Spray Paint to the Rescue
When it comes to ease and versatility, it’s
hard to beat a can of spray paint. Spray
paint comes in a variety of finishes such as
stone texture, metal, leather, and crackle
finish. Even old plastic items can be painted
with specially-formulated plastic spray paints. If you have some tired-looking items around the house,
you can breathe new life into those old items
and accessories with a blast of spray paint.
Fresh paint
Every year, colors go in and out of fashion
and favor. Spray paint is the answer. With
a quick spray, you can turn an old lamp base
that looked great in 1983 into a shabby chic
lamp with a crackle finish in an updated color.
Add a new shade, and voila!, you’ve got a
new lamp.
Spray smart
Despite its convenience, spray paint is, well, paint. So, correct surface preparation is still a must for your project to turn out well. Your surface should be clean, dust-free, and dry. Secondly, you should make certain the paint you’re using works for the surface you’re painting. Read the instructions on the can to make certain the paint is suitable for your use and surface.
Next, work in a well-ventilated area so fumes don’t accumulate – especially in the garage where you might have a gas water heater. You wouldn’t want a fire or to be overcome by fumes. When it comes to spray paint, remember that less is more. Several light coats of paint will result in a much better-looking project. Give your items plenty of time to dry, too. Lastly, have adequate overspray protection with newspaper or plastic sheeting to prevent the paint from drifting and falling on surrounding objects.
Refreshed fixtures
There are so many projects around the house that are perfect for spray paint. At my own house, I had two outdoor light fixtures and a lamppost that were fading and rusting even though they were only two years old. The fixtures had previously been a light green color to match the wall paint, but I changed them to black to match some of the colors in the brick on my house. See how wonderful spray paint is? You can change colors quickly and easily with the push of a button.
More easy projects
Look around your house to find your own household items and accessories that could stand some freshening up. Some good items for spray paint projects include gas grills. Revive yours with spray paint. Just be sure to use the specialty heat spray paint. Give those old gold picture frames a shot of pewter or silver to update them. Or, spray the back of a pantry door with special chalkboard paint and you’ll never forget an item at the grocery store again.
Revamp small tables or pieces of furniture, paint old plastic planters, wastepaper baskets, or plastic furniture with spray paint, and give patio furniture a new lease on life with a coat or two of spray paint. And try a combination of colors, too. I took a ceiling medallion and sprayed it with a coat of plain brown paint. I then followed with a light coat of dark gold. It came out beautifully and has a rusty, elegant finish that looks terrific over my dining room table and garners me lots of compliments.
Get to a hardware store this weekend and load up on some spray paint and do some mini-overhauls at your house. At the price of less than a dollar to a few dollars a can, you can easily spray your way to some spruced-up décor for a very sensible price.
© 2007 Kathryn Weber, all rights reserved
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Cleaning Calender, that calender that puts you in control of your home by ending the power struggle. For more information log on to http://tinyurl.com/d9rh5.
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©2001-2007 Kathryn Weber
All rights reserved.
