Spray Painting Tips

Wow! This easy project of mine has gotten a lot of attention in the craft world and blogosphere. I'm absolutely thrilled that so many of you like it and are inspired to make your own.  I have also gotten a lot of emails asking about the paint I used, if the paint chips, how to spray to prevent drips, etc. So, I thought I'd answer all of your questions in a much overdue post.

PAINT: For color, I use Rust-Oleum every single time. They are a great company that has done me right in the past, so I remain loyal. Here I used Flat (Matte) Black.

To seal and prevent chips. I give my pieces a coat of clear finish. Sometimes I use Flat and sometimes Satin, it just depends on the finished look I desire for each project.

TIP: If you are using black spray paint and then go over it with a clear finish, it has been my experience that the clear finish (especially the Flat finish) leaves white specks. Don't worry! Just go over your piece with another light coat of black spray paint. (I have my black mason jar in our bathroom holding toothpaste and toothbrushes. It gets pretty steamy during showers and the jar still looks great! No nicks at all.)

How to Spray Paint: This may seem elementary to some, but there are many of you out there who get drips or worry about an even coat. It's all about layers. Layers of paint. Here's how I do all of my glass projects...

1 - wash and dry well (there is no sanding or any other type of prepping)

 2 - take outside and sit on flat, stable surface (preferably not on a windy day - this blows your paint everywhere but on your project.)

 3 - go over entire piece with a light coat.

 4 - once the first coat is dry (mere minutes), go over your piece again with another light coat.

5 - go over with your spray paint one more time to ensure good coverage.
6 - once your paint is dry (I would allow about 15 minutes at least)  go over once more with a clear finish.

7 - Once your project is completely dry, bring inside, style and enjoy!

I hope these simple tips prove helpful. If you have any questions, as always, please feel free to contact me via email. xo

Around the House: Entry Table

I scored this humble little ditty over two years ago with the goal of painting it. I paid all of $12.00 for her, so I didn't mind the rough edges. But none the less, there she sat, in my entryway, longing for new life.  I'm pretty sure my husband thought I'd never paint her. Better yet, I'm pretty sure he saw her the week I brought her home and then never paid her a second thought. (We enter our home through the back door and my husband mostly pays attention to detail at work only.)

Here's a look at her now with a fresh new coat of ebony paint and accessories!

she's got a nice shape, I do believe

vintage books scored at a garage sale for $4.00

 rocks from the beach in San Diego

 brass candleholders from the thrift store - i love brass and black

my beloved new mason jars with flowers from neighbor Stan's garden

I kind of wish I did more front door entries! For now, I'll just sit on the edge of the couch and gaze into the entryway - with a big smile. Happy Monday. xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Rock Art

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Who needs canvas? xo

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Repeat - Mason Jars

Yes, they are everywhere. Yes, I have posted on them before. And yes, I am still smitten! How could I not be?  They are affordable. Sometimes free. And provide loads of opportunity and inspiration. Last week I shared a sneak peek at my little spray paint project. Today I give it to you in most, not all, of it's glory!

I should note...I'm a little obsessed with how the matte black came out and have more outside drying as I type this. Seriously, just look at that matte black with the cursive writing... stunning! I have a thing for black...what can I say? I also intend to add some peachy and tan tones into the mix for my new entryway. Yum!

Then, in my Pinterest crazed obsession, I found this little DIY image. Genius! And while I may not have "puffy paint", I have a glue gun!

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This led me to trying my own version with a milk jar, fabric marker and glue gun....

She's not perfect, but I love that about her. Plus she looks great in my bathroom when the sunlight streams through. I'll show you the rest of my matte collection once I'm done. Wow, these things are addictive. xo

For all you DIYers with questions on how to or the materials used for this project...I did a follow up post that can be found here. If you have more questions, send me an email. Let's chat. xo

Round and Round

Confinement is the mother of all craft creations! Last week I was scouring the internet for things to do with my boys that required little or no exertion. In my hunt, I went to one of my favorite new blogs, The Artful Parent, and found what is easily the most fun and fastest craft ever. If you have kiddos like mine that  have the attention span of a gnat... you're gonna love this!

SPIN ART


Supplies:
paper plates
paint
spoon
salad spinner

The above pics are from Artful Parent. I'll post ours in a bit. I haven't had a chance to take pics - but trust my when I say, this is soooo much fun. So quick. So easy. And the end result is beautiful! Love it!

What's your favorite way to paint? xo

Around the House: Playing with Paint

One of the things I love most about home ownership is getting to do whatever I want with paint and flooring! A while back I mentioned we were thinking of putting Marmoleum in our kitchen. That project got put on hold for a while, but now I'm thinking of doing something fun and playful to the playroom floors - the hubs hates them and has wanted to update them since before we moved in. Here's what I'm thinking... a row of squares in different colors with points painted in the centers and a hopscotch board. Why not right? That's when I saw this...

fun!

divine

sighhh

I'm pretty sure I also need to paint some house rules in our entryway...it needs a change.

adore

yes, another chalkboard wall

I love that something as simple and affordable as paint can create so many endless possibilities. What's your next home project?

DIY: Coat/Towel Rack

The hook in my bathroom broke a few months ago and I have been fervently looking for a replacement. The first one I bought from Lowe's didn't work and I can't justify paying Anthropologie prices on a hook. (I'm pretty thrifty, remember? And I prefer thrifty, not cheap!) I know replacing a hook should be easy, but to complicate matters, I have to cover the holes that are left from the previous hooks because I don't have any paint that matches my bathroom to do a wall repair.
So I go to Urban Outfitters for a look-see and find nothing. They used to have such cute hooks...what happened this season? All of this forced me to go back to my inspiration files where I found the above image from an old Design*Sponge DIY post. Cute isn't it? I love the color, the mix of different hook styles, etc. It's all very appealing to me. The best part is, it seems pretty doable and I have some scrap lumber in my garage. It's on baby!

Bliss

I should mention that I also have a love of glass doorknobs like the one above, but have yet to acquire any for my doors. They have such a romantic feel to them. I note this because I had some drawer pulls lying around that look a lot like glass doorknobs. They use to adorn my old desk that I found on the side of the road on bulk trash day. The desk is now gone (garage sale) but the knobs remain. Luckily, they are perfect for this project. 

I should also note: my bathroom is very tiny (hence the tight photos), the green walls were painted by the former homeowners (it's kind of growing on me) and the light in my bathroom is brilliant some days and very poor other days. Like I tell my kiddos, "ya get what ya get and you don't throw a fit!" The project was really easy. I went a step further and coated the entire piece with mod-podge since this "rack" is in my bathroom and it gets pretty steamy in there. After looking at the inspiration piece from Design*Sponge more, I think I might do this again and use a wider piece of wood. What do you think? Will you try making one of your own? From coats to towels to hats or jewelry, this is a great project for all your hanging needs. xo

Color Conundrum

We've lived in our house for - gasp! - almost 4 years now. It's not our dream home, but it's ours and slowly but surely we have made it more ours - together! We have repainted every single room in the house except the bathrooms and to be honest, those could use a makeover too, but they're not horrible so they're staying the way they are, for now.

Jude's room has probably seen the most change color wise. When we moved in it was yellow. Not a vivid Lichtenstein yellow, but a country cottage home yellow. I knew it would have to go the minute we signed papers on the house. Let me also note that the playroom and kitchen were this shade of yellow as well. I guess the previous owners really loved it! Here is a look at that yellow as our guestroom before it was converted to Jude's big boy room.

When he turned two and we were preggers with our second child, we knew we wanted them to share a room, even if we had a girl. What that room would look like - that was a mystery except for the bunkbed part. Being low on funds for an overhaul we made a trip to Ikea and used leftover material for curtains and the like. The end result was a green and grey room with touches of color and super heroes.

I let the hubs pick the color and while I am happy with the gray and like the green as a color, I am just not very satisfied with the end result. So, as Liam's second birthday approaches (okay it's 6 months away, but I need time to figure this thing out) and he moves into the big boy room, I have found myself contemplating what I will do with the room to make it theirs versus Jude's. So, call me crazy, but Jude's favorite color is yellow and I think I want to do all the walls white with one bright yellow accent wall. Yes? I don't know...maybe orange accents? I love the two images below from blogs Swish and Swanky and Design Sponge. They are so inspirational. Who knows what I'll do or if the hubs will even let me paint - he might get ticked, as it's pretty much the only color in the whole house that I let him choose. Oh, and I guess Jude should have a say too! Stay tuned...