Decorative Garden Trugs

The humble trug is useful for holding all sorts of garden paraphenalia; secateurs and seed packets, twine and twigs, bulbs and weeds often rest there, but the trug itself is usually overlooked. By adding some simple decoration you can transform this practical object into a stylish piece of garden equipment.

You will need:
- Garden trug
- 2 angled fitch brushes
- Matt acyylic paint - pale blue - pale green
- Pencil and eraser
- Assorted artists' acrylic colours
- Fine artists' paintbrush
- Deep blue-green stamping paint [optional]
- Small foam roller [optional]
- Floral stamp [optional]

Here's how:

Freehand Painting:
On a flat surface, turn the trug over so the base is facing upward. Use an angled fitch brush to paint pale blue-green matt emulsion paint on alternate slats.

Fill in the unpainted slats and the trug stand with a deeper blue-green matt emulsion paint. Leave to dry.

Using a sharp pencil, draw some simple flower, stem and leaf motifs on the slats of the trug, spacing the designs randomly. Erase any mistakes.

Pour small amounts of artists' acrylic colour onto a flat container and use a fine artists' brush to paint in the motifs. Use a deep shade for the edges of the flowers, lightening it with white as you near the centre.

Stamping:
Pour a little stamping paint into a flat container. Coat a small foam roller with paint and roll it over the stamp, evenly covering it.

Press the stamp firmly against the trug, holding it in place for a few seconds. Recoat the stamp with paint before each imprint.

  source: outdoor paint effects