Prep & Paint Wicker

My front porch wicker chair has been in need of a little TLC. Since wicker is a day or two project, I decided to wait until spring to give it the ultimate overhaul. Prepping this wicker chair is key and I will give it extra elbow grease. I like to brush off the old paint with a medium wire brush, shake it out and then add 1/4 cup of bleach to a healthy bucket of water - with a nylon brush, I dip into the bucket and scrub down my chair, hose and then allow it to fully dry. Since wicker is wood, it tends to swell when wet so I do highly recommend that you allow soaked chair to fully dry a good 24 hours, depending on weather - it may even take 48 hours. This is a key step because you do not want to apply your primer to wet wicker. So, let's tackle this two/three day project and add that perfect dash of color with Painter's Touch 2X !




Project Materials:

*Wicker Piece

*Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 Primer -Spray - 2 cans

*Painter's Touch 2x COLOR TO BE DETERMINED - 2 cans

*Medium Wire Brush

*Medium Nylon Brush

*Bucket

*1/4 cup of bleach

*Drop Cloth

Project Steps:

*Using your medium wire brush, brush off loose debris & old paint

*Mix together 1/4 of bleach with a half a bucket full of water

*Using your nylon brush, dip it into the bucket and lightly scrub down the entire wicker piece, working on molded/dirty areas

*Hose off the wicker piece well with water

*Allow to fully dry - 24 to 48 hours

*Apply first coat of Zinsser Bin Primer

*Allow to dry 30 minutes

*Apply second coat of Zinsser Bin Primer

*Allow to fully cure 24 hours

*Apply first coat of Painter's Touch 2X (COLOR TO BE DETERMINED)

*Allow to dry 30 minutes but not more then 60

*Apply second coat of Painter's Touch 2X (COLOR TO BE DETERMINED)

*Allow to fully dry 48 hours before full use

Blue Lagoon Candlesticks, Saved From the Holidays!

These candleholders have served our home well and I simply hate to part with them. I have used them for the Christmas holidays all the way thru to New Years. As you can see they are a shimmering silver. So, since I'm on this recycling kick and decided to spray paint them with Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X in Lagoon. The Lagoon color fits perfectly right into my dining room and brings out the teal tones in my mirror. I opted to keep them all and use them for the spring - the Lagoon color does look stunning against the plain old pine mantel. Color can uplift your home and the joy of recycling is great too!

Project Materials

*Drop Cloth

*Candleholders

*Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X in Lagoon

Project Steps

*Cover nearby items to protect them from spray mist

*Apply one coat of Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X to each candleholder

*Allow to dry 30 minutes

*Apply second coat within an hour or after 48 hours

Springtime Touches For Your Kitchen

After the long winter months come to a close, adding few touches of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2x in Eden to your kitchen is a sure winner! Spray paint season is upon us and I have added just the perfect amount of Eden! My kitchen had basic staple colors from my concrete countertops to the brown and gold seaglass backsplash along with crisp, white cabinets - thanks to Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations Kit - I stuck with the white kit and chose not to add the glaze. The protective topcoat has proven it's durability over and over again. The two stools were a light pine and added the Eden as well to tie the kitchen together.

Project Materials

*Drop Cloth

*Accessory Pieces to spray paint

*Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2x Primer

*Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2x spray - Eden
*Paint Thinner

*Lint free Clean Cloth

Project Steps

*Cover nearby items with drop cloth to protect them from spray mist

*Wipe off all accessories with a clean cloth and paint thinner

*Allow to dry 15 minutes

*Apply primer to all pieces

*Allow to dry 30 minutes

*Apply spray paint in Eden
*Allow to dry 30 minutes

*Apply second coat of Eden within an hour or after 48 hours

Flatware Framed Art for your Kitchen!

These faux enamel utensils were such a huge hit not only for dinner parties, but I took it a step further and made my own artwork for my kitchen! I have now made at least 40 of them for friend and family and have been customizing the colors for each kitchen. This Flatware Framed Artwork is truly simple and easy! The hardest part will be picking the perfect color from Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X line as well as picking the perfect backround! Enjoy your creativity and all for under $8 a piece!

Project Materials

*Drop Cloth

*Painter's Tape

*6 Utensils or flatware

*Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X in Eden & Marigold

*2 8X10 picture frames - glass removed

*2 sheets of scrap booking paper - customize to your kitchen

*Hot glue gun

Project Steps

*Tape off the "Eating" part of the utensil -expose only the handles

*Spray paint 3 each with Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X
*Allow to fully dry 24 hours

*Take apart frame and remove glass

*On cardboard mat glue on decorative paper

*Place paper into frame - facing forward - discard the glass

*Using hot glue gun, glue on your utensils

*Enjoy your custom artwork!

Antique Sewing Box Planter

Nothing says Springtime like a planter full of violet colored pansies! I came upon this sewing table at my local Good Will last winter and have been anxious for it to make a "Welcome Spring" statement on my front porch. I love the oval shape, drawers and decided that Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X in Gloss Sun Yellow - added those violet pansies and WOW - what a great splash of color! I wanted to also share the piece primed with Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X White Primer.

Project Materials

*Unique Planter

*Rust-Oleum's Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X Primer

*Rust-Oleum's Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X in Gloss Sun Yellow

*Drop Cloth

*320 Grit Sandpaper

*Paint Thinner

*Clean Lint Free Cloth

*Planting Soil

*Potted Pansey Plant

Project Steps

*Lightly sand down planter

*Wipe off with Paint Thinner and Lint Free Cloth

*Allow to dry 30 minutes

*Apply Painter's Touch 2X Primer

*Allow to dry 30 minutes

*Apply First Coat of Painter's Touch in Gloss Sun Yellow

*Allow to dry 30 minutes

*Apply Second Coat within one hour or after 48 hours

*Allow to dry 48 hours and then fill with soil & plants, place pansey plant on top

Seasonal Update for your Shed

With Spring around the corner and no hope for snow, it's a great time for that "Seasonal Update for your Shed." Empty your snowblower of gas by running it on idle until it's empty. Evaluate the front base and blades of the snowblower - it may have been hit by rust over this winter season. If so, lightly sand off the rusted areas, apply Rust-Oleum's Rusty Metal Primer. Next, to keep your snowblower true to color form, apply two light coats of Rust-Oleum's Stops Rust Brand in whatever color the base of the blower is. Stops Rust is available in over 30 colors! Of course, now you can reorganize your shed and place that cleaned up, freshly painted snowblower to the rear of the shed and pull all of the spring planters, seed and digging shovels to the front!

Varathane Stained Maple Table

My fantastic garage sale find for a crazy $10. I did do a ton of sanding on this table. I literally took my own advice from my blog "Sanding Tips 101". I spent about a total of 4 hours sanding - not all in one day but gave my hand a break in between. I'm going to stain this table with Varathane's Wood Stain which is available in over 20 colors and also has trial sizes available. This works well for me because I can test the colors of stains on the underside of the table and make a final decision from there. I also appreciate Varathane's stain line because I will not have to invest in a quart of stain, a pint will work perfect on this smaller round table. Varathane offers a full in line of stains, soya based, latex based, wood putty and wood fillers as well as a variety of Varathane Polyurethanes.

Now that I have the table fully prepped and ready to stain...help me pick a stain color - Espresso, Natural, Cabernet? I will be staining and sharing each picture of the step by step process on Februay 22nd. Log on and help me pick!

Sanding Tips 101

Sanding to stain is like primer is to paint. If you do a great job at sanding no one notices, BUT if your sanding jobn is minimal and weak - they will notice! No finish will hide a bad sanding job - same applies for prep and primer work prior to applying paint on the wall.

*Always do your sanding in a well lit area - it is easier to see scratches, nicks, dents or glue marks.

*Don't press too hard while sanding, keep even pressure if using a sanding tool. You do not want to dent into the wood from too much pressure.

*Sanding is not only a one step process. Sand out all blemishes which is any deep scratches, nicks or dents. Use a course grit such as 120-150 for the first layer of sanding.

*Sand in layers and sand with the grain of the wood. Change your paper often-be it on your tool or hand. The sanding does wear out and you will have uneven areas if you do not change papers often. Work your way up in sandpaper - ending with 320 grit.

*Your final sanding should be with the 320 - be sure to sand all of the parts with each sandpaper - including back ledges, legs and corners. You can wrap the sandpaper around the edge of a putty knife to fit into the back of a ledge on a table or dresser.

Lamp Revamp - Universal Gloss Cardinal Red

I searched for a new lamp for my bedroom and just struggled with shapes, lampshades & colors. I found this gem at the Goodwill for a fabulous $2.99. I did plug it in at the Goodwill to make sure it worked, the employees were happy to loan me a bulb! I had a certain color in mind and found it - Rust-Oleum Universal Gloss Cardinal Red! It's the exact burst of color needed for my bedroom. I took it to the next level with the lampshade - leopard fringe with warm hues of brown and black! The entire project was under $22, which included the lamp shade I found at 50% off!

Project Materials

*Drop cloth

*Recycled lamp

*Rust-Oleum Universal Spray in Gloss Cardinal Red
*Rust-Oleum Universal Primer
*New lamp shade

*Painter's tape

Project Steps

*Cover nearby items with drop cloths to protect them from spray mist

*Cover cord with painter's tape

*Cover bulb socket with painter's tape

*Spray lamp with primer

*Allow to fully cure 30 minutes

*Apply first coat of Universal Gloss Cardinal Red

*Allow to dry 30 minutes

*Apply second coat of Universal Gloss Cardinal Red within an hour or after 48 hours

*Allow to fully cure 24 hours

*Attach lamp shade and insert bulb

Valentine's Day Chalk Board Charger Plates

Here is a fabulous way to start off Valentine's Day...heart-shaped pancakes served along with this charger plate with your very own special message - Rust-Oleum's Chalk Board Specialty Paint in black has been a hit in our house for many different occasions including birthdays, St. Patty's Day and even if the kids bring home a great report card! Be sure to leave a cup full of chalk for your return message.

Project Materials

*Newspaper

*Paint brush or foam roller
*Rust-Oleum Specialty Chalk Board Paint

*Chalk

*Charger plates

*Paint stick

*Clean rag

*Roller tray if you are using a foam roller

Project Steps

*Cover area where you will be painting with newspapers

*Mix paint well

*Apply first coat with either foam roller or paint brush

*Allow to fully dry 30 minutes

*Apply second coating

*Allow to dry 24 hours

*Season plate with the long, round end of the chalk and then wipe off with a clean rag

Canvas Valentine Heart Art

Nothing says Love like a Heart! This is a DIYer's dream craft - all done within a day and you can customize the heart by adding a message to your Valentine. The total project is also just under $12 and can be stored away for next year as well!

Project Materials

*3 - 5 x 7 canvas boards

*Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2x in Gloss Apple Red

*Painter's Tape

*White Craft Paint

*Small Paint Brush

*Black marker
*Drop Cloth

Project Steps

*Cover Nearby items to protect them from over spray

*With a pencil - sketch out your heart on the 3 canvas pieces

*Tape off inside with painter's tape

*Spray paint the exposed canvas with Gloss Apple Red

*Allow to dry 30 minutes

*Spray paint another light coat of Gloss Apple Red

*Allow to fully dry 24 hours

*Remove tape

*Paint the inside of the heart - if necessary, the white may look sharp enough

with the white craft paint

*Allow to dry one hour

*Line the outer area of the heart with the black marker
*You can now also write your secret message to your Valentine inside the heart!

Chalk Board Charger Plates - Fun for the Family!

Pick up a dozen or so of these plain charger plates for under $1 each and turn your dinner table into a fun, festive dinner every night! I applied two light coats of Rust-Oleum's Specialty ChalkBoard Paint in Black and wrote cute notes for the kids! Best part of the Specialty Paint is that it is available to tint in over 10 different colors! Application was quick and easy, dries fast and again, I barely dented the quart can. Be sure to place a cup of chalk on the table for the kids to respond...that's the best part!

Project Materials
* Charger Plates
* Rust-Oleum Specialty ChalkBoard Paint -Black
* Foam Roller or paint brush
* Roller tray
* Chalk
* Rags to wipe off messages

Project Steps
*Cover area where you are going to paint
*Apply one thin coating of the chalkboard paint over charger plate
*Allow to dry one hour
*Apply second coating
*Third coat may be needed
*Be sure to allow one hour in between coats
*Season the painted charger plates by taking the rounded part of the chalk and lightly dust entire dry, painted plate with chalk. Wipe off and now you are ready to write your message.

Chalk Board Wine Glasses - Finished Look

Here they are! Perfect for entertaining as well as having a fun family dinner! This was one of the easiest projects I have ever completed and will be making a few dozen as gifts for birthdays, accompanied with a bottle of wine! I wanted to share a couple of during the process pictures so you can see just how easy it was to literally dip the stems into the paint!

I barely dented the can of Rust-Oleum's Specialty ChalkBoard Paint in Black - but the best part of this product is that it's available in 12 different colors from Raspberry to Kona - talk about specializing that perfect birthday gift for your friend - celebrate Valentine's Day with personalized Wine or Champagne glasses dipped in Rust-Oleum's Specialty ChalkBoard Paint in Fresco Red!

Project Materials

*Rust-Oleum Specialty Chalk Board Paint

*Wine or Champagne Glasses

*Paper towels

*Acetone

*Chalk

Project Steps

*Wash and fully dry your glasses

*Wipe them with the acetone

*Dry well

*Mix ChalkBoard Paint very well with a stir stick

*Dip each stem of the glass directly into the quart paint

*Gently pull up as you take out the painted stem and swirl the glass - allowing the paint to drip directly back into the can

*Place glass down on a piece of cardboard and every so often go back and lift the glass up so that it does not stick to the cardboard

*Allow to fully dry 24 hours

*Season each painted stem by taking the rounded edge of the chalk and rubbing chalk onto the surface

*Wipe off and now you can customize each wine glass

Chalk Board Wine Glasses

Thrift Store Score! Silver rimmed wine glasses that I'm going to jazz up with Rust-Oleum Specialty Chalkboard Paint - on the foot of the glass! Spent just under $2 for them and the silver rim adds that bit of bling! You can then personalize each individual glass for your guests. Don't limit yourself to a name...add the brand of wine or use a nickname! Keep it creative & fun! Be sure to jump on tomorrow for my work in progess.

Organize that Closet...Part 2

Now to share Part 2 of "Organize that Closet"...

1. After you have organized your clothes, did your donating, contemplated on the consignments and tossed a few bad sweat pants - if you're on the fence with blouse or low riders, take a post it "flag" and stick it on the hanger. If the flag is still there next year...donate!
2. Post it your shoe boxes as well. A brief description of which shoe is the box makes less mess.
3. Never leave your clothes in dry cleaner plastic bags, it does not allow the materials of your clothing to breath and your clothes will smell like dry cleaning chemicals after a while.
4. If at all possible, do a seasonal change of closets. I store all of my winter clothes in the XX-large hefty bags and then rotate when spring and summer comes along. Don't forget to use "under your bed" as storage!

Read Part I of "Organize that Closet"

Snowflake Napkin Rings, Trivet and Votives

Crate & Barrel had these out years ago and now they are floating around in the thrift stores! I managed to round up a trivet, 2 votive holders and 6 napkins rings. All in great shape and thought I'd use them all winter long...the only dilemma? What color? With Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X the color palette is broad and I had a tough time deciding...I posted the before pic on facebook at PaintIdeas Angie and the winner is Satin Aqua! What could be better than light blue snowflakes in the middle of winter?

Project Steps
*Find a spot safe for spray painting - cover nearby items with drop cloths or old sheets to protect them from spray mist
*Lightly spray Rust-Oleum Clean Metal Primer
*Allow to fully dry
*Spray two light coats of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X in Satin Aqua

Project Materials
*Metal Napkin rings, votives & trivet
*Rust-Oleum Clean Metal Primer
*Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X Satin Aqua
*Drop cloths

Organize that Closet...Finally!

Yes, it's that time of year again...to clean out and organize your closet! I'd like to share a few simple tips that have helped me tremendously part my ways with clothes that I will never wear again but will donate and make someone very happy with their new find!

*Distinguish clothing and shoes that you wear and the for sure items that you will never wear again
*Golden Rule of Thumb for the above - if you have not worn it this past year, donate it
*Stop hanging on to those skinny jeans - donate again! When you hit your goal weight, you'll want to treat yourself to a new trendy pair of jeans anyway!
*Check with your local consignment shops as well. It's okay to make a few bucks on a piece of clothing that you paid a fortune for! Donate the rest!
*Be sure to reorganize your clothes, hang items you use frequently at eye level and rarely used items on the upper shelves.
*Save those clear shoe tubs or even shoe boxes - they are great for your bikinis, socks, belts and scarves.

So, stay tuned for a few more quick, realistic organizational tips this week!

Read Part II of "Organize that Closet"

Winter White Picture Frames

Thanks to one major retailer for clearancing these solid wood picture frames for $1.54 each! I will say that I did not take to the sage green scrolling around the front frame. So as with everything, I decided to invest $3.97 on a can of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X in Satin Blossom White and magic happened!

These frames went from one sagey style to a winter wonderland of pictures. I am thinking I will be adding winter pictures of the kids and dogs sledding and making all of those snowmen!

Project Steps
* Find a spot where it is safe to spray paint; cover nearby items with drop cloths or old sheets to protect them from spray mist
*Wipe off picture frames, remove glass from fronts
*Apply Zinsser B-I-N Primer - allow to cure one hour
*Apply wwo light coats of Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X in Satin Blossom White
*Allow to fully cure 24 hours
*Fill with fantastic winter pics of family fun

Project Materials:
*Picture frames in need of a face lift
*Zinsser B-I-N Primer
*Painter's Touch Ultra Cover 2X in Satin Blossom White
*Drop cloths
*Fun, winter pictures

New Year's Eve Centerpiece

Ring in "2012" with all of those unwanted and outdated vases that have been just sitting around in the basement! I did add a few filler vases from my local Goodwill for a grand total of $1.25 for all four vases! My big purchase was the Universal spray paint - three cans and still have plenty leftover for yet another project! I added the tin house numbers for under $7.

Consider adding in fresh flowers such as white peace lillies or simple red roses! Adding candles inside the "2012" front vases luminates the numbers nicely. If you wanted to keep it simple, you can just spray the four vases and glue on the 2012 and use that as a hostess gift as well!

Project Steps
*Wash & Rinse your vases. Dry well
*Cover nearby items with drop cloths or old sheets to protect them from spray mist
***QUICK TIP: Stuff each vase with newspapers so you do not spray the inside of the vases. This allows you to fill with water & fresh flowers or candles
*Apply Universal's Primer - for all surfaces
*Allow to dry 24 hours
*Apply two light coats to each vase in Universal's Gloss Black, Gloss White & Metallic Titanium Silver
*Using a hot glue gun, glue on the 2012 numbers to the front of the vases
*Fill with candles & flowers

Project Materials
*Various Vases
*Drop Cloth
*Universal Primer
*Universal Spray Paint in Gloss Black & Gloss White
*Universal Spray Paint in Metallic Titanium Silver
*Newspapers
*Tin Numbers 2012
*Hot Glue Gun
*Fresh Flowers & Candles