Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Dropcloths - What are the best to use?



Drop cloths are a must when doing any type of painting job whether straight painting, faux finishing, or even doing a mural.

It is very important to protect your floors even before bringing in your gear. I have learned some simple tips through trial and error over my years of painting that I thought may help you understand the importance of a drop cloth.

First, lets talk about the different drop cloth options:

1. Paper Dropcloths

  • Comes on a roll usually 3-4 ft wide
  • Good to use on hard wood floors & tile
  • Needs to be taped down to the floor because they move
  • Will need to be thrown away at the end of the job
2. Plastic Dropcloths
  • Good to use on furniture
  • Easily ripped, cut, or punctured
  • Not good to use on floors because paint spills stay wet on the surface and can then be tracked through the rest of the house
3. Canvas Dropcloths
  • Can be used on both hard surfaces or carpeted floors
  • Made of recycled cotton
  • Can be used mulitiple times (I have had mine for several years)
  • The tighter the weave, the more absorbent they are (go for the more expensive, they will last longer)
4. Canvas Dropcloths with Backing
  • Rubberized backing on one side
  • Less slipping on slick surfaces
  • More expensive than regular canvas drop cloths
  • No paint can leak through, even if you spilled a whole gallon on this drop cloth


So, in my professional opinion, if you plan on painting professionally - purchase both the regular canvas dropcloths as well as the drop cloths with the backing. If you are a homeowner and need a good drop cloth for a few small home painting projects, stick with the regular canvas drop cloths. But buy the more expensive ones with the tighter weave. If you use the cheaper canvas dropcloth to cover over carpet and accidentally tip over a gallon of paint (it happens!) the paint will definitely leak through the cloth onto your carpet. Believe me, I have had to learn this the HARD way! It is worth the extra money to have that extra protection.

I like to use old sheets to cover furniture. I stay away from the paper & plastic drop cloths all together. If the sheets are sliding off the furniture, then use painter's tape or even safety pins to secure it.

A COUPLE TIPS:
  • Tape down your drop cloths, especially when working on a slippery surface, such as hard wood or tile. I usually put a few peices of tape along the edges right on the baseboard trim. I also tape in between drop cloths so you do not trip and your ladder does not get caught on an edge when maneuvering around the room.
  • Shake out your drop cloths at the end of the job and fold them neatly to store them. This will make it so much easier for you to use them for your next job. If you are working in a home with dogs or cats, it is even more important that you clean the dropcloths between uses. You can also wash a drop cloth depending on its size. For the larger sizes go to a laundromat.
Here are a few great dropcloth options that you can purchase online through Amazon.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Camouflage Wall Murals

I was inspired by a fellow blogger, Tip Junkie, who posts about great tips and creative ideas on all different subjects. Be sure to check it out!

I came across one of her posts titled Boy Room Ideas. There she had a picture of a boy's bedroom that had been painted in camouflage. So I decided to do some research and find other cool bedroom murals that had also been done in camo.


As seen on Tip Junkie & www.ratemyspace.hgtv.com



www.paintitpink.co.uk




www.masterstouchfaux.wordpress.com




www.nancyhadley.com


Painting a wall in camouflage can be an easy and fun project for you and your child to do together. There are many different camouflage colors to choose from. Sit down with your child and figure out which camo they like the best and then procede to pick 3-4 colors to use in the mural. Because the shapes are simple, fluid, and organic, you can start by drawing the outline directly onto the wall with a pencil. Step 2 would be filling in the shapes with your colors. Use an artists brush to do the painting.

If anyone has an camouflage mural pictures, please send them our way so we can post them on our blog!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Sunset Wall Murals


www.creationsbybecki.net


I was just sitting here at my desk with my big 8 month old pregnant belly in front of me (giving me lots of discomfort), and I imagined myself in a far away place watching the sunset. So I thought I would take this opportunity to get inspired and look for hand painted wall murals depicting sunset scenes. Enjoy!


This picture was done with an airbrush. www.polarairbrush.com



www.artnmurals.com




www.darlienesbackporch.com


Sunsets are fairly easy to paint. It is just a matter of blending the colors from dark at the top to lighter at the horizon line. A great way to blend your colors is by using a paint medium or a water based glaze.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Metallic Wall Finishes

There are a number of options you can choose if you want to do a metallic faux paint or plaster finish. I came across a site called Painting The Town that does beautiful painting work in North Carolina. The business is run by Marc and Sandy Savard.

On their website they have a page dedicated to Metallic Paint Finishes. I just love some of the ideas that they have come up with.







Check out this great book on metallic wall finishes called:
The Gilded Room: Decorating with Metallic Effects, from Metal Leaf to Powders, Pastes and Paints



Modern Masters offers metallic paints and glazes. Click below to order.

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Murals & Faux Finishing - Tips, Advice, and Ideas - Design by Dzelque Blogger Templates 2008