![dollar-store-nutcracker-makeover.jpg Turn dollar store nutcrackers into modern shiny metallic silver and gold faux metal versions.](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7huCXNCRtec/VGwqLc80oaI/AAAAAAABJfI/i9FX5Mtmwik/dollar-store-nutcracker-makeover.jpg?imgmax=800)
You may not be aware of my slight nutcracker obsession. Every year I take the girls to see the Nutcracker ballet and they each get to pick out a nutcracker. When I get home I write on the Ballet name and the date.. (Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, San Jose Ballet, etc) This was our collection from 2012.. it is a bit bigger now:
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwtuKxVvDc0/UMYjSGtbWiI/AAAAAAAAExA/1jW6ZS_Bw60/s640/nutcracker.jpg)
And if a nutcracker collection isn’t enough, last year I even did a mantel that featured my favorite nutcracker theme “the Land of Sweets”
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SV8kvtrrT7E/UrJfZdstjWI/AAAAAAAAHoQ/6uLUPb1gBUs/s640/red+white+and+green+mantle.jpg)
![dollar-store-nutcrackers.jpg Dollar store nutcrackers](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LiNfZqOmEH0/VGwqVOmWJlI/AAAAAAABJfQ/itiZ6PGHYsg/dollar-store-nutcrackers.jpg?imgmax=800)
They are pretty cheesy and not nicely painted, but I knew I could spruce them up. I wanted them to look more modern or contemporary. So the first thing I did was rip off the poorly glue-gunned on hair:
![removing-nutcracker-beard.jpg Removing nutcracker beard](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EBagsi33PXI/VGwqXgZc8vI/AAAAAAABJfY/gBBvrT8kM_Q/removing-nutcracker-beard.jpg?imgmax=800)
Then I took them outside and set up my spray paint area:
![spay-painting-nutcrackers.jpg Spay painting nutcrackers](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-scNRhazDYfs/VGwqZxn3SuI/AAAAAAABJfg/rh85lgh9GQ8/spay-painting-nutcrackers.jpg?imgmax=800)
I chose two different metallic paints. A silver (this is Rust-oleum Metallic Silver):
![spray-paint-nutcracker-silver.jpg Spray paint nutcracker silver](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0b1x0muOSAQ/VGwqceliGGI/AAAAAAABJfo/-KwM0pINqYY/spray-paint-nutcracker-silver.jpg?imgmax=800)
And high gloss gold (this is American Accents Gold Metallic):
![spray-paint-nutcracker-gold.jpg Spray paint nutcracker gold](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-d9lIf12_kzU/VGwqeUo94qI/AAAAAAABJfw/eXKgHANryY8/spray-paint-nutcracker-gold.jpg?imgmax=800)
![shiny-nutcrackers.jpg Shiny nutcrackers](http://lh4.ggpht.com/-aKA0L1_HBWE/VGwqgpL9OuI/AAAAAAABJf4/TyoW-TDXsFo/shiny-nutcrackers.jpg?imgmax=800)
I am actually really impressed with the shiny finish with these spray paints. Especially considering how rough the surfaces of these nutcrackers were:
![Metallic-Nutcrackers.jpg Turn dollar store nutcrackers into modern shiny metallic silver and gold faux metal versions.](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5AQ9Ito5fRI/VGwqi1NF8rI/AAAAAAABJgA/Yx2aCD-mzE4/Metallic-Nutcrackers.jpg?imgmax=800)
Here you can see just how much a transformation it really is:
![nutcracker-before-and-after.jpg Turn dollar store nutcrackers into modern shiny metallic silver and gold faux metal versions.](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RsIZ4prikF4/VGwqlJCwXHI/AAAAAAABJgI/XvxK0lfn_t0/nutcracker-before-and-after.jpg?imgmax=800)
![shiny-metal-nutcrackers.jpg Shiny metal nutcrackers](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Uuw__6v_n5o/VGwqni5E4NI/AAAAAAABJgQ/_xs0uDUUQhI/shiny-metal-nutcrackers.jpg?imgmax=800)
![faux-metal-nutcrackers.jpg Faux metal nutcrackers](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zOmsBxvYVzA/VGwqqOHlaUI/AAAAAAABJgY/W8hslf6ckgA/faux-metal-nutcrackers.jpg?imgmax=800)