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Mini makes: last minute decs with PlastiKote spray paint

There’s so much to do in the run up to Christmas that time seems to run away and before long, the big day is looming. You may think you don’t have time to add some homemade touches to your Christmas display but with a can of PlastiKote spray paint, you can quickly and easily make place names and last-minute decorations.

 

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Simple place names can be made using a can of PlastiKote Fast Dry Enamel spray paint in a metallic or colour of your choice – spray apples, pears or cones and add a handwritten tag.

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If you prefer a more subtle look, a single ivy leaf sprayed white with a luggage label attached looks super stylish. Or, for a bit of bling, this copper-sprayed sycamore leaf looks fab on a plain white plate. Just use a marker to write the name on.

 

bottles and allium heads in post

A good excuse for a pre-Christmas tipple! Spray clean, empty bottles with Metallics or festive colours – use as vases for fresh foliage or do as we have and spray dried seed heads to fill them.

 

fruit and nuts in post

Fruit and nuts look stunning when sprayed with a metallic colour – Gold Leaf was used for this collection. Displayed in a glass bowl, they make a lovely centrepiece – just don’t try eating them!

candlesticks in post

Candlesticks are a staple of any Christmas decoration and a mismatched selection like these can be brought together as a cohesive group with a coat of PlastiKote spray paint in a colour to match your theme. Gloss White and Brushed Nickel were used here.

All of these projects can be achieved in less than an hour, so no excuses! Enjoy being creative and add your own homemade decs to this year’s display.

Our top tip for this time of year is to make sure the ambient temperature is over 10 degrees. Spray paint doesn’t like the cold!

If you’ve used spray paint to update your Christmas decs this year or to make new ones, we’d love to see them. Tag us #plastikoteuk on Instagram @plastikoteuk

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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Mini make: affordable autumn decs with PlastiKote spray paint

As a new season arrives, lifestyle magazines and blogs invite us to change our interiors to complement the time of year. If you’re looking for an affordable way to add some autumnal accents to your home, look no further than a pile of dried leaves and PlastiKote spray paint!

A metallic accent lifts any colour scheme and PlastiKote Fast Dry Enamel comes in Gold Leaf, Copper, Antique Gold, Silver (Chrome), Rose Gold and Brass. Available in 100ml cans, a little goes a long way and using (free) leaves means you won’t break the bank updating your decor.

 

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So, go for a brisk country walk and collect your leaves. We particularly like the large sycamore leaves. Dry them between a couple of heavy books to get them to lie flat. When ready to spray, prepare your spraying area with cardboard or newspaper and make sure the room is well-ventilated. Spray with your chosen metallic, using fine mists of paint to build the colour. These two images show the depth of colour and shine that is achieved with PlastiKote Metallic spray paints.

 

Mini make 1

The leaves can be used in all sorts of ways. Welcome your visitors with an autumnal wreath. Using Gold Leaf, Copper and Antique Gold, spray 6 large leaves and allow to dry. When thoroughly dry, hot glue to an old wicker wreath. Not just for Autumn, this could be used at Christmas too.

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Cascading sprayed leaves blu-tacked to a wall make an appealing display or they could be hung from a small branch to make a mobile of hanging leaves.

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A colourful garland using Copper and Orange Gloss is a cheerful addition to the home. Our top tip for attaching the leaves to the twine is to cut 15mm lengths of drinking straw and hot gluing to the back of each leaf. Then simply thread on to the twine.

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Looking for a quick and easy Halloween decoration? Use Fast Dry Enamel in White to spray some dried sycamore leaves and allow to dry. Their shape really lends itself to being transformed into spooky ghosts! Draw on a couple of black eyes and use washi tape to stick them on the window.

Mini make 2

Finally, what about place names? Perfect for any time of the year – great for Christmas! – choose large leaves to spray and, when dry, write on your guests’ names.

If you’ve used sprayed leaves for decoration, we’d love to see them. Tag us #plastikoteuk on Instagram @plastikoteuk

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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Top tip: PlastiKote spray paint plus Ikea hack equals easy spray painting!

If you use PlastiKote spray paint for painting small home accessories – vases, ornaments, jars and bottles, for example – this is a useful little hack.

Invest in an Ikea Snudda. At around £6, it’s a bargain and can make spray painting even easier and quicker to do. The Snudda is Ikea’s lazy susan, a wooden turntable that is so useful when spray painting small items. It means you don’t have to try and pick up your sprayed item to get to another side, possibly getting paint on your hands or spoiling your paint job – simply turn the table and the unpainted side comes to you!

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  1. Keep it clean! Rather than build up layers of paint on your turntable, cover the top with newspaper and using masking tape to secure it underneath. This will make it easy to remove when you’ve finished your project, ready to be recovered for the next.

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2.  Place the item to be sprayed in the middle of the turntable.

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3.  Start spraying using even strokes and building the colour by slowly rotating the turntable with your free hand.

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4.  Leave your project to dry and then apply a second fine layer if needed. Allow to thoroughly dry.

5.  Finally, remove the newspaper and you’re ready for your next project!

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects. And don’t forget to tag us if you make something using PlastiKote spray paint – we love seeing them #plastikoteuk.

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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Mini makes: fun festival makes with PlastiKote spray paint

This summer, are you gallivanting to Glastonbury or legging it to Latitude?!

The festival season is upon us and you may be one of the lucky ones looking forward to a couple of days of great music, fab food and a stay under canvas. We though we’d share a couple of mini-makes using PlastiKote spray paint to help you stand out in the crowd.

festival wellies before in body may 19

With the British weather, an essential item for any festival are wellies. Personalise a pair of old welly boots with PlastiKote Twist & Spray (we find the Gloss finish works the best) and some funky vinyl stickers.

festival wellies in body may 19

They should last for a whole season of festivals.

tent pegs may 19 in body

You don’t want to trip on tent pegs at the end of the night, so why not spray them  with PlastiKote Fluorescent spray paint? They’ll be more visible and also easier to find when packing up.

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects. And don’t forget to tag us if you make something using PlastiKote spray paint – we love seeing them #plastikoteuk.

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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Top tips: prepping garden furniture for PlastiKote spray paint

After sitting out over the winter, garden furniture can look tired and in need of some TLC to give it a new lease of life ready for the summer.

1 - garden furniture before

Here are some top tips for prepping your garden furniture ready for a PlastiKote spray paint makeover:

2 - use wire brush to remove flakes of rust and old paint

  1. Whether your furniture is metal, wooden or wicker, make sure it’s free of any flakes of old paint and, in the the case of metal furniture, rust. Use wire wool or a wire brush to get rid of any stubborn flakes.

3- clean with a damp cloth

2. Lightly sand the surface to get a good key, then wash with warm, soapy water to remove any dust or dirt. Allow to dry.

3. Set up your spray area with plenty of dust sheets or newspaper. It is preferable to spray paint outdoors on a warm, still day.

4 - Priming with PlastiKote Metal Primer

4. For added durability and greater adhesion, use a suitable PlastiKote Primer.

5 - spraying chair with PlastiKote Garden in Surf Green copy

5. When the Primer is thoroughly dry, use the PlastiKote spray paint of choice and colour, following instructions on the can.

PlastiKote Garden Furniture 10 - Garden Jasmine White and Surf Green copy

6. Our recommended choice of spray paint for garden furniture (wicker, metal or wood) is a PlastiKote Primer, followed by PlastiKote Garden spray paint.

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects. And don’t forget to tag us if you make something using PlastiKote spray paint – we love seeing them.

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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Mini make: recycle biscuit tins with PlastiKote spray paint

If you received a tin of biscuits or chocolates this Christmas, once the contents have disappeared, why not recycle it with PlastiKote spray paint? Far better than adding to landfill, reuse tins for all sorts of storage solutions – a sewing box, a cake tin, a first aid kit. Just follow our simple step by step instructions:

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Make sure the tins are clean and dry.

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Spray using one of the many colours from the Twist & Spray Colour range, following instructions on the can. We used Cameo Pink for our cake tin.

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Once the paint was completely dry, we added sticky letters as decoration or you could leave it plain.

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Here are the finished tins.

Country kitchen makeover

Lace and doilies were used as stencils on these tins to add some pretty decoration.

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects. And don’t forget to tag us if you make something using PlastiKote spray paint – we love seeing them.

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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Mini makes: sweet gift jars with PlastiKote spray paint

Make a couple of these little sweet treat gift jars and keep in the cupboard for those unexpected visitors – they’ll be so impressed! It’s a great way of making a box of wrapped chocolates or sweets go further but look extra special.

1 - Red Place Setting Before

You’ll need a clean glass jar and lid, a small ornament (a little Christmas dec, cone or seed head for example), a can of PlastiKote spray paint (Fast Dry Enamel) and some sweets or chocolates.

red jar 2

Hot-glue the little ornament to the  lid and, when dry, apply the spray paint following instructions on the can. The paint will be completely dry in a few hours and it is recommended to leave for a 48-72 hours to harden off. Finally, fill with sweet treats or chocolates.

silver jar

It’s a great way of recycling old jam jars and makes a few chocolates look extra-special. And the lucky recipient can use the storage jar when they’ve eaten all the sweets!

snowmen

If you’ve a bit more time, why not make these little snowmen for the children? Spray a clean and empty juice bottle with white spray paint and allow to dry. Decorate with permanent marker to make the face and buttons, add a little felt scarf and fill with their favourite sweets.

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects. And don’t forget to tag us if you make something using PlastiKote spray paint – we love seeing them.

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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Top tip: Christmas tree makeover with PlastiKote spray paint

Artificial or real Christmas trees – where do you stand? It’s all down to personal choice and budget. However, when it comes to disposing of the trees, the obvious choice is real as it can be mulched and nobody wants to add to landfill with more plastic. But if you already have an artificial tree and have fallen out of love with it, why not give it a makeover?

 

top tip Nov 4a

This gold tree looked good but didn’t fit in with the new Christmas theme. It was sprayed with PlastiKote spray paint in Black (from the Twist & Spray or Super range) to give it a new lease of life.

 

top tip Nov 1

 

Inspired by this makeover, two more stylish looks were achieved by spraying it again…and again!

 

top tip Nov 3

 

Gold trimmings interspersed with red and white decorations work well with the red tree.

 

top tip Nov 2

Silver decs, pale pink baubles and fluffy feathers give this pink tree a feminine charm.

Why not update your Christmas theme and recycle your artificial Christmas tree?

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects.

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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Top tip: long-lasting pumpkins with PlastiKote spray paint

Traditional jack o’ lantern pumpkins look fabulous with their scary Halloween faces (Fascinating fact – did you know that the original jack o’lantern was not a pumpkin? The tradition was introduced to America by the Irish but pumpkins did not exist in Ireland – they carved turnips!).

If you have a look at our ‘How To’ section this month, you’ll see how we created faces on our pumpkins with PlastiKote spray paint – not particularly scary but you get the idea!

top tip2 Oct

For a more stylish decoration that will take you from October through to Christmas, pick up unusual pumpkins, squashes and gourds from your grocer and spray with Clear Sealer.

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Thoroughly covered, the pumpkins will be sealed and shouldn’t decay for a good few weeks. These were done in mid-October and were dispensed with to make way for Christmas decorations in December.

top tip6 Oct

They look stunning layered up in a rustic basket or as a centrepiece for an autumn dinner party.

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects.

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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Top tip: multi-use clothes pegs with PlastiKote spray paint

The humble wooden clothes peg is so useful. We spray ours with leftover PlastiKote spray paint – Fast Dry Enamel, Twist & Spray, Metallic or Chalk will all work well – and use for many a tidy-up job around the house and garden.

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Fix above the sink to hold rubber gloves or stick on the fridge door to hold a shopping list.

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Spray pegs a different colour for each member of the family and encourage them to keep their wellies upright and together!

seed packets

 

Keep seed packets tidy whilst helping to keep the tops from opening up and spilling out the seeds from within.

A little make that comes in really handy!

Follow us on Instagram @plastikoteuk for more ideas and projects.

For product information, visit the website www.plastikote.co.uk.

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