I did not seal it and am worried it would rust further if I left water sitting it for some time. I use this mostly for drying my small plates and put a towel in the bottom of the feeder to collect water that drips from them.

The feeder is wonderfully sturdy and holds 8 plates with ease. I love how pretty my simple white plates look against the rusty and aged metal feeder. The feeder works perfectly with dessert sized plates that fit snugly in between the metal triangles. I decided to leave it because I liked the extra character that it added to the feeder. That is the difference between the metal before and after which is pretty neat to see. In this photo you can see a spot in the center that must not have soaked long enough in the vinegar to change it. I was so pleased with how this turned out and adore it placed on my old sewing table that is right next to my kitchen sink.

The stamped looking finish will disappear completely and you get some beautiful rusty spots. So that is it! If you want to make galvanized metal look aged, just soak it in distilled white vinegar until it has the appearance that you want. I used the plastic tote to ensure that my sink wouldn’t be ruined in case the vinegar and metal had some sort of reaction that would damage it. I was amazed at how beautifully the feeder changed and aged into the perfect antique looking metal. I left the tote outside with the chicken feeder laying so that a large surface was in the vinegar for a good amount of the day, then I would just flip, and rotate it once in a while, until all of the feeder had been soaking in the vinegar. Because I didn’t have enough to emerge the entire chicken feeder in the vinegar this process took me a couple of days. This time I used my large plastic tote and dumped a 2 gallon container of distilled white vinegar into it. My second attempt was much more successful and even easier than the first. The picture above shows the materials I used for my first attempt that didn’t work quite as well, but I wanted to show you the chicken feeder before it was “aged” so I included the picture anyway. I also found out that regular old vinegar can age galvanized metal nicely. The rusting recipe is, however, awesome for making clothes pins or safety pins looked aged, which I have done with it, but wasn’t giving me the results I was hoping for on my chicken feeder. I’m certain because my chicken feeder was galvanized metal that I needed a new technique. I first found this rusting recipe to make something look worn. I did a little research and found a few different “recipes” or techniques for aging metals. I believe it was around $11.00, and had the right shape and style that I was looking for. I purchased a new chicken feeder while getting horse feed at Fleet Farm. I decided I would try my hand at creating an antique looking chicken feeder from a shiny new store bought feeder.

I also came to the conclusion that if I actually did find what I wanted, that there is no way I would be willing to pay what they were asking for it at an antique shop. I spent a few months trying to find one on eBay, or at antique shops, but nothing that was even close to the one I first saw online.

I loved the rusty industrial feel it had with the beautiful antique plates stored in it. I knew instantly that I wanted one for my kitchen. While perusing Pinterest one night I spotted a shabby chic antique chicken feeder used to hold dishes. I’m not the type to have them from wall to wall, but I do love the character and warmth that a few simple pieces give to our home. I love the idea of filling a home with antique pieces and unique vintage items. Vinegar has so many amazing uses, but this one is for the crafty at heart. I was able to make this uniquely beautiful plate holder for my kitchen with just that. Make a new chicken feeder look like an antique using white vinegar.

Vintage chicken feeder