Use oven cleaner to "darken" brass

If you still have shiny brass items lying around your house, you can always paint them like I have demonstrated in several of my posts, but did you know you can chemically darken them?

This piece was a bright brass planter from garden ridge.  It is real brass.

If you have any real brass that isn't lacquered, just spray it with oven cleaner and it will tarnish to a dark finish. Of course do this outside since oven cleaner fumes are bad. I leave it on and reapply as needed to get the darkness I want. If it is lacquered or polished with something preventing the oven cleaner from penetrating, you can try mineral spirits or paint thinner to break through the coating. I know steel wool will get through it, but it will scratch.

Obviously don't do this on something expensive you care about and wouldn't be willing to paint if it didn't turn out the way you want. It also won't work on fake brass. Good luck updating :)