Showing posts with label neon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neon. Show all posts

Monday, May 25, 2015

DecoArt Upcycled Neon Pop Bar Chair

Today I've got a fun project that pairs DecoArt Americana Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic paints, with a stenciled die-cut made with my Cricut Explore.  I found this vintage, Comfort Line bar stool chair in a thrift shop, and thought it would be a perfect test subject. 

I really wanted to try out the Decoart Neon colors from the multi-surface collection.  They're such fun colors and I couldn't choose just one, so I chose to use all of them - pink, green, orange, blue, and yellow!  Plus, they're great for indoor and outdoor use.  I'm going with a fun, summery Bubble Pop design.  Let's get started.....








First, we need to create the stencil.




















I've designed this file in the Cricut Design Space and, if you're a user, you are welcome to use my free file.  It fits on a 12"x12" mat.  Simply copy and paste the link below, into your address bar, once you're logged into Design Space.   The photo to the left shows where I weeded the circles out of the stencil.  I'm using clear contact paper, for my stencil, that you can purchase at the Dollar Tree.

https://us.cricut.com/design/#/canvas/27431137


Now, let's prep the chair.  Because the chair has a shine, I've lightly sanded it, front and back, so the paint will better adhere.  Be careful not to sand too hard, or you'll have sharp, pointy edges.



Next, I'm doing a test coat so I can gauge how much paint I might need.  I'm going with the DecoArt Multi-surface Cotton Ball for my base coat.  









I used 2 full coats of the Cotton Ball paint, now it's on to the stenciling.  The stickiness of the contact paper?  Not so great.... live and learn, right?  So I used some washi tape to hold it in place.  I tried paint brushes and foam brushes, to see which worked best on my chair's surface and the foam brushes seemed to work best, to avoid streaks on this surface.   I ended up applying 3 coats of the neon paint for full coverage.




Check it out!  Aren't the colors just brilliant?  There is no photo editing here, people.  This is the color my camera took, no tweaking required.  Due to the contact paper not sticking as well as I'd like, I had some leaked edges on my circles which required some touching up with the Cotton Ball paint.


You may want to use a sealer after you've let this cure for a bit.  The American Spray Sealer is perfect to finish this off and better preserve all your hard work.  It gives your finished project a nice gloss as well.


Here's the Before and After.



 I've had some friends take a peek and they thought this would look so good in a girls bedroom.  My initial thought was to use it outdoors as a fun summer chair at a backyard BBQ.  How about having one of these as a birthday chair for a daycare or classroom?

I also think the stencil would be great for using as a focal point to paint these neon colors in bubble shapes in a child's bedroom on a wall, say, near a bedroom lamp?  A great little pop of color.

I hope you enjoyed my little project.  Please share your thoughts and other ideas in the comment section.  I appreciate it!

I would love it if you would follow me at any of my social media links:


#decoart #americana #satin #acrylic #multisurface #neon #upcycle #recycle #diy #cricut #cricutexplore #cricuteverywhere #comfortline #bar

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links so, if you purchase a product using the link I may receive a commission. I only participate in the affiliate programs linked above because they are products that I use and love. Your purchase price is not affected in any way, by using my links.  Thank you for your support and helping me keep my content free!

Thursday, April 2, 2015

DIY Glo Bugs In A Jar and Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness!

I'm so happy to be invited to participate in the "Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness" Blog Hop, hosted by Tenia Nelson and Veronica Zalis.  There will be a lot of projects showcased today so I hope you have the chance to check all of them out.  

You can find all the creations and sponsors listed here: 


If you would like a chance to win a prize from one of these fabulous companies leave a comment on this blog, and any of the other blogs participating in today's hop! Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced on Monday April 6.



My inspiration for this blog hop?  I have a good friend who's child is on the spectrum.  He's the sweetest child and he's my little buddy!  I also work for an agency that serves children with disabilities so bringing awareness to Autism is something that I'm very happy to get behind.  The only instruction we've been given is to create something blue, so with that in mind........


 I have created a Glow in the Dark Bug Jar and mini card, both blue!



I've used most of the products that you see here.



To start, I've applied the Tulip white Glo fabric paint on these branches collected from my yard.  I also added a bit of Doodlebug Design Glitter so it looks pretty during the day.   You can find out more about this awesome Tulip Glo paint here, at ilovetocreate.com.


It takes several hours for this fabric paint to dry, so I decided I needed to prop up my branches to get all sides covered and speed up the process.  Luckily I had a mason jar lid with holes.  You could also use floral foam to poke your sticks upright, or just leave your branches long, place in a mug to paint, then break off the ends that weren't painted, after they've dried.



Next, I painted on shapes and designs with the Tulip white and blue Glo paint on vellum bugs that I cut with my Cricut Explore.  The vellum started to curl, so I decided to tack down my bugs with Tombow adhesive dots (cut in fours) to my craft mat.  


If I had it to do over, I would have gone with all smaller bugs, and let them curl naturally.   They actually look pretty cute.  If you have little toy bugs in your child's room, you could substitute for those.  They would work just as well with a little glo paint and glued to the branches.


In addition to making the fun bug jar, I also water colored and glittered this lovely mini card, which is from ADORNit Art Play Paintables.





This is what it looks like in the dark.  You can use a bright flashlight on it for a few minutes to bring out the glo, however an ultraviolet or black light works best.  This is 5 minutes into the glo process.  The kids will love having this on their shelf or dresser to watch as they drift off to Neverland!


Additional supplies: Stickles Star Dust glitter glue, Tombow Dual Brush pens, Lantern Blue Mason Jar from Hobby Lobby, Decorative straw fiber from the Scrapbook Expo, craft sequins, The Paper Studio gemstones






Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links so, if you purchase a product using the link I may receive a commission. I only participate in the affiliate programs linked above because they are products that I use and love. Your purchase price is not affected in any way, by using my links.  Thank you for your support and helping me keep my content free!