You Will Love This Home Decorating Project !

Here's another home decorating project to try. You'll be amazed at how easy it is! The results are very satisfying too!

Home Decorating Painting Project

1. Remove all thoughts from your brain that say you can’t draw. This is not realism. It’s object art and anyone can draw object art.

2. Use a mild finish remover or stripper to remove the finish from the top of your table. You may need to use several coats. Keep several rolls of paper towels on hand, you’ll need them!

3. Gently sand the table top with 100 grit paper. You can do this by hand, but a rotary sander works the best. Wipe off the dust with a damp towel.

4. This is where the home decorating project gets fun! Start drawing. I used objects that remind be of special events in my past like the birth of a child or a family pet. The drawing part took me the longest. Take your time. You may even want to let the whole family in on this home decorating project step. I had to use my table in between creative spells for family dinners so I just covered it with a vinyl table cloth.

5. Start burning the designs with a wood burning tool. You can find these for $15 or so at a hardware store or discount store. Several tips may be included in the wood burning kit. Use the tip that has the smallest point, almost like a pencil. I found it to be the easiest to work with. Put enough pressure on the lines to make them turn black. You’ll smell the wood burning. That’s normal. Remember to sign your name and date for posterity!

6. Create a solution of one part black acrylic paint to two parts water. Apply this solution to the table with a dry rag. The black paint sticks in the cracks and helps to darken the lines. Allow table to dry.

7. Choose a group of 7-10 colors that go well together. This is a great home decorating project if you'd like to add a splash of color to the room. The small 99 cent bottles of acrylics work well. Keep several different kinds of brushes on hand and a mixing surface. I found a plastic plate works well for a mixing surface. Start painting. Before dipping your brush in paint each time, make sure the brush is soaking with water. By applying the paint with extra water, it will dry with a unique see-through appearance. Experiment with tones (mix white with base color) and shades (mix black with base color) of your original colors, but for the best outcome, don’t mix colors. It becomes difficult to duplicate the same color from day to day. Don’t feel like you have to adhere to strict color rules. For example, tree trunks don’t always have to be brown and the cat’s fur doesn’t need to exactly match the color of the real animal.

8. Use a foam brush to apply a thin layer of Minwax polyurethane. Allow to dry and then sand by hand or with a rotary sander. If you notice little air bubbles after the coat has dried, sand out by hand with damp sandpaper. I found I couldn’t get those little bubbles out without wet sanding. You’ll need to repeat the coats of poly and sanding 6-8 times. Wipe with damp cloth before applying a new coat. I know this sounds like a lot, but it’s a surface that is used all the time so it needs to be able to stand up to play dough tools, markers and paint and the occasional broken glass. (at least if you live in my house)

Wow! You’ve finished. This home decorating project