Create A Vintage Brass Outlet Cover On A Budget With An Affordable DIY

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Giving your home an old-school flair doesn't have to mean splurging on vintage pieces. In fact, you can transform small fixtures of your home and make them look like they're antique details with just a few budget-friendly supplies. For example, why not cover that modern-looking plastic outlet with something that looks brassy and old? All you need is a bit of hot glue, molds, and clever DIY magic to add charm to ugly outlet covers.

The idea is to create something like looks like a vintage ornate brass outlet, like the ones you can find on eBay or at local thrift shops. But instead of buying one, we're creating ornate pieces by filling silicone molds with hot glue and painting them a brassy color. This allows you to customize your home down to the smallest details, and it's a fun and affordable DIY that's guaranteed to give your home a unique old-school flair while hiding unsightly outlets. 

For this DIY, you'll need a basic plastic outlet cover, like these Enerlites Duplex Outlet Wall Plates. Then, select silicone molds that match your style. Surprisingly enough, these can be found in specialty baking shops, since they're typically used to decorate cakes with fondant. Look for molds that look baroque, like those with curlicues and florals. For a statement piece, you can use Loxgo's Lion Shaped Silicone Molds.

This DIY relies on a genius hot glue hack that consists of filling silicone molds of your choosing with it and letting it cure. Once it's dry and hard, un-mold the pieces. Before attaching them on the plastic outlet cover, try different layouts to see what works best. The pieces don't need to be completely on top of the wall plate; they can poke out on the sides, too.

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When you've got a layout you like, score the plastic with scissors to create small scratches that will help the glue adhere. Then, apply the molded hot glue pieces to the outlet cover using a bit of hard glue and some hot glue. Leave it to cure before spray painting the whole thing with metallic gold spray paint. To help the details pop and give the DIY a real vintage vibe, apply some black acrylic paint on the designs and dab it off with a piece of paper towel. This will leave some dark residue in the deeper crannies of the ornaments, which will help it pop.

Don't hesitate to customize this DIY or try it with light-switch covers. For example, you can use other paints to get another type of luxe metallic look instead of brass, like silver or pink gold. For a slightly less aged look, skip the black acrylic paint. You can finish this DIY with some matte spray paint, or instead opt for a shiny look with a glossy lacquer.