Q: What are Paint Pixie brushes made of?
A: Paint Pixie is a blended bristle made of natural (boar's hair) and a synthetic bristles with a wood handle.
Q: What are DIY paint brushes made of?
A: DIY paint brushes are of 100% synthetic bristles with a wood handle.
Q: Does Paint Pixie carry a vegan brush?
A: Paint Pixie has one. The #10 Oval Synthetic bristle brush is not made with any animal products.
Q: Does DIY carry a vegan brush?
A: Yes, all of DIY brushes are vegan as they are not made with any animal products.
Q: Are Paint Pixie or DIY brushes better?
A: As far as quality, they are the same as they are made by the same manufacturer. The main difference is the natural bristle versus the synthetic bristle.
Q: Which leaves a better finish or less visible strokes, Paint Pixie or DIY paint brushes?
A: They both leave a great finish but, there are those who will always argue over this. It really comes down to your personal preference.
Q: Why am I losing bristles?
A: Brand new brushes may tend to shed a few bristles but, after they've been washed a few times, the loose bristles should work themselves out. With the natural bristle brushes, you may experience some breakage especially if you are a heavy-handed painter. The natural hairs will break just as our hair would break off when we brush too hard. You will not experience this with the DIY synthetic brushes.
Q: Why do my bristles spread after they've been washed and dried?
A: Because Paint Pixie has natural bristles, they may frizz out just like human hair. To prevent this, roll them tightly in a paper towel after washing them to let them dry. DIY paint brushes will not spread since they are made of synthetic bristles.
Q: What type of soap should I use to clean my brushes?
A: Use any mild soap or shampoo. Here's the proper way to care for your Paint Pixie and DIY paint brushes.
Hopefully, I've answered any questions you might have but, feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.
Happy painting!
PJ
]]>I tried a number of different brushes on my quest for the perfect chalk paint brush. I think I've probably tested most of them. I've tried them in all price ranges including the cheap ones on Amazon up to the high dollar Cling On & Zibra brushes.
Man what a difference a good brush can make when painting furniture is a daily activity! Good brushes not only save you time, they actually save you money since they will last a long time if you take care of them properly.
I must say though, my absolute favorite chalk paint brush is the Paint Pixie paint brush.
These paint brushes come in both natural and synthetic bristle. I'm a huge fan of the synthetic bristle brush because I love how they clean up.
The #10 oval brush is a perfect size and it is typically my go to brush. It holds just the right amount of paint and the synthetic bristles give me a smooth finish.
Equally competent is the #8 oval brush. This one is a natural bristle and it's just a tad smaller but, it's the perfect size for a woman's hand and it's a really good brush for a beginner.
Both of these Pixie's are great choices for your chalk painting needs.
Now when it comes to waxing your furniture, you're gonna need a totally different brush.
My hands down favorite wax brush is the Lil' C Wax Brush. It's perfect for waxing furniture and the short handle allows you to grip the brush perfectly. Some brushes leave your hands aching after a bit of waxing but, there is something about the design of this palm handled brush that makes it so comfortable. As an added bonus, this fabulous brush doubles as a stencil brush so you are really getting two in one!
Hopefully, I've taken some of the mystery out of buying the perfect chalk paint and wax brush. The truth is you really do get what you pay for so it is best to invest in a good brush. It will save you time and money in the long run.
Happy Painting!
PJ
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Colored waxes enable you to give highlights or lowlights to your project.
So here's the deal. You can buy ready made waxes in white or black or even dark brown but, it's harder to find it in other colors. Not to worry!
It is so simple to make your own colored waxes and it's a real money saver. If you buy each color individually, it really begins to add up and on top of the expense, you may not use the colored waxes as often as you use clear wax. For that reason, you may want to consider making your own.
Making colored wax is really quite simple! First you'll want to start with clear wax.
Spoon some of the DIY clear wax onto a small disposable plate or if you want to make a larger batch, consider spooning it into a little container that has a lid so that you can store any unused wax.
If you want to make white wax, you'll need your DIY paint in either Vintage Linen, Bead Board, or White Swan. If you want to purchase the ready made white wax, I recommend DIY wax.
Mix roughly 3 parts wax to 1 part paint. The key is to get the shade of wax you want without changing the consistency of the wax. You will do the same thing if you want black wax except you would be using Debi's Design Diary DIY Paint in either Little Black Dress or Black Velvet.
Now, if you really want to try something cool, consider using a little more bold.
I decided to try making a mossy green wax using DIY Apothecary paint with some clear wax.
Again, I just spooned out the clear wax and began mixing it with the paint. Once I reached the desired color, it's ready to be applied to your project. I love to use my Paint Pixie Wax Brush but, you can also use a chip brush if you don't have a specific wax brush. If you are using a chip brush, I would recommend trimming down the brush to make it more effective. Shorten the whispy bristle until you reach the harder center of the chip brush. This will really help.
Before brushing on the colored wax, apply a coat of the clear wax. This will help you control the colored wax so that you will be able to apply as much or as little as you like. It'll make the wax much easier to work with. Once the clear wax has been applied, brush the colored wax over your project. Now, just take a soft cloth and buff your piece and remove any unwanted wax.
The colored wax will lay beautifully in all the crevices on your project and will look wonderful!
I just love how my piece turned out!
Want to see how I did it? Check out the video here.
]]>I've been at home more than usual these last few weeks. I've been home so much that I've been banging out lots of old projects. I've been finishing off pieces I forgot I had. Heck, I even cleaned out one of our buildings. Holy, moly! I uncovered a multitude of sins. Project upon project of unfinished junk.
Well, now is the time to get busy! I'm determined to get some of these projects completed!
I gathered up a table full of small wood pieces. During my clean up, I unearthed candlesticks, wood baskets, wooden trays and wood shelves. You name it, and I probably found it.
Each piece got a good cleaning in preparation for paint. Other than that, there really wasn't any other special prep work that was required since I was going to be using Debi's Design Diary DIY Paint.
Next I filled up a hopper full of paint and got busy spraying. DIY paint is highly pigmented and it made it quick to complete my projects. Most pieces only required one pass with the sprayer although there were a few pieces that I had to spray twice. Seriously, I was done in no time and since we had some unusually warm weather, the sun dried my pieces in no time.
I could have just lightly distressed my pieces and sealed them with Big Top or clear wax but, I wanted to add a little something extra. I didn't want to leave my pieces with just one color. I wanted to highlight them. Since most of my candlesticks had uber amounts of detail, I really wanted to accent that quality.
Two things came to mind. I could wax or I could wash. Then I decided to have the best of both worlds. I went for it and did BOTH.
Waxing was easy. I grabbed a candle holder and pulled out the DIY Clear Wax and began adding a coat of wax with my Paint Pixie wax brush.
I let the clear wax dry and then I gently buffed it off.
Next I grabbed the DIY White Wax and here is where the magic happened. I applied the white wax liberally and let that creamy white wax settle down into the nooks and crannies of the candle holder.
I could see the piece changing before my eyes. I took an old rag and began to wipe back on the piece being careful to only take off a little wax at a time. I wanted to make sure that the white wax settled down into the grooves of the candle holder. I kept applying and wiping back until I reached the perfect amount of white wax.
Boy does it look great! This piece is now sealed and ready to be used.
Next, I decided to try a white wash. I took some DIY paint in Vintage Linen color and poured some into a small container. Next, I added some water until the mixture was nice and loose.
I grabbed my Paint Pixie paint brush and began brushing the wash onto a very detailed candlestick.
I brushed it on and then wiped it off. Remnants of the white paint were left behind and the remaining paint filled the details in the candlestick.
Once that dried, all I had left to do was to seal the piece. I used clear wax but, Big Top would also work. I love how this candlestick turned out! Now all it needs is a candle!
Have you tried to wax or wash? If not, try it! It's a great way to add layers of colors to a piece and turn it from average to awesome! Want more info? Check out our how to video.
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Well, I am ready for Spring decorating. That's why I was so excited to find a few packs of the Dollar Tree wooden Easter eggs. These eggs come in a 5 pack so that's pretty cheap. It looks like these were made to be little ornaments but, I've got other plans for them. I plan on making some sweet little wooden Easter chicks.
Here's what I used to make my wooden chicks.
Supplies:
Dollar Tree Wooden egg cut-outs
Small wooden stand
Orange felt
Feathers
Ribbon
Hot Glue and glue gun
Paint - I used Cake Batter and Summer Crush
Before I got started with my project, I asked Mr. Possibilities to cut me a little base for my Dollar Tree wooden eggs.
Now that I had everything I needed, I began my project by painting the Dollar Tree eggs yellow.
While the eggs were drying, I grabbed some DIY paint in Summer Crush. I painted the wooden base orange.
Once the wooden egg and egg base are dry, I painted 2 little eyes on my chick.
Next, I grabbed some orange felt and cut out a nose and 2 little feet. The more whimsical the better. This does not have to be perfect!
Then I grabbed the hot glue gun and glued on the nose and feet.
My chick needed some hair. I picked up an assorted bag of feathers at the Dollar Tree. I grabbed the yellow feathers and glued them to the top of my chicks head.
Now all that is needed is a little bow. You can make the bow from any kind of ribbon you have on hand. I had some buffalo check ribbon so I used that for the bow. Glue it to the top. This will give your chick a finished look and it will cover up the hole that was on the top of the wooden egg.
And there you have it! Look at how adorable these little chicks turned out! This project is super easy and it is a kid friendly Easter craft to boot.
Check out our video for the full tutorial.
Make your own chick using DIY Paint products!
]]>When I saw these bunny foam cut-out shapes at the Dollar General, I knew I had to pick them up. After all, they looked just like little Peeps. Surely I could find a project to make!
I decided to make Peep bunny bowl fillers.
This project is really easy and the Peeps are SUPER cute!!
Want to learn how to make bunny peeps for Easter bowl fillers? You will need the following supplies.
Select your fabric for your Peep bunnies. You can really use anything you have on hand. It can literally be scraps because you need very little fabric. I had some fabric leftover from a chair I recovered and I also had some other scrap fabric that I used. Choose a variety of fabrics and by all means, use what you have. No need to make a special trip to the fabric store. An old skirt will work just fine.
Double your fabric being sure to have your right sides facing each other. Trace the Peep bunny to the back side of the fabric and cut out the bunny. You should now have 2 bunnies. Turn the fabric to the right side and put the two pieces together.
Grab the glue and the glue gun and begin to glue the bunny on the inside in small sections glueing the bunny together.
Be sure to leave an opening at the bottom of the bunny so that you can stuff your bunny with the poly-fil.
Once you have completely sealed your bunny, grab some ribbon and tie a little bow around the bunnies neck. It's that simple!
These bunnies will look great in a wooden dough bowl or a small basket! They will be so cute for Easter!
Check out our video for the full tutorial.
Make your own bunny or shop our handmade items.
]]>This project is so simple but, the results are SUPER cute!!
Want to make these carrot bowl fillers similar to the ones seen in Hobby Lobby? You will need the following supplies.
First, take the pattern and trace it to a piece of cardboard so that you can make a pattern. I traced a carrot from a sign that I bought at Dollar Tree but, you can also go online and look for a free printable carrot template.
Select some fabric to use for your carrots. Try buffalo check, burlap, or any pretty fabric for your DIY craft carrots. You can really use anything you have on hand. It can literally be scraps because you need very little fabric. I had some fabric leftover from another project but, you could cut up old curtains, an old sheet, or even an old skirt. Think outside the box and have fun with it!
Double your fabric putting right sides together. Trace the carrots onto the back side of the fabric. Cut out your carrots. I used my pinking shears. I love how you can take a scrap piece of fabric and cut it out with pinking shears and your project looks like it has a finished edge.
You should now have 2 carrots. Turn the fabric to the right side and put the two pieces together.
Grab the glue and the glue gun and begin to glue the carrots on the inside in small sections lifting the fabric as you go around glueing each carrot together.
Be sure to leave an opening at the top of the carrot so that you can stuff your carrot with the poly-fil. If you don't have poly-fil, use what you have on hand. I have used groceries bags as filler in a pinch.
Stuff the carrot, leaving the top open. You will want to add some greenery to the top of your carrot. After all, we want it to look kind of real, right?
I used some bunched up Easter grass for the greenery. You can twist floral tape around the grass or grab a rubber band to tie the grass together so that you have a little bunch.
Stuff the greenery bunch down inside the carrot. Now all you have to do is cut a piece of jute twine and use this to tie off the top of the carrot. This will seal up the top and it will also give you a little bow.
So cute!
Make a few carrots and drop them in a dough bowl or tie them in a bundle and set them on a tiered tray. They are sure to look awesome! It will be so cute for Easter!
Make your own carrots or shop our handmade items for ready made carrots.
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Here's what you will need to make a 2x4 wood block bunny.
Supplies
2x4 wood scrap cut to 4" length
Jute Twine
Paint of your choice - I chose White Paint and Weathered Wood Paint
Contact Paper
Scissors
Take the 2x4 scrap and paint the top side with white paint.
While this is drying, you will want to take your bunny pattern and trace it to a piece of contact paper.
Cut out your bunny and set him aside.
By now, the white paint on the 2x4 should be dry. Take the contact paper bunny cut-out and affix him to the top of the white 2x4. Make sure it is sealed on there very good. The contact paper will act as a resist when we paint over the 2x4 with another color paint. Before we move on to the next color paint, it is always a good idea to paint the edges of the contact paper with the first color or in this case white. Let that dry and then you will be ready to move onto the next color of paint.
I selected Debi's Design Diary DIY Paint in Weathered Wood. It is one of my favorites and the contrast over the white will make the bunny really stand out.
Paint the 2x4 on all sides using the DIY Paint.
Once that had dried, you will want to peel up the contact paper to reveal the bunny underneath.
You will want to seal your wood block with a little bit of wax.
Now all you have to do is glue a little jute twine bow to the bunny's neck to finish off the project.
If you want to make this little project, view our full video instructions on our Facebook page. Be sure to like our page and follow us for future project ideas.
]]>I love that you can take scrap fabric and cut it out with the pinking shears and it gives the edge a finished look.
This project is so simple but, the results are SUPER cute!!
Want to make these Easter bunny bowl fillers you've seen in Hobby Lobby? You will need the following supplies.
First, take the pattern and trace it to a piece of cardboard so that you can make a pattern. I traced a bunny that I bought at Hobby Lobby.
Pick some fun fabric for your bunnies. You can really use anything you have on hand. It can literally be scraps because you need very little fabric. I had some fabric leftover from another project but, I have also used fabric from an old sheets as well.
Double your fabric putting right sides facing each other. Trace the bunny to the back side of the fabric and cut out the bunny. You should now have 2 bunnies. Turn the fabric to the right side and put the two pieces together.
Grab the glue and the glue gun and begin to glue the bunny on the inside in small sections glueing the bunny together.
Be sure to leave an opening at the bottom of the bunny so that you can stuff your bunny with the poly-fil.
Stuff the bunny and then seal up the remaining opening with more hot glue.
Once you have completely sealed your bunny, grab some ribbon and tie a little bow. Hot glue the bow to the bunnies neck and that's it!
Your bunny is ready to hop into a dough bowl or onto a tiered tray! It will be so cute for Easter!
Check out our video for the full tutorial.
Make your own bunny or shop our handmade items.
]]>Here are the supplies needed for this Dollar Tree Easter bunny craft project.
Since I didn't want to hang my bunny, I had Mr. Possibilities cut me a small wooden stand that I could use so that I could make my bunny sit upright on a table. I painted the little base with DIY Paint.
I wanted my bunny to have a farmhouse feel and I remembered that I had some leftover buffalo check scrapbook paper that I had scored at Christmas time. Now was as good a time as any to pull it out from my craft stash.
I turned the scrapbook paper face down and traced my bunny on the back side of the paper. Next, I cut out my bunny so that I could attach it to the Dollar Tree Bunny wood cut-out.
Next I pulled out some Mod Podge but you could also use DIY Liquid Patina. I applied it generously over the entire surface of one side of the bunny. I let that dry.
Once the Mod Podge was completely dry, I grab my iron and some wax paper. I heated the iron and then laid the buffalo check bunny paper over the wooden cut-out front side up. I laid the wax paper on top of the scrapbook paper and began to iron over the wax paper. The wax paper serves as a protector to the scrapbook paper so that you do not scorch it. The hot iron reactivates the decoupage medium and easily attaches the scrapbook paper to the wooden bunny without any bubbles.
Now that my paper was attached to the bunny, I wanted to add some finishing details. I cut a scrap piece of burlap to fit the front of the bunny and to make a little pouch for the bunny.
You can fold over the raw edges and glue the seam down with a little hot glue.
Cut a piece of muslin that is smaller than the burlap. You will be glueing this piece to the front of the burlap.
Before you glue it to the burlap, grab some Chalk Couture. You can add a cute little stencil to the muslin using one of their transfers.
All you have to do is lay down the self adhesive transfer onto the fabric and squeegee the chalk or ink over the fabric through the silkscreen stencil.
Glue the muslin to the burlap and then glue the burlap pocket to the front of the bunny.
Fill the burlap pocket with some spanish moss leaving a little room to add some carrots.
Next, stuff a few carrots down inside the burlap pocket. I found my carrots at the Dollar Tree. They came in a four pack.
Now all you have to do is add a little bow to your bunny. I found some ribbon in my craft supplies. I used a small piece of white, a scrap of burlap and a few pieces of buffalo check ribbon. I just cut them in graduated lengths, laid them on top of each other and used a piece of jute twine to tie them all together. Once I had the bow, I used the jute twine to tie the bow to the bunny and SNAP, our Dollar Tree Easter Bunny craft was complete.
So, what do you think of my Dollar Tree bunny craft? I think it's adorable. If you want to make one, watch the full video for all the details!
Don't have time to make your own? Shop our homemade items in our store.
]]>It seems that carrots are a big "THING" this Easter season. They have the cutest ones out on their shelves and they look so cute and farmhousey. Is that even a word?
Anyway, I just knew that I wanted to make some carrots of my own. Fast forward a few days and I'm asking Mr. Possibilities to cut me some scrap wood to make some carrots of my own.
Here's what he came up with. I love how he made them in slightly different sizes and how he rolled over the edges to make them rounded.
I went ahead and sanded my little carrot blanks and now, I am pulling out my DIY Paint. I'm going with DIY's Summer Crush paint color and I'll be using my Paint Pixie French Round brush. I love how thick the DIY paint goes on. It generally covers in one coat. I plan to let these dry and then add some polka dots with White Swan.
Here are some of the other items I will be using.
While my carrots are drying, which actually takes no time, I am going to work on my carrot tops. I will cut off some green sprigs from what I have on hand and then use some floral tape to fasten everything together.
When my carrot is dry, all I have to do is drill a little hole in the top of my carrot so that I can insert the little greenery twig.
Before I insert the greenery, I want to add my Spanish moss to the top of my carrot. All you need to do is hot glue it to the top and then take another dab of hot glue for your greenery and insert it into the hole.
Finally, take some decorative ribbon and tie it to your greenery. You'll end up with some very cute little carrots that will make great bowl fillers!
This project is simple enough to do with the kiddos. Check out me and my granddaughter Ivy while we made some carrots.
]]>I live in a VERY rural area and Dollar Tree just isn’t here. Truth be told, a lot of things aren’t here. We’re lucky to have a Walmart and a Rose’s Department Store but, that’s about it. As a result, Saturday tends to be my shopping day where I venture out to the “big city” and nine times out of ten, I find myself heading to Dollar Tree.
The whole dollar thing is the draw since I know I can get just about anything I want and I won’t feel like I have overspent. I love strolling down the aisles to see what’s new and I try to use my imagination and look at things in different ways.
Now I will say that not all Dollar Trees are created equal! Sometime my closest store doesn’t carry all the things I’ve seen other hauling out of there. So with that being said, you can imagine my excitement when I got to visit a new Dollar Tree when I visited my granddaughter in Charlotte.
Wow! I hit the jackpot!! They had a lot of things that my Dollar Tree didn’t get. I’m sure it was because this Dollar Tree seemed like it was twice the size of my store.
I was very pleased to score this 4 pack of bunny faced treat sacks.
I know I can use them to make something really cute and I love a good craft that I can do with my grandkids! This Dollar Tree Easter project fit the bill.
I decided to grab some ribbon, some poly-fil, a few pom poms, some tiny Easter egg embellishments and my trusty glue gun.
This project was so simple. I just stuffed my little treat sacks with some of the poly-fil. Next, I cut some ribbon to make a bow. I simply folded the ribbon over and I tied some jute twine around it to make the bow. The jute twine was already included with my treat sacks from Dollar Tree.
That's it! This project was so easy and a perfect project to do with the kiddos or grandkids! Check out the video here.
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I had Mr. Possibilities cut me four 6" x 6" squares out of the scrap. I also asked him to cut me four little bases so that I could make four free standing signs.
With Easter right around the corner and an upcoming craft show, I knew I could turn these into a simple Easter bunny sign.
The first step was to paint over the MDF. I actually enjoy painting MDF like this. It covers really well! On the other hand, I don't really enjoy painting furniture made from MDF but, that's a whole other topic. Anyway, back to the project.
I wanted a variety of colors for my little Easter signs. I selected a light purple, a light blue, a light green and an apple green. My favorite was the Mint Chip color by DIY Paint. The name really fits and I love that it is all natural and contains no harmful VOC's.
After my paint was finished drying, I added a little bunny using a stencil that I picked up at the craft store. Once that was dry, I waxed the whole sign using some clear wax.
Now I finished off my little project with a few embellishments. I used my hot glue gun to add a simple little bow, some reindeer moss and a few little Easter eggs that I picked up at the Dollar Tree.
I love how my little project turned out! I was able to make four little signs all from scrap materials!
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When I am out thrifting, chairs are plentiful! If I go home with nothing else, I can ALWAYS find a good chair. I love all kinds of chairs. I love a good solid wood chair with lots of vintage patina. I love a freshly painted chair or even better a chair with loads of chippy paint. Then there's the wing back or upholstered numbers! They are fun too. Hmm, I do love chairs!
One of my favorite kinds of chairs to score are chairs that are solid and sturdy with an upholstered seat bottom. When I find them, the upholstery almost always is either dirty or does not match my kind of style.
None of that matters to me. I have learned to look beyond the ugly or worn fabric. It's just so simple to update these pieces with very little effort. Thankfully, I learned how to reupholster a chair.
On my recent Goodwill run, I spotted a chair that looked like it fit the bill. I wish I had taken the before picture because the paint job and the upholstery were in pretty rough shape but, the bones on this chair were good and boy was it solid.
I simply unscrewed the chair bottom from the underneath the chair and then tore off all of that old fabric. Next, I used some pliers to remove all of the old staples so that I have a clean surface to work with for my new fabric.
Next, I applied a fresh coat of DIY Paint in Tarnished Pearl. I love DIY Paint because it has no VOC's which means no odors, and it's safe to paint inside my house. Yay!
While my chair was drying, I grabbed my staple gun and some fresh fabric and started to work on recovering my chair bottom. Click here for the video tutorial.
I cut my fabric to the size of my chair bottom and began stapling. I stapled the center of each of the 4 chair sides so that my fabric was in place. Next, I stapled each corner being sure to fold my fabric neatly to get a nicely finished edge. I then snipped the excess fabric from the corners so that my fabric didn't bunch up when I finish stapling the fabric onto the chair. Finally, I stapled the remaining areas of the chair so that my fabric was securely attached being sure to smooth the fabric as I went along.
It really was simple and I love how my chair turned out. I plan to pair up my chair with a desk I have been working on but, it could be used in a number of areas in my home.
So, don't underestimate the power of a good chair! Hope you'll keep your eyed peeled for the next good chair!
]]>Can you believe I pre-planned for Christmas? I can hardly believe it myself! I'm a chronic procrastinator and typically late for everything. I decided this year was going to be different. Way back in January, I put a Christmas start date on my calendar and I actually began pre-planning early. I had so many ideas that I wanted to share but only so much time to execute all of the ideas.
I knew I wanted to host a 12 Days of Christmas event and I wanted to include some of my DIY Paint friends. I made so many connections at Boot Camp this year and now was the time to make good use of those connections. One by one I reached out to the ladies that I met and invited them to be part of my 12 Days of Christmas. My vision was to host a different holiday project each evening.
Today's blog post is about Day 1 of my 12 Days of Christmas event.
On the first day of Christmas I was fortunate to have my friend Carolyn Larson from La Tea Da's in Bullhead City, AZ join me. Carolyn had recently hosted a make and take at her shop where they made these adorable snowman buddies. She agreed to share the project with me.
Here is the supply list if you choose to make this easy snowman craft project.
Each snowman consists of 3 parts. The top of the hat, the brim, and the body. The first thing you need to do is to cut your fence posts for the top of the hat and for the body. You will need a 12" piece and an 8" piece of fence post. If you don't have a saw, they can cut this for you at Home Depot.
Next you will need to cut a square piece to use for your hat brim. This piece should be 5 1/2" square.
You will be drilling a hole in the fence posts and the brim and using dowel rods to fasten everything together. Be sure to number your pieces so that they fit properly.
Now that your pieces have been cut out, you will want to get started painting. I pulled out my Paint Pixie French Tip Paint Brush. This brush is great for small projects.
I decided to go with Debi's Design Diary DIY Paint in Little Black Dress. This clay based paint is highly pigmented and I love that it has no VOC's so it has no nasty odors and I can paint indoors with no problems. I painted the brim and the hat top using the rich black paint.
For my snowman bodies, I used Debi's Design Diary DIY Paint in White Swan. I used a chip brush to lightly brush the body. You just need a little paint. Lightly drag the brush over the fence post being sure that you let the wood finish come through. Also dry brush a little White Swan over the black top hat to give the hat a snowy appearance. Easy peasy!
Take a little of the Little Black Dress paint and give your snowman some personality with a cute set of eyes and a simple little mouth. You will also want to add a button nose. I used some scrap wood that Mr. Possibilities shaped into a triangle.
These can be painted using DIY Paint in Summer Crush or any orange color paint you might have on hand. Just glue the noses onto the fence post.
Now all you have to do is squeeze the wood glue into the body hole and insert the dowel into the body. Layer on the hat brim and then squeeze some more glue into the hole in the top hat and push your snowman buddy together. It's really that simple.
Finally, the fun part. You can choose to embellish your snowman with anything you have on hand. I used scrap ribbon, some greenery, raffia, little bells, and a piece of torn fabric for his scarf. It is really an easy snowman project and an fun Christmas craft.
Still have questions? If you want to catch the full tutorial, just watch our Facebook live tutorial.
]]>Hi Friends!
Join me today while we do a Paint Pixie paint brush review. There are so many Pixie's to choose from so I wanted to tell you how you can use your Paint Pixie paint brushes.
On to the paint brush review!
This brush is a favorite by many! The Dusty brush is about 2 3/4" wide with bristles that are a natural and synthetic blend. This brush is great for base coating, applying sealers, and very popular for blending.
Paint Pixie Oval Paint Brushes
Currently available in the #8, #10 and the #12 but soon smaller sizes will also be available. The ovals are the best chalk paint brush. They hold a lot of paint! They are perfect for paint, sealers and can also be used for blending.
Paint Pixie Flat Top Paint Brushes
Moving on to our Paint Pixie flat top brushes, these brushes come in 4 different sizes. The flat top brushes come in penny size, nickel size, quarter size and half dollar sizes. These brushes are used for stenciling, waxing and are perfect for painting spindles.
Paint Pixie French Tip Brushes
The Paint Pixie French Tip was formerly called the Paint Pixie French Round. The pointed end makes the French Tip and the Lil Frenchie excellent choices for painting in hard to reach areas. They are also great for corners!
Paint Pixie offers their wax brushes in 2 styles. The long handle Cera wax brush and the stub handle Lil C wax brush. The Lil C is my favorite because it is so easy to hold when applying wax. These brushes serve a dual purpose. They are great for waxing but, they can also be used for stenciling.
Paint Pixie Wax Buffers
Finally we have the Paint Pixie buffing brushes. The buffers are available in two designs. The large buffing brush is the Paint Pixie Buff brush and the smaller buffing brush is the Paint Pixie Buffy brush. These brushes take the chore out of waxing. No more rags for buffing, just a girl and her Buff or Buffy!
Watch while Josie Siefker, the owner of Paint Pixie gives an overview of the Paint Pixie brush line.
I hope this information has been helpful. Remember to use the right brush for the right project. Paint Pixies offers a brush for all your painting needs. If you haven't tried them, what are you waiting for?
]]>I was gifted a box of European chocolates. Oh happy day! I am thrilled by the gesture. How can this be oh so good and oh so bad all at the same time? I beamed when I opened up the box. Inside there was an assortment of dark and milk chocolates. They were in fancy shapes and some contained fillings while other contained nuts. I'm personally a fan of dark chocolate but who can pick just one?
That's how I feel when I pull out my DIY Paint. Sometimes I can't commit to just one color and just like my box of chocolates, I don't have to pick just one! Luckily when it comes to DIY Paint colors, choosing many colors can be oh so GOOD!
Today I started working on a little four drawer chest. Nothing really fancy but, the size was super cute. It was so petite and I could really see this piece in a child's room but, because of it's size, it could fit just about anywhere.
I pulled out my DIY Paint and tried to pick the color that I wanted for my little chest. I really couldn't decide. I paint a LOT of white and I wanted some color on this piece. I felt it was more on the masculine side so I knew I wanted to go with a shade of blue. Debi's Design Diary Paint has many shades of blue and many of them are complimentary in color so they are absolutely perfect for blending. I ended up using DIY Farm Fresh as my base color.
I used my oval Paint Pixie paint brush to apply the thick clay based paint. Once the Farm Fresh was applied, I started to blend in some of the DIY Bohemian Blue paint.
This blue is one of my favorites. I love the deep dark color. I used my same brush to softly blend in the details.
Finally, I pulled out the DIY Carnival Red paint.
I used the red sparingly. Primarily it was used as a highlighter. Once I blended all of my colors, I added in a few gold accents. I used Rustoleum's Metallic paint in Champagne.
Now to seal the chest. I let the chest dry overnight before applying a clear wax finish. I love DIY Clear Wax! It goes on just like butter. I used the Paint Pixie Lil C Wax Brush to smooth on the wax. I waited a little bit to let the wax dry and then I buffed her out achieving a smooth silky finish.
I think she turned out great!
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Hi Friends!
Today I would like to talk about paint brushes. If you're painting furniture on a regular basis then you know how important it is to have the right paint brush. The quality of the paint brush that you use will have a major impact on the ease of your project.
Good brushes are a bit of investment but they are well worth it in the long run. If you have chosen to invest in the Paint Pixie paint brushes, you will want to know the proper paint brush care to help them last a long time.
My customers often ask me how to clean their brushes so I thought I would post some information on how to properly clean Paint Pixie paint brushes and Paint Pixie Wax Brushes.
Here's the best method for proper paint brush care.
1) Rinse your Paint Pixie paint brush or wax brush with warm water to remove as much paint as you can from the brush.
2) Wet your soap. Bar soap is best. Paint Pixies Suds is a wonderful choice.
3) Lather up the brush using a back and forth or a circular motion across the soap. Be sure to get it nice and lathered.
4) Rinse the soap from the brush. Repeat this process until the rinse water runs clean.
5) Squeeze any excess water from the brush and wrap the brush in a paper towel to help the brush maintain it's original shape. Natural bristle brushes tend to frizz so this extra step will help to keep your brush from frizzing.
6) Hang your brush bristle side down or lay it flat to dry. Avoid letting water settle into the ferrule to avoid rusting and bristle weakening. The ferrule of a brush is the metal band that connects the bristles to the handle and the crimp is the part of the ferrule that secures it to the handle.
Paint Brush Care Tip
DO NOT let your brushes soak in water above the ferrule. Soaking may cause the bristle and nails to fall out.
Watch Josi Siefker, owner of Paint Pixie Paint Brushes as she demonstrates the proper way to care for your brushes.
Keep those brushes clean and Happy Painting friends!!
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I recently picked up a fabulous three drawer chest at my local Habitat for Humanity store. Sometimes it's hit or miss in there but, that day was a score! I don't know about you but, I am always looking for the easiest way to turn something from drab to fab and paint has always been my go to for AMAZING furniture transformations.
The chest was solid. It was rock maple and the drawers were super deep so I knew they'd offer plenty of extra storage and let's face it, who doesn't love extra storage? Honestly, this piece would have been lovely to spruce up in it's natural wood tone but it had a pretty decent stain on one of the drawers and the top had a few deep gouges so I thought DIY paint would be a better solution for my furniture makeover.
I'd been painting everything with DIY White Swan over the last few weeks trying to get ready for a show and I was just itching to pull out some color. This piece was just too masculine for white. It needed something special. That's why I chose to go with DIY Bohemian Blue. This rich, highly pigmented color is so gorgeous and it is always a favorite!
Typically, no sanding is required with DIY paint but those deep cuts made me think twice so I asked Mr. Possibilities if he'd give my little chest a quick sanding on top. Boy am I thankful for Mr. Possibilities!
After the sanding, I pulled out the Debi's Design Diary DIY Bohemian Blue and my favorite paint brush. Did I mention that I love Paint Pixie paint brushes? I used the #10 Synthetic Paint Pixie paint brush. These brushes hold alot of paint and really make a nice smooth finish.
I decided to go with the Bohemian Blue on the body and the drawer fronts but, I wanted to refinish the wood top. On went that rich blue clay based paint and I immediately knew I had made the right choice.
I used Rustoleum Metallic Accents paint in their champagne color to give my hardware some extra shine.
Next I used Minwax American Walnut stain to get a lovely golden finish on top.
I let my piece dry overnight and then I came back in with Debi's Design Diary DIY Black Wax to finish it off. The black wax highlighted the richness of that deep blue color and really gave my piece a silky smooth finish. This wax is so creamy and easy to use. All you need to do is apply the wax and then allow it to dry overnight. Come back in the morning with a soft cloth and buff it out. Simply gorgeous! Another success story using chalk paint and paint pixies paint brushes.
]]>With my project today, I used a $1.00 frame that I found at my local Habitat for Humanity Restore. This frame was void the glass but, for the project I had in mind, it didn't really matter.
All I needed to get started with my project were a few other supplies.
The first thing I did was insert the wood scraps into my frame and in my case, I glued them down however you could tack them into place with pin nails.
It will look something like this when you have secured the wood into place.
Next I got out my DIY Paint and my Paint Pixie Paintbrush. I love using White Swan but you could use any DIY paint color. The DIY paints are highly pigmented so oftentimes, one coat is all you need.
Using the Paint Pixie French Round paint brush and a small chip brush, I painted the frame and lightly coated the wood center. I wanted some of the wood to peek through the white paint to give it a worn kind of look.
Once my paint was good and dry, it was time to add the words. This is the easy part when you use Chalk Couture Transfers. You can make this sign in less than a couple of minutes. I used the "Love Never Ends" transfer. I just laid the transfer down onto my wooden surface. I carefully spaced out my transfer as I needed to leave room to add the knob and my little wreath. The transfer has an adhesive backing so it seals perfectly to the surface so that there will not be any "bleed through". We want our sign to have crisp edges. Using a rubber squeegee, I smooth the chalk paste directly over the transfer careful to fill in any open areas. Next, I carefully pull up the transfer and voila, a sign is born!
Let the sign dry and then seal with a spray top coat.
The final step is to add your knob and hang your little wreath. The thing I love about this is that you can seasonally change out your little wreath making this sign so versatile and have year round interest.
This little project is really easy and you can make a gift for less than $5.00. Who doesn't love that?
Still have questions? Watch the video tutorial here.
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I did need a few other supplies to complete this project but all in all, I was able to tackle this project on the cheap. Here's what I used.
Making the project was easy. I did a live tutorial with all the steps.
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial. Let me know how your project turns out!
]]>Here's the basic steps to create your own mixed media art project using DIY Chalk Paint and Paint Pixie Paint Brushes.
We used Old 57, Old School, Fancy Farm Girl, White Swan, Cowgirl Coral and Kissing Booth.
]]>I must confess though, I have a unique ability to pull others into my grand vision for projects. That's where my friend and fellow DIY Retailer, Tammie Rudisill, comes into play. Tammie is the owner of Elizabeth's at Hanes Park in Winston Salem, NC and she is a talented mixed media artist. I had the great pleasure of meeting Tammie through our connection with DIY Chalk Paint. Tammie and I are both going to DIY Boot Camp in September. We're both looking forward to meeting fellow DIY Paint retailers and learning lots of new painting and business skills.
Anyway, it wasn't long after meeting Tammie that I realized the extent of her talent. She's got mad painting and artistic skills so when the opportunity came up for Tammie to share some of her mixed media skills with me on my Facebook page, well, I jumped at that opportunity. This is how the Beginner's Mixed Media Online Tutorial was born. You can watch the full video here.
If you are interested in learning how to make this mixed media project, grab our supply list and let's get started.
Here's the basic steps to create your own mixed media art project using DIY Chalk Paint and Paint Pixie Paint Brushes.
Step 1
Purchase a blank canvas or use a scrap piece of wood. You can really use whatever you have.
Step 2
Grab some scrap paper. You can use anything. Old newspapers, old magazines, wrapping paper or scrapbook paper are all good options. Really, anything will do. Tear the scrap paper into shapes and use it to create a pleasing design that will fill up your canvas.
Step 3
Next you will want to glue on those scrap pieces of paper until you cover your canvas, scrap wood or whatever medium you are using. We suggest using DIY Liquid Patina. The liquid patina acts as a decoupage medium.
Step 4
Using Prom Queen DIY Chalk Paint, paint over the paper design. Start by painting your edges and then working your way into the center. You will want the paint to be applied heavier on the outside and then lightly feathered into the center area. You do not want full coat coverage. You want your paper peaking through. Allow a little bit of drying time before moving to the next step.
Step 5
Going back to your scrap paper, you will want to tear paper shapes to create the flower vase and flowers. Tear petal shapes for the flower leaves, circles for the flowers, small squares for the flower centers, a rectangle for the table top and a square for the flower vase. Glue these on with the DIY Liquid Patina.
Step 6
Next you will want to paint the paper shapes and block in the colors. We used Old 57, Old School, Fancy Farm Girl, White Swan, Cowgirl Coral and Kissing Booth.
Step 7
Add the final details. Outline the flower vase and flowers with Old School. Highlight the leaves and vase with White Swan. Use the Cowgirl Coral and Kissing Booth to blend the flower colors and use the White Swan as a highlighter.
So there you have it, your final masterpiece. I can hardly believe i did it.
That's what happens when you have a little help from your friends!
]]>Follow along and I'll tell you how to decoupage. It's really simple and the results are amazing! To tell you the truth, Carolyn was going to join me on my Facebook page to demonstrate the whole technique. We planned our little tutorial for the Make it on Monday Facebook event series that I've been trying to get off the ground on my Facebook page. As it turns out, I had a terrible time getting Carolyn onto the live video. Who knows what happened but, we could hear Carolyn but we just couldn't see her. Instead, Carolyn had to direct me as I worked on the project solo. If you'd like to see the video, check it out here.
First off, let me share the supply list.
Now onto the nitty gritty of the decoupage tutorial.
1) Find your surface. A piece of scrap wood, old fencing, pallet wood. Any of these will work.
2) Depending on how you want the finished product, you may choose to stain the wood or to paint it out. I elected to paint my surface. I used a chip brush and DIY Chalk Paint in Prom Queen and I also used Crinoline. You could also use a Paint Pixie Paint Brush.
3) Let the paint dry thoroughly but, it won't take long since the DIY paint dries really quickly due to it clay based properties.
4) Once dry, you are ready to add your napkin. Separate your napkin. Look to see if your patterned napkin is 2 ply or 3 ply. Peel back the layers. You only want to work with the 1 ply where the pattern is located. Trim away any excess napkin if you have too much. You don't have to be super perfect. We'll be cleaning it up later.
5) Using a chip brush, apply DIY Liquid Patina liberally to your surface. Carefully line up your napkin and the pattern on your surface so that you like how the design will be mounted. Gently lay the napkin onto your surface and smooth the napkin out from the center outwards. Be gentle so that you do not rip the napkin. You may have some crinkles but, that's okay, it part of the imperfect beauty.
6) Let the decoupaged surface dry.
7) Once dry, take your sanding block and sand around the edges. The sanding block will clean up any stray napkin selvage and will leave you with a nice smooth edge.
8) Apply another coat of the DIY Liquid Patina. This coat will act as your sealer.
9) Now all that's left if to add your clothespin. You may choose to paint or stain the clothespin. Totally your choice. Once you've got the clothespin ready, affix it to the surface with E-6000 or another type of glue.
There you have it! A simple way to turn some everyday items into a cute gift. Once you've mastered the technique on something small like this, be sure to think bigger. Think about decoupaging some drawer fronts on a chest of drawers or even the back of a china cupboard. Really there are endless possibilities for using decoupage.
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Making paint is easy. Simply mix 1/3 cup of plaster of paris with 1/3 cup of water. Mix until smooth. Add this to 1 cup of black latex paint. Stir until combined and then you are ready to paint.
]]>Making paint is easy. Simply mix 1/3 cup of plaster of paris with 1/3 cup of water. Mix until smooth. Add this to 1 cup of black latex paint. Stir until combined and then you are ready to paint.
Using a Paint Pixie Brush or a chip brush if that is what you have handy, apply the 2 coats of chalkboard paint letting the first coat dry thoroughly before applying the second coat.
Once your second coat is dry, you will need to season your chalkboard before using it.
To season your homemade chalkboard, apply wax or shade the entire chalk board with chalk by taking a chalk stick and turning it on it's side and chalking the entire chalkboard. Once you have done this, erase the chalk and the board is seasoned for use.
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