Weekend paint projects

Is your home starting to feel a little drab and boring? Has it been years since you last changed the decor? Here are some weekend paint projects that will definitely boost your home with vibrant colour and a bit of fun...!

 

Resuscitate a room with a fresh graphic painted on a single standout piece of furniture. The paint treatment works because it repeats one large silhouette design in stark white against a deep, saturated colour for visual punch. Cut out enlarged leaf shapes from self-adhesive vinyl.

Place the cutouts on the dresser drawers, apply a thin coat of Plascon Melamine Primer and then roll on several thin coats of the finish paint. Remove the vinyl when dry (use a utility knife on stubborn edges).

Create a graphic backdrop for a display of collectibles with this splatter technique on sturdy board. Use an old toothbrush or speckling brush to produce the splatter effect.

Apply a fine mist of one blue paint colour to the board. Larger drips will occur as part of the process. Add more drips by loading up the tip of the toothbrush with paint and holding it above the board. Move your loaded brush around to get trails of colour. Repeat with a second colour of blue and let dry.

Using the board tacked inside cabinets or behind shelving allows you to enjoy the effect and change it easily later if desired.

Treat plain pillows to a pop of pattern with paint. Tape pre-shrunk fabric to cardboard by placing the cardboard inside pillow covers so the paint doesn't bleed through. Use Rust-Oleum satin spray paint and stencils, stamps, or strips of masking tape to create your pattern. Apply the paint in light coats to allow it to work it into the fabric. We've got more tips here for spray painting onto fabric.

Turn everyday objects into charming accents for your home. Children's boots become vases with a spray of Rust-Oleum 2X satin sweet pea paint in a matte finish. Insert a slim cylinder vase into the boot tops to hold water for fresh flowers and set your playful accent on a pretty pink embroidered placemat.

Take plain curtains up a notch with this simple stamping technique. Cut a wood block in your desired size. Trace around the block on a sheet of craft foam and cut out the foam shape. Coat the foam with a light layer of spray adhesive and stick it to your wood block to create your stamp.

Use a foam roller to apply fabric paint to your foam stamp. Press the stamp onto the curtain with even pressure, then lift off carefully. Finish stamping your design, cleaning your stamp between each new colour.

When you paint your walls, you don't need to cover the entire wall; sometimes just a block of colour has a big impact. By painting just a section of the wall in this living room, the homeowner removed the feel of a corner, giving an illusion of greater space while also defining a nook without expensive architecture.

Use Plascon Double Velvet for a luxurious satin finish or Plascon Cashmere for an absolute matt that won't reflect glare from windows.

Floors don't have to be a bore... not when you can paint them...! Brush on a cool coat of colour underfoot with a canvas floorcloth or woven rug. Base-coat your rug material if you want a different colour. After the base coat dries, use a straight-edge to guide your stencil placement.

Apply your design in a contrasting colour with a stencil brush and stencil, cleaning the stencil before moving it to a new section. When the paint is dry, seal and protect the design with clear polyurethane.