Top tip: Garden Games from PlastiKote spray paint

1st August 20181st August 2018 SPIadmin

The school summer holidays can seem endless. Days out can end up costing a fortune but how can you get the children outside and having fun? A can of Garden Games from PlastiKote spray paint could be the answer.

top tip in blog1

Encourage the kids into the garden by marking out a mini football pitch, a tennis court, a hopscotch grid – or make up your own games. A simple grid for skittles or a game of giant noughts and crosses are just a couple of ideas to try.

top tip in blog4

Garden Games can be used on grass or tarmac for marking out temporary play areas and will wash away with rain or water. Perfect for a summer of active fun.

top tip in blog2

And here’s a top tip – use Garden Games when planning a new design in your garden to mark out flower beds or pathways, much easier than using sand or string!

top tip in blog3

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects. If you’ve been inspired to create a football pitch or tennis court for your children, take a pic, post it on Instagram and don’t forget to tag us #plastikoteuk. We love seeing your makes.

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

Mini makes: recycle wine boxes with PlastiKote spray paint

3rd July 20184th July 2018 SPIadmin

Wine boxes are too good to end up on the bonfire or landfill. With some easy prep and a couple of coats of PlastiKote spray paint, a wine box can be made into something useful and decorative for the garden.

Give the box a good clean and make sure it’s thoroughly dry before spraying. Being bare wood, we recommend priming the box with Twist & Spray Primer before applying the colour. Make sure the Primer is completely dry before starting to spray the top coat. PlastiKote Garden colours are perfect for these mini makes.

Make a mini herb garden…

blog - in copy

…storage for the potting shed…

Box 3

…or even as display shelves for summer plants.

blog - in copy 3

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects. If you’ve been inspired to do a wine box makeover, post it on Instagram and don’t forget to tag us #plastikoteuk. We love seeing your makes.

Mini makes for Father’s Day with PlastiKote spray paint

29th May 201829th May 2018 SPIadmin

Stuck for something to give Dad on Father’s Day? Here are a quick and easy projects with PlastiKote spray paint. Small projects are a great way of using up leftover spray paint and if you can recycle something you already have, then all the better!

Does his shed need a bit of a tidy up? Use Chalkboard spray paint to create a band around a jam jar that he can label and re-label over the years. We sprayed the lids with some leftover Twist & Spray Colour in Real Red. Wrap them up with a couple of sticks of chalk and they’ll make a lovely gift.

fathers day 2

Recycle an old frame or charity shop find. Pick a colour and finish from one of our colour and effects ranges – Twist & Spray, Fast Dry Enamel, Hydro, Metallic or Chalk. Pop in a photo of you and he’ll be delighted! We sprayed a maché frame from Hobbycraft with Twist & Spray in April Green Gloss and decorated it with washi tape.

fathers day 3

Why not make a fun sign for his shed or den? All you need is a cheap wooden plaque (or wood off-cut from his shed!) and some children’s wooden letters. Spray paint in your chosen colours and assemble using a hot glue gun. Attach a hook or wire to hang it with and you have a clever little sign. You could even do a ‘Keep Out’ or ‘Quiet please’ sign!

fathers day 1

Top tip: find the key easily with PlastiKote spray paint

8th May 20188th May 2018 SPIadmin

This top tip was passed on to us by a company that uses various padlocks in one area, all the same make, but with different keys. They tried using different fobs but inevitably not everyone could remember which one was which and would have to try each key until they found the right one.

padlocks before

Their ingenious solution was to use leftover PlastiKote spray paint in different colours to spray each lock and key to make it super easy to match them.

padlock spray painted red

These are the first two they did, spraying the key whilst in the lock to make it a really quick fix! The keys can be kept on the same keyring as there’s no mistaking which key goes with which lock – genius!

two sprayed padlocks

This idea could be used for any set of keys. Spray the top of a key to match a front door, garage door, filing cabinet, store cupboard, etc. Even if the locks are different, it makes it easy to see which one you need. It could be particularly helpful for an elderly person who may forget which key is used for what – colour code their key to match the colour of the door.

Top tip: using PlastiKote spray paint on a wet and windy day

17th April 20181st May 2018 SPIadmin

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is how do I spray paint when it is raining or windy?

The answer is simple – we use a garage or shed and a cardboard box as a spray booth. A spray booth is easy to make, extremely effective and usually free! Get a big box – the bigger the better. Set it up in your garage or shed, preferably on an old table already covered with newspaper or cardboard.

spray booth pic 1]

Another top tip is to use a smaller box inside your booth to act as a plinth to stand your item to be sprayed on. This can easily be moved to enable access all round your sprayed item without having to touch it. Place the object you want to spray on the plinth and spray.

spray booth pic interior

The overspray stays on the inside of the box. A spray paint booth is ideal for using PlastiKote spray paint on small projects.

Top tips: looking after your PlastiKote spray paint

13th March 201813th March 2018 SPIadmin

Inevitably, unless you’re spraying a large item of furniture, you will be left with some paint in the can after using PlastiKote spray paint. These odds and ends of paint are ideal for mini makeovers like transforming a picture frame or spraying the lids of storage jars, so you don’t want to throw it away. Here are four top tips for storing a partially used can:

2 - Wedding favour jar being sprayed with PlastiKote Twist and Spray in Cameo Pink

When you complete the project in hand, turn the can upside down and spray on to some newspaper until the gas has been expelled and nothing is coming out of the nozzle. This will clear the tube and nozzle of any paint residue and prevent clogging.
Clean the nozzle with a q-tip to make sure it doesn’t get clogged up.
Store spray paint cans indoors, in a shed or garage where the temperature won’t fall below freezing.
A can of unopened spray paint has a shelf-life of approximately 10 years but once used, it should not be stored for more than two years.

2 - Flower pots being sprayed with PlastiKote Twist and Spray Primer in White

Mini make: heart shaped chocolate box with PlastiKote spray paint

11th February 201812th February 2018 SPIadmin

Here’s a really affordable and easy make for your loved one on Valentine’s day – or indeed on any day! Spray a maché heart shaped box (Hobbycraft) or an old tin or box that you wish to recycle with PlastiKote spray paint. We used Fast Dry Enamel in Red Metallic, a lovely rich red but you could also use Twist & Spray Bright Red Gloss or Real Red Satin. We applied a paper heart motif to the lid to add interest. Fill the tin with chocolates, their favourite sweets, mementoes of a special day or little love notes. Much more personal and thoughtful than shop-bought!

choc box 2

Top tips: priming your project with PlastiKote spray paint

17th January 201818th January 2018 SPIadmin

Many of our spray paints don’t require a primed surface but our top tip this month is to prime your project if it is to be in everyday use. PlastiKote spray paint has developed a wide range of different primers to make sure your project is fully prepared.

Anything that is going to be used frequently eg items of furniture, will benefit from a coat of primer first as it gives added adhesion and durability.

Priming wooden table with PlastiKote Twist & Spray Primer

We also find that coverage is even better when a coat of primer is applied, especially with our water-based paints.

Bare wood, MDF and terracotta should always be primed. Of course, your colour spray paint will adhere without priming but wood, MDF and terracotta will soak the paint up and you will use a lot more spray paint.

Terracotta pots being primed in Twist & Spray Primer in White

Primer also gives a helping hand when spraying onto metal. Our metal primers also fight rust and offer protection from corrosion.

Priming metal railings with PlastiKote Metal Primer in Red Oxide

Mini makes: jam jar tea light holders with PlastiKote spray paint

15th December 201715th December 2017 SPIadmin

Use up leftover PlastiKote spray paint to make pretty tea light holders for the festive period and beyond! Elastic bands were wrapped around these little jars before they were sprayed with leftover Metallics in Copper, Brushed Nickel, Gold and Silver. When thoroughly dry, the elastic bands were removed to leave a pattern of lines. Drop in a tea light and finish with a ribbon.

mini make inside 1

The same method was applied with this fishbowl glass vase.

mini make fish bowl

Please be careful with candles! Always be candle safe!

Mini make: tin advent calendar with Plastikote spray paint

14th November 201714th November 2017 SPIadmin

Have a go at making your own advent calendar this year using tin cans and PlastiKote spray paint.

This is a great way of using up leftover spray paint. Spray 24 clean tin cans, paint or write on numbers 1 to 24, fill with a sweet treat or small gift and cover with tissue held on with ribbon or an elastic band. Looks fabulous stacked or lined up on a staircase. Or why not hide them round the house and make it a treasure hunt every day?

Mini make interior pic