At this time of the year, our spray paint top tip is to make sure it’s warm enough to be spray painting. The optimum ambient temperature should be between 10 and 21 degrees. So if you intend doing some projects during the winter, always make sure the temperature is at least 10 degrees. Temperature also applies to the object you are spraying. If you intend spraying metal objects, make sure they are brought up to temperature, as the spray paint won’t stick to a cold object.
There’s so much packaging left over after Christmas. Our top tip idea this month is to recycle and spray paint boxes and tins, either as gift boxes or storage solutions for around the house. Just give them a couple of coats of spray paint to match your décor, following instructions on the can. We added some washi tape to decorate our stack of storage boxes but you could leave them plain or maybe add some decoupage. Simple and stylish!
Here are some great last minute ideas for your Christmas table.
Collect a few large leaves and flatten under books for a couple of days. Spray with Fast Dry Enamel in a colour or metallic to suit your Christmas theme. Write your guests’ names on small tag or onto the leaf with a marker pen. A quick and easy festive place name this Christmas.
What about adding a bit of grandeur to your Christmas table. Spray an old frame in a colour to match your Christmas table scheme, print out the menu and pop it into the frame.
Homemade jams and chutneys make the ideal gift when going to dinner parties or as a thoughtful Christmas present. Personalise your jars by spraying the lids with PlastiKote Fast Dry Enamel colours.
To create interesting patterns on a jar, stretch a pair of fishnet tights over the jar or tack some lace around the glass before spraying.
Sprayed autumn leaves make gorgeous garlands and are an affordable way to decorate the home at this time of year.
Our top tip is to use a small length of drinking straw stuck to the back of the leaves with a hot glue gun. This allows them to be threaded onto twine and easily positioned.
As Autumn fast approaches, it’s time to get out the wellies but how to keep them tidy? We’ve been encouraging order with these novel chalkboard pegs.
Just spray paint a thin piece of balsa wood with Chalkboard spray paint, attach to a large peg with glue and then write the child’s (or adult’s) name on it. Easy to make, easy to use. Perfect!
If you haven’t got time or the resources to make the chalkboard pegs, just use left-over spray paint on wooden pegs for a quick and colourful remedy!
Going back to school or uni? Encourage a tidy desk with a tin can sprayed in your favourite colour to put pens, rulers and scissors in. Spray a tuna tin can or similar and use for paperclips. Or, why not make a stationery station by gluing three or four cans of various sizes together and spraying.
A great way of adding interest to boring cupboards is to spray the doorknobs. We’ve found the easiest way to do this is to place the doorknobs on kebab sticks and push into soil or polystyrene. This enables you to spray the entire doorknob without handling it.
Our top tip this month is to always prime bare wood. Colour spray paint will adhere without priming but the wood will soak the paint up and you will use a lot more spray paint. To ensure a perfect finish, use Primer before applying your colour.
When metal garden furniture looks past its best, a spray paint facelift is just the job. To get the best result, preparation is key. Our top tip is to use a wire brush or wire wool to remove all flakes of old paint and rust. Wash down with soapy water to get rid of any dirt and grease and leave to completely dry before applying the spray paint.
Wire wool removes all the rust and leaves a smooth surface ready for re-spraying
A wire brush gets into all those awkward places and removes any flaky bits of rust.