Designer Craft Tip

Blending Colors on Unfinished Wood

Last week we told you about using acrylic paint on wood. This week, we’re taking our painting tips one step further – blending! You may remember this relaxing “At the Beach” project we featured back in May. As you can see, the colors blend subtlety into each other. There are several ways to achieve this look.

Drew, the designer who created this project, simply used a tissue to blot the colors where they came together.

Another way to blend your colors is to take the colors you want to blend and put them side by side on a paper plate, or other surface that you can use as a palette. Once you have the paints side by side, take a flat paint brush and brush it back and forth between the two colors, mixing them together. You will still have each individual color to see on either side, so you can blend as much or as little as you like, using the originals as your guide.

Finally, you can use sanding to blend your colors. That’s right, sanding. If you are using the stain from our Kelly’s line or even acrylic paint, you can still use this technique. Simply let your paint thoroughly dry and then lightly rub a fine grit sandpaper over your wood surface. You’ll see the lines between your colors begin to soften and you’ll also smooth out your surface for the next step in your project.

Try each method and show us your results!

Designer Craft Tip

Tips For Painting Unfinished Wood Crafts

There are many different types of paint you can use to paint on unfinished wood. Although you can use that leftover latex paint you painted the walls with, latex paint isn't guaranteed to hold up under duress.

Acrylic paint is the best choice for unfinished wood crafts. Craft stores like Michael's, AC Moore, Hobby Lobby, Wal-Mart, or Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts carry several inexpensive brands of acrylic paint in a tremendous range of colors. Depending on the color of the paint, it will cover better and take fewer coats if you basecoat the wood first with a primer. Let dry, and then paint. After the paint is dry, you should coat your painted surface with an acrylic sealer unless you are using a gloss paint, which has a sealer built in.

Happy crafting!