How to easily change your style and paint on unusual surfaces

So, with the coronavirus keeping many of us indoors what have you all been doing to keep creative and busy?  If you have some paint stashed away it might the right time to think about painting on unusual surfaces.

Unusual surfaces to paint

Rocks are a great surface to paint on.  You might have some rocks right outside your door that would work perfectly. You can also buy a bag of smooth landscape rocks for a very reasonable price at a home improvement store.  Kids can get in on the action as well.  You can be as simple or as intricate as you see fit.  And the fun part is putting rocks in public places with positive messages for people to find.

Corks are another surface that you may have laying around.  You can recycle them into another great unusual surface to paint.  Again you can get detailed or simply decorative. Painted corks make great keyrings and ornaments.  It's never too early to think about Christmas!

When you think of unusual surfaces to paint on do you ever think why not a brick?  Bricks, when they painted, may great door stops and bookends.  Especially if you paint them to resemble a book!

Fabric is readily available.  Simply look in your closets and you will find unusual surfaces galore!  personalize them with some acrylic paints with fabric medium added.  Don't forget to heat set.

While there are many choices of painting surfaces none are more striking than painting on glass.  You can paint on wine glasses, plates, vases and more.  You will need to use paint that is specified for glass and heat set in an oven.  

This was sure fun, finding unusual surfaces to paint on.  Once you start looking though, you tend to find more.  So, this will be a recurring post for another day with more unusual surfaces to paint!  

Be sure and click on some of the images for full tutorials of a similar project!

See you soon!

How to make an easy indian corn tea light holder

      So it’s almost fall, my favorite time of year.  Who doesn’t love the crisp morning air, the pumpkin spice everywhere you look, and the colors of the season?  It is the perfect time to paint an Indian corn tea light holder on an upside down wine glass! 

      It's so easy to paint this cute Indian corn tea light holder!  Decorate it with some raffia and simply add a flameless or regular tea light candle for a décor piece that everyone will love!

Supplies:

Small and medium sized paintbrushes

Gloss acrylic paint, tan, gold, yellow, lt. yellow, red, purple, white, sienna, and orange

Brown sharpie marker

Raffia

Tea Light

Waxed paper or cardboard to protect your work surface

Alcohol

Paper towels

1.     Wash and wipe down your wine glass with a paper towel and alcohol.

2.     Using the brown sharpie marker, make a mark from the base of the stem to the rim on each side.  In essence you are marking half your wine glass.  

3.     On one side begin making small circles across with the marker continue making circles across and down until you reach the rim.  These are the Indian corn kernels.  See photo.  You will use these guidelines much like a coloring book and fill them in individually.

 

4.     Using the larger paintbrush and the tan gloss paint, cover the side that is not marked with kernels brushing with a downward motion.  Continue with tan on the stem and the base.  Let dry.  Turn rim side down and paint the bottom with tan and let dry.  Repeat with second coat.  When the second coat is dry, make some downward marks with sienna and white for a textural effect.  Repeat this step on the bottom of the base (which will be the candle holder) but brush the sienna and white in a spoke like pattern.

5.     Using the marks you made for kernels begin filling each one individually with the smaller paintbrush.  Use yellow, orange, purple, and red, varying the locations until you have filled in every one to the bottom.  Let dry and repeat with a second coat.

6.     Cute a 12-inch piece of raffia.  Cut and tie a six-inch piece of raffia onto the longer piece.  Continue adding raffia pieces until you have about six.  Trim up the ends.

7.     Tie the raffia strip with the fringe on the stem.  (See photo)

If you don't like how your marks are coming out when marking your glass, simply rub with some alcohol and start over.

Christmas painted Canning jar Luminary

I like to keep a decorative light on a table in my foyer and this cute Christmas painted canning jar luminary is a perfect addition to my holiday décor.  Since my foyer is dark unless I turn on the overhead chandelier light it’s nice to have a pretty nightlight.  The LED light string I use works with three AAA batteries and has a switch that turns it on at the same time every night for six hours and then turns itself off.  Since the lights are LED the batteries last over a month! 

It’s so simple to paint on glass using gloss acrylic paint for glass that is readily available in all the craft stores.  Follow the step-by-step instructions with photos to paint your own luminary.  They make great Christmas gifts too.  Just so you know, the photo doesn't do it justice, it is so beautiful with the little lights looking like stars.

Supplies:

·      Acrylic gloss paint for use on glass in lt. blue, brown, green, and white

·      Small flat paint brush

·      Small piece of sponge

·      LED battery powered light string with on/off/timer switch

·      Alcohol

·      Paper plate to use as a palette

·      Medium sized wide mouth canning jar

Instructions:

1.     Wipe down the canning jar with alcohol to remove all dirt and oils.

2.     Put some lt. blue paint on the paper plate and use the tap the sponge into the paint.  Apply to the top 2/3 of the jar with a patting motion all around.  Let dry.

3.     Using a paintbrush apply white paint liberally on the bottom third of the jar overlapping hills. (See photo)  Continue to add paint all around the jar and let dry.  When it is dry turn it over and paint the bottom of the jar white.  Let dry.

4.     Add the pine trees.  Load a flat brush with brown paint and working with the flat brush on its side, make a line up from the snow for the trunk.  Rinse the brush and load it with green paint.  Working from the bottom of the trunk add dabs of paint from side to side, going up the trunk getting narrower as you go.  (See photo)

5.     Continue to add trees in this manner.  If you have less paint on the brush the tree will look somewhat faded giving it a far off appearance. 

6.     When the paint has dried add some white touches on the branches of the trees to resemble snow. 

7.     Add the LED light string in the jar and set it to turn on and off as desired.

4 painted wine glass tutorials

So you think you can’t paint?  You may think these wine glasses are difficult to create, but think again! You can paint these beautiful wine glasses for all your summer parties, weddings, and birthdays. The tutorials take you step by step all the way to the beautiful finished wine glass. They make wonderful gifts and it’s never too early to think about Christmas. Since you paint on the outside of the glass in layers, when you look inside the glass you will see the inside of the flower!  Just click on the photos for the tutorial.  If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

 Blue flower painted wine glass

Fourth of July patriotic floral wine glass

White floral wine glass

Red Day lily painted wine glass