diy zinc letters

i've been admiring these zinc letters at anthropologie for quite a while now and lately, they keep popping up in rooms and gallery walls that i love. each time i see them, a little voice inside me shouts "i want some!" but i've just never wanted to shell out $18 for one, especially since i know i couldn't just get one. i spotted some cardboard letters at hobby lobby for just a few dollars that reminded me of the anthropologie letters, and diy alarm in my head started going off. so i picked up some silver metallic paint and decided to give it a go.

once i started doing a little research, i realized there are tons of tutorials for diy-ing these letters. some are as simple as painting metallic paint on the letters, while others silver leaf or modpodge tinfoil to the letters.
i decided to keep it simple, and what i did is not earth-shattering or genius, but it worked for me.

supplies:
craft store letter
black paint
silver metallic paint
paintbrush

all you do is paint the letters black, wait until they are completely dry, and then paint a thin coat of silver metallic paint over the black. this is where personal preference comes in. the less silver you use, the more the black will show, which can add depth and texture to the letters. the inspiration letters have a lot of black in them, but i opted for more silver than black. in a few spots i left the silver paint very thin to add a little dimension and give the anthropologie zinc-y look that i love. it's hard to see that in pictures, but in person they have more depth.

i found that being a little globby with the paint gave a rough-metal look, and i made sure some of the brush strokes were visible to add some more texture. i think the top pictures shows the texture the best. pretty easy though, right?
now i just have to stop myself from every surface and wall with these badboys, cause i love 'em!