Goodwill Galvanized Canisters Received A Fall Sunflower Makeover

September 26, 2021

Photo of two galvanized canisters purchased at Goodwill.

This pair of galvanized canisters were a Goodwill find from April. The labels were pretty faded, and one of the labels has been wet.

Even though they said "flour" and "sugar", the bottoms have labels advising that the containers are for decorative use only.

(When you click on the bold Amazon, Old Sign Stencils or Dixie Belle Paint Company affiliate links you will be taken to the products I used for this project. If you order it does not change the price or service at all. As an Amazon Affiliate, Old Sign Stencils Affiliate or Dixie Belle Paint Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Photo of paper labels being removed from galvanized containers.

First, I washed the canisters in the sink with hot soapy Dawn Dish Soap water, and then let them soak to loosen up the labels.

One of the labels started peeling off right away, and I used a green pots & pans scrubber to remove the rest of the label. The other canister was another story. It was the one with the water stained label and some rust. The label was really stuck down. I soaked it, I scrubbed it, and I tried both Goo Gone Adhesive Remover and Windex and it was still very stubborn.

Photo of a galvanized canister without the lid from Goodwill.

Tip: If you do use Goo Gone to remove sticky labels, be sure to use a degreaser spray of some kind to get the oil residue off before painting. Your paint will not stick. Even chalk paint!

Photo of a galvanized canister bottom being painted black.

I brushed on two coats of Dixie Belle Chalk Finish Paint in Caviar. I used a sponge brush and applied the paint horizontally on the first coat and vertically on the second coat.

Photo of two galvanized canisters painted black.

Here are my two canisters painted black. I did not paint the top part or the lids.

Photo of a decor transfer sheet of sunflower designs.

My plan was to use some of the designs on this Sunflower Fields Decor Transfer from Redesign With Prima. I purchased this transfer on Etsy about a year ago and never got around to using it.

Photo of sunflower decor transfers being arranged on a canister.

I cut out a few of the designs and taped them onto my canister with blue painter's tape. This was just to get an idea if I indeed LIKED the idea.

I decided to continue and removed the white paper backing, and then began to rub-on the transfers using the flat stick in the tube. With just a few transfers in place, I decided my project needed some script, not just the sunflower graphics.

Photo of a garden script decor transfer with white graphics.

I knew I had some bits and pieces of a Maisie & Willow Delightful Labels white transfer left in my stash. The white transfer would work perfectly on the black canisters.

So, I added some script here and there on the canisters. I burnished the transfers with a piece of the waxed paper backing to make sure they were all stuck down, AND to eliminate a few of the haloes around the letters.