Monday, July 14, 2014

You don't have to settle

Have you ever looked at something and said..."I love this, but not the color, I wish it was in ..." - Well have you? 
Have you ever just loved a décor item so much but settled on the color because that was the only color it came in?  Well have you?
I know that I can answer, "YES" to both of these questions.  But no more! 

I have found the power of paint, spray paint, craft paint, house paint, heck any kind of paint! 

I know that I am probably late to this paint love party but gosh, let me tell you it is so powerful.  But better late than never!
I always thought that spray paint was difficult to use, it splattered, it was blotchy, in other words it just wasn't worth the $5.00 or more a can.  No more I tell you! No more!  Yes I am a convert.

I have spray painted a nightstand....
http://www.dragonfliesandthistles.blogspot.com/2013/08/nightstands.html

And now I've got the spray paint out again! 

I found these at the dollar spot at Target about 2 months ago.  I thought - I love them but hate all the colors (well the blue one I like).  These little plastic trays are great for holding jewelry or as a large coaster or even to hold a decorative item on a table.  But the colors were, well, awful for the most part.
But remember - that doesn't matter!  I can make them any color I like!  I HAVE THE POWER!!!!

Step 1 - Peel those horrible labels off.... do you know how hard that is?  I soaked them in soapy water and put rubbing alcohol to them to get the sticky residue off.
Step 2 - Decide what colors and or pattern you want them... plain?; striped?; dots?; wavy lines?; hearts?; Fleur de Lis? the options are endless.
Step 3 - After choosing your colors and or patterns you need to prep your painting area.  Spray paint does tend to be a bit messy, you may want to wear gloves.  I always spray paint outside on the junky messy side of the house and I use a trash bag as my backdrop.
Step 4 - Paint.  Make sure you shake your can really well - there is a little ball in the can of spray paint and it should move around easily, you will be able to tell when you shake the can.  Remove your lid and hold the can about 7-10 inches away from the object you want to paint.  Hold the nozzle down and move you hand in a back and forth motion till the item is covered. 


DON'T WORRY ABOUT MESSING UP!  If you did too much in one spot simple don't go near that spot again!  Trust me if I can do it you can do it!

Step 5 - Let your item dry.  You may need to do several coats to get the desired color you want.  The back of my can said the drying time was 10 minutes to the touch... which means I should be able to pick the item up after 10 minutes without leaving fingerprints or messing up the paint.  If you live in a more humid are you will want to let your paint dry longer. 
Step 6 - If you want only 1 color, well you are done!  If you want another color, say polka dots - place the dots where you want them, spray paint the new color over the item till you have the desired color then remove the dots and let the item dry. 

For this project I chose to paint 1 of the trays a single color, gold.  I placed the tray under my salt lamp. 

The other two tray's I haven't been able to complete yet.  One is black and one is white.  The black one will have a Fleur de Lis in the center and the rest will be painted gold.  The white one will get dots then a painting of black. 
It has been raining here, crazy rain on Saturday, my basement almost flooded again.  You can't spray paint in the rain or when it is below 35 degree's as the paint will be hard and gloppy (that's a technical term there... gloppy - meaning full of glop!).  It rained on Sunday afternoon and again today after 4 right when I was leaving work.  So I haven't finished the other 2 yet.  I'll share the finished product when I am done. 
But back to painting things....
Did you know that you can paint glass?  Yes you can!  If you like the sea glass look you can take 1 part paint, 1/2 part white glue and 1/2 part water - mix well and paint!  It will look like sea glass.  I can't wait to try that on some Mason Jar's.  They are all the rage and the colored one's are crazy expensive for what they are. I've also got a really large jug that once contained some pickles.  I'm washing it and I'm going to use some craft paint on it and see what I come up with.  I think it will look great possibly dipped in gold paint and a nice jute sting around it with some sunflowers from my garden.  You can also paint terra cotta, but make sure the terra cotta is wet, really wet, before you paint otherwise it will just continue to soak up your paint color. 

Have you ever painted anything?  How did it turn out? 

I hope everyone has a great week.  I'll be back next week with another craft to share.  Until then be safe.
Victoria
As always I appreciate your support! 

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