a thick coat of brown paint over that, and then a little (but thick) dab of orange paint to create a bumpy rust look!  It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

After all of that, you’re ready to drill holes in the Faux French Enamel Number Tags and use them!  It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

You can fasten them to wood like I did, tie them to baskets with twine, use them as house numbers – whatever!  It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

There are so many uses for them, but I do love them on my entryway hooks!  And I love that they cost hardly anything to make.  It's so easy to make faux French enamel number tags with inexpensive craft supplies like paint! Learn how to make these French enamel number tags for your home decor and organization projects.

How would you use Faux French Enamel Number Tags in your decor?

-Bre

Filed Under: Crafts

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Comments

  1. Claire says

    March 2, 2018 at 1:37 pm

    What a lovely idea. I’d love to use this to make a number plate for my front door.

    Reply
    • Bre says

      March 5, 2018 at 1:45 pm

      Hi, Claire! Thank you! Yes, these would be perfect next to a front door! Just spray with some exterior grade sealer for longevity (but I’m sure you already knew that). Thanks for stopping by! xo

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