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

Chalkboard Reminders for Furnance/Water Heater

Now that we have organized our basements and sectioned off the heater, water heater as well as the aprilaire units - I have found a great way to keep track of maintenance for every unit. If you have a plain wall you can apply two light coats of Rust-Oleum Specialty Magnetic Paint along with two coats of Rust-Oleum Specialty Chalkboard paint on the wall near the units. Make sure you have enough space so that you can write the following information for each unit:

Furnance / Air Conditioner

*Filter Brand Name or recommended

*Filter Size

*Last Changed Date

*Last Cleaning Date

Water Heater

*Date it was last flushed

Aprilaire/Humidifier Unit

*Temperature of winter setting

*percentage it should read

*Temperature of summer setting

*percentage it should read

*Filter Size

*Filter last change-Date

Name and phone number of Service Company for all units. Also, find a 24 service company for a back up. You can also hang a hook with a plastic large envelope which can hold all of your warranty information for these units. Now if you do not have a wall you can also hang a small white magnetic board to your furnace duct and jot down the same information as above. I will say there is something about making even your furnance a DIY project as well as customizing the room into a shared pantry. Keep your basement options open!

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!

Spring "Green" Tips For Your Garden

Here are a few great "Green" tips for the spring that will help you conserve water, plant herbs all year long as well as make new friends and gather neighbors to host a Community Compost Pile! You may have to offer up your yard, but imagine the benefits of that fresh soil right in your backyard!

*BE WATER SAVVY - When watering your lawn, place an empty tuna can in your grass - when it's full...you've reached your limit.

*NO MORE PESTICIDES IN YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN - Cayenne and garlic will deter any bugs or small animals. Eggshells and coffee can be sprinkled around the base of your plants - ants, slugs & snails are not huge fans.

*COMMUNITY COMPOST PILE - Reach out to friends and neighbors and see if they are interested in a community compost pile - offer up your backyard and hand out a list of Yes and No's for the compost.

*PLANT YOUR OWN HERBS - Five plus hours of sunlight is required - moist soil also a must and consider growing them all year long by transitioning the plants indoors when fall arrives. Do not wait for frost, transition them in early fall. Find a sunny location indoors.

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