Painting

  • How to Paint an Interior Door {Decorating}

    Do you want to paint an interior door in your home, but aren’t sure how to go about doing it? If so, you need to read this - it will show you exactly how to paint an interior door effortlessly (it’s really easy)! Spice up your home with a newly painted door!

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  • More Painting Tips

    More Painting Tips Than You Know What to do With

    Painting tips are not hard to come by, but it is hard to find a whole slew of painting tips in one spot! Thankfully, I have found them for you. This list shows you dozens of different painting tips that will come in handy the next time you need to paint something!

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  • As I have mentioned previously, we are doing a lot of fixing up in our home. One of the least expensive ways we have spruced up is by painting. And we have done a ton of it! From ceilings to walls - very little has been left untouched.

    I have seen the paintbrushes at Dollarama, but I was hesitant to try them. I have painted with “cheap” brushes before and they would leave bristles in my wet paint, which I would then have to pick out (or sand out if I missed them) and re-paint. Not at all worth the few dollars I saved.

    But I was willing to give the brushes from Dollarama a try.

    I was refinishing the base of my kitchen table. It is a rather inconspicuous place to paint, so I thought I would give the dollar store brushes a try. I bought two brushes at Dollarama. The ProPainter Brush was $2 and the Duramax Brush was $1.

    I chose to review three specific areas with these brushes:

    1. Loss of bristles
    2. Paint coverage
    3. Clean up of the brushes

    Before I began painting, I gave a light pull on the bristles, to see if any loose ones would fall out, and to give me a heads up for what I may be in for! To my surprise, not a single bristle was loosened from the ProPainter brush. The Duramax brush was a different story. I easily pulled out many bristles:

    I continued to gently pull out any loose bristle, until my pulling resulted in no more bristles coming out of the brush.

    Then I began painting. Both brushes provided good paint coverage. I was impressed with the lack of streaks. Both brushes provided even strokes and a nice layer of paint evenly to my table.

    The Duramax brush did lose a few bristles throughout the paint job. I caught about 3 while painting, and have noticed 1 more now that the paint has dried. Not too bad for the small area I was doing, but could be problematic if doing a large area.

    I was very impressed with the ProPainter Brush. It did not lose a single bristle.

    The ProPainter brush also washed clean very quickly and easily. The Duramax brush was a bit more challenging to clean. I could not seem to get all of the paint out of it, and ended up tossing it in the trash.

    My personal thoughts:

    The Duramax Brush

    • Lost a lot of bristles, both before I began painting and throughout the painting process. It reminded me of other “cheap” brushes I had used in the past.
    • Painted evenly and did provide good paint coverage.
    • Did not clean up very well. The paint was very difficult to wash out of the brush.

    The ProPainter Brush:

    • Did not lose a single bristle, either before or during painting.
    • Provided good paint coverage and an even coat of paint.
    • Cleaned up quickly and easily.

    I would highly recommend spending the extra dollar and purchasing the Pro Painter brush. You will still be saving a bundle from avoiding the hardware stores. I truly wish I had tried these brushes sooner!

    Do you buy paintbrushes from the dollar store?

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  • Buying paint for children from the dollar store is a good idea for three reasons. It is a great size of bottle, the colours are nice and bright, and it is cheap. However, usually it does not come out of clothing that easily, and is not often the best for finger painting.

    With a few minor adjustments, this paint will last even longer - making it cheaper. It will also be easier to come out of clothing, and will make better finger paint.

    Mix together the following:

    • 2 Tablespoons or so of Paint,
    • 1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch
    • 1 Tablespoon of Water
    • 1 Squirt of Dish Soap


    This will more than double the amount of paint you have and save your clothing (and couches, and carpets - or are those just my kids?).

    This is how we finger paint at my house - and how I attempt to manage the mess.

    We put the paint into muffin tins or ice cube trays and use a different spoon for each colour. For my toddler, I do the spooning out of the colours that he wishes onto his paper. He tells me the colours, the amount of the colours, and where on his paper he would like them.

    I need him to think HE is in control - or we have temper tantrums. And let me tell you, finger painting and temper tantrums? Scary. Very scary.

    Now that you have your wonderful finger paints, here are some fun projects to consider:

    Handprint Art

    I originally made similar cute animals in my kindergarten classroom as an extension to a story. But these little animals will be finding frames as they are my littlest boy’s hands and deserve a place in his nursery.

    Symmetry Art

    Be it a butterfly or a heart - this one is a classic!

    Sticker/Tape Art

    This one can look very neat! Using masking or painters tape, tape a word, name or quote on your paper. Next, have your little one finger paint over top. When the paint dries, peel off the tape. This can also be done with stickers. Make sure to use thick paper, such as card stock (sold at Dollarama), to prevent rips.

    Dropper Art

    Using a dropper and finger paint (the paint may need to be thinned a bit with water), suck up the paint and squirt it out on the paper. This is a great time to experiment with mixing colours.

    Straw-Blown Art

    Water your finger paint down with 50% paint and 50% water. Put a few spoonfuls onto the paper and blow it with the straw. To make this tree, put a big drop of brown or black paint at the bottom of the page. Blow a straight line up, and then blow lines to the side for branches. Use a Q-tip dipped in red or pink to make the blossoms.

    Mess-Free Art

    Pop a piece of paper (card stock is best) in a zip-top bag. Add in your paint and let your little one paint away. All the mess stays in the bag and off of your little ones’ hands.

    It’s also fun to experiment with textures, such as using bubble wrap or sand paper to paint on. Consider painting with a toothbrush, small rag, spoons and forks, or your toes.

    With the nice weather right now, it is a great time to go outside and get messy!

    Do your kids love to finger paint?

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  • I love spring. I love pretty things. I love crafts. And of course, I love being frugal. All of these loves collided in this fun painting craft project - a decorative pedestal bowl.

    This shabby-chic looking decorative spring bowl could easily be altered to be a winter bowl, summer bowl, or just an everyday, all-season bowl!

    Ingredients

    • A glass bowl, vase, or platter
    • A wine glass, martini glass, or candle stick holder(ensure it has one wide opening)
    • Super glue
    • Acrylic paint
    • Brush

    Instructions

    • Pour paint on the inside of your glass or candle stick holder. Make a circle in the middle (where the side meets the bottom). This line can be as thin or thick as you’d like. Turn your cup upside down on a paper towel and set aside. The paint will drip down the sides of the glass.
    • Paint a design on the top bowl (on the inside, unless you are using the bowl for food). I did green swirly dots with purple flower petals. By painting on the inside of the bowl it gives a very glossy look to the finished product. If you would like to use your bowl for food, paint on the outside of the bowl.
    • Dab super glue along the ridge of the upside down glass and carefully position the bowl on top and push down. Put something heavy in the bowl (like a cup filled with water) until the glue has set.

    It’s that easy! You don’t even need to paint pictures or designs on the bowl, you can just let the paint drip on the bottom cup or candles stick holder. Or you can skip the paint drip part and just paint designs on the bowl.

    Whatever suits you best! Pouring paint in the top bowl and tuning upside down would also look very cool!

    This painting craft is lots of fun. Consider giving it a try - you won’t be disappointed!

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