How to Make a Custom Zippo

I took a cheap zippo lighter, modified and weathered it, here's the process.

Step 1: Watch the Video

Please watch the video for a detailed description of how I made the exact lighter seen in the photos. I would also really appreciate it if you subscribed to my channel and liked the video.

Step 2: Pick the Lighter That You Want to Customise

For this I picked an incredibly cheap bull brand lighter, as I was only testing out techniques. However after doing this project and seeing the results I would be happy to do it on a real zippo.

Step 3: Sanding

I began by using some 80 grit sand paper in order to rough up the surface and make sure that the paint would stick to it. I highly recommend that you do this thoroughly as otherwise the paint will not stick to some parts of the lighter giving it a patchy look. Don't forget to remove the insert at this point before you paint the rest of the lighter.

Step 4: Painting

Make sure to hang the lighter from a piece of thread or cord, as this makes painting a lot easier. The colour choice is up to you, but I went for matte black and a neon green. If you wanted to then you could also stencil on designs here in order to add more complicated patterns to the lighter.

Step 5: Decal

I found some artwork on the internet and decided to make a decal out of it. In order to achieve this I printed it out on regular paper, and then cut it out making sure to stay as close to the lines as possible. I positioned it where I wanted it on the lighter, and then used paper glue to stick it in place temporarily, I then applied two coats clear coat over the top.

Step 6: Drybrushing

I used some metallic copper paint and a brush to finish the project, making sure to use as little paint as possible I weathered it. The best way I found to do this was to apply it to the edges and corners which would have been naturally worn over time. I also applied some paint with a rag and tried to wipe it off, leaving a cool aged effect. I then applied two more coats of clear coat over the top making sure that the weathering and the paper decal were protected.

Step 7: Finished

While my lighter works perfectly, be warned that spray paint is flammable and as such you should be incredibly careful if using it to paint a lighter and should never put yourself in harms way.