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How to: recycle with PlastiKote spray paint

If you’ve vowed to create less waste this year but are itching to change your décor now that all the Christmas bits have been put away, use PlastiKote spray paint to recycle and revamp what you already have and give your home a whole new look. Spray paint a table, chair, chest of drawer, vase, lamp, frame – the list is endless.

chest of drawers makeovers

This little chest of drawers had seen better days when it was picked up at a local charity shop for a few pounds around six years ago. It was a solid piece of furniture but not very attractive. Given a  makeover using Twist & Spray paint in pretty pastels, it was used in a girl’s bedroom. A couple of years later, a more sophisticated look was requested and out came Chalk spray paint in Cappuccino, Dark Hessian, Old Hessian, Pale Rose and Vintage White. More recently, the chest of drawers has been moved to a different room and is now a stand-out piece having been sprayed in Dusty Coral, again from the Twist & Spray range.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Prepare your spraying area with dust sheets, newspaper or cardboard. Set up in a well-ventilated room or preferably outside on a warm, calm day.
  • Lightly sand to remove any flakes of paint or varnish and wash with warm, soapy water to get rid of any dirt, dust or grease. Allow to dry.
  • For any bare wood surface, always use primer. PlastiKote Twist & Spray Primer is ideal. If your item has already been spray painted with PlastiKote, you can just put your new colour over the top but if you want to ‘kill’ the existing colour, ie if it is dark and you’re going light, or you’re not sure what paint or varnish was previously use, priming will give you a good base to start on. Priming also gives added durability.
  • Once primed, follow instructions on the can of your PlastiKote spray paint to apply your colour coat.
  • Allow to thoroughly dry. With high usage items, it is recommended to let the paint ‘cure’ for a good 48-72 hours before putting in to use.

Here are a few more upcycled items that might give you some ideas for your own projects:

more furniture makeovers

This stool and cabinet have both had a Chalk makeover, the stool in Pastel Green and the cabinet in Pale Rose.

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The nest of tables was rescued from a trip to the tip with a colourful makeover using Twist & Spray in Pink Burst, Smoke Infusion and Yellow gloss spray paints. Patterned wrapping paper was used under the glass tops to add interest. The dining chair was sprayed with Daffodil Satin. PlastiKote Twist & Spray is a great all-rounder, quick and easy to use and can be applied to most surfaces.

These are simple makeovers which hopefully have inspired you to have a go. We’d love to see your recycled projects – share with us on Facebook or Instagram#plastikoteuk.

If you’re unsure about using spray paint, watch our vlogs for tips on spray painting and inspirational projects (look on the right-hand panel for the vlog category).

For more inspiration, check out our YouTube or Pinterest page. 

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PlastiKote Christmas 7 - Fast Dry Enamel Flat White or Twist & Spray White Matt

How to: dream of a White Christmas with PlastiKote spray paint

Reuse and recycle for an eco-friendly Christmas this year with a little help from PlastiKote spray paints.

Christmas is traditionally a time of excess and we all love to buy an extra decoration or two to add to our collection but to avoid spending out on more plastic ornaments, we’ve come up with a few ideas for making your own decorations on a limited budget and as environmentally-friendly as possible.

Use PlastiKote Chalk spray paint in Vintage White to create a White Christmas theme to your decorations. Chalk spray paint is water-based with 90% less solvents than conventional spray paint and therefore much kinder to the environment. So, go for a brisk walk in the countryside to collect pine cones, leaves, ivy, twigs and you’ll be set to create your own winter wonderland.

 

Christmas trees - in post

Create a mini Christmas tree using either a potted tree or twigs.

If you buy a growing tree and it’s in a plastic pot, spray the pot as well. Put a black sack over the tree and tuck in around the trunk while you spray the pot. Whilst the pot is drying, spray lengths of ivy, building the colour in fine layers. When both are dry, remove the black sack and drape the ivy around the tree. Add a string of fairy lights for a bit of sparkle.

Equally easy to do is our twig tree decorated with sprayed pine cones. Screw small metal eyelets into the top of the cones to hang them. If you want a more natural look, lightly spritz the cones and twigs with white Chalk paint to give the effect of a light dusting of snow.

 

4b wreath after

This pine cone wreath is quick and easy to make. Take an old willow wreath and spray paint with Chalk in Vintage White along with a selection of pine cones. Several layers of white have been applied to give this wreath a solid white colour but if you want a snow-dusted look, a light spritz will do. The thin, long cones were given a light coat of Fast Dry Enamel in Gold Leaf as a contrast to the white. When everything is thoroughly dry, use a hot glue gun to stick the cones to the wreath.

 

Plastikote paints

Large leaves make great place settings when sprayed. Either add a tag as shown or use a marker to write on the leaf.

 

step by step tree

One final thought regarding an eco-friendly Christmas…

There has been much discussion in recent years around having a real or artificial Christmas tree in the home. An artificial tree can be brought out year after year, making them a budget friendly option and saving a real tree from being chopped down. The over-riding argument AGAINST an artificial tree is very basic: they are made of plastic – usually from PVC, a plastic which is notoriously difficult to recycle because it requires specialist equipment. However, circumstance or, indeed preference, may mean you have an artificial tree. The advice if you do have one is to keep using it as long as possible. If it’s starting to look bedraggled or you want to change your Christmas colour scheme, spray paint it to ring the changes. This gold tree didn’t look right in its new home, so a couple of coats of PlastiKote Super spray paint in Black gave it a fab new look and it’s seen several Christmases since.

 

These are very easy ideas which hopefully have inspired you to have a go. We’d love to see your Christmas spray-painted makes – share your projects with us on Facebook or Instagram#plastikoteuk.

If you’re unsure about using spray paint, watch our vlogs for tips on spray painting and inspirational projects (look on the right-hand panel for the vlog category).

For more inspiration, check out our YouTube or Pinterest page. 

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How to: make Halloween decorations with PlastiKote spray paint

Love it or loathe it, Halloween is big business these days. Over £400 million was spent on Halloween last year and it’s an ever-growing market. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to decorate the house – take a can of PlastiKote spray paint (400ml retails at around £8) and get creative!

 

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PlastiKote Chalk spray paint comes in 10 colours and can be used on furniture and accessories but don’t be afraid to use it on pumpkins! These would make a stylish addition to any home.

 

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Just make sure your squash or pumpkin is clean and dry, then spray directly on to the skin. When the paint is dry, shield the pumpkin and spray the stalk with Metallic gold. The paint acts as a seal and a sprayed pumpkin should last for several weeks.

 

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If you’re more of a traditionalist, these next few ideas are for you. Welcome trick o’ treaters with a spooky doormat. We chose BOO! but if you’re more artistic, you could do a spider, witch or a bat. Just make a stencil from some cardboard, place the stencil on your doormat and spray. Roll it up after the 31st and store it for next year.

 

wreath in copy

Recycle an old wreath with black Twist & Spray paint. It takes no time at all to do, with the spray paint getting into all the nooks and crannies. This one is decorated with Fluorescent spray-painted wooden letters but for a more spooky look, wrap rubber snakes around the wreath and hang fake bats or spiders from it. Will they dare to knock?

 

Halloween pumpkin in copy

Got some leftover black paint? Avoid having to carve out your pumpkins – use homemade stencils and spray paint to decorate them.  If you want to make the Halloween tree, just spray some twigs black and hang paper bats or spiders from the branches.

 

ghosts in copy

For some cheap as chips window decorations, dry out large sycamore leaves or similar and spray white. When the paint has dried, draw the eyes on with a marker.

 

These are very simple ideas which hopefully have inspired you to have a go. We’d love to see your spooky spray-painted makes – share your projects with us on Facebook or Instagram#plastikoteuk.

If you’re unsure about using spray paint, watch our vlogs for tips on spray painting and inspirational projects (look on the right-hand panel for the vlog category).

For more inspiration, check out our YouTube or Pinterest page. 

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How to: colourful summer dining with PlastiKote spray paint

Make your summer dining table dazzle with colour using PlastiKote spray paint!

Create a colourful outdoor dining  area to welcome your visitors, whether for a family barbecue or friends for afternoon tea –  it’s perfect for a themed summer party – Club Tropicana anyone?

It doesn’t have to cost a lot. Gather old candlesticks, glass bottles, jugs, baskets, cake stands, tin cans and jars and use Twist & Spray colours to give them a new lease of life – it’s a good way of using up left-over spray paint if you have any. Go bright or pastel, whichever suits your vibe. Just make sure the item you’re spraying is clean and dry, then follow instructions on the can.

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To achieve this colourful table setting, we’ve sprayed a mismatched collection of candlesticks and some cola bottles in glossy New Yellow, Orange, April Green, Pink Burst, Bright Red and Exotic Sea. The garden chairs were sprayed with Garden spray paint in Azalea and Surf Green. The clash of colours works really well against the green backdrop of the garden.

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Using coloured candles to complement the candlesticks adds another pop of colour!

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For ‘cheap as chips’ table mats, use paper doilies. Apply a couple of fine layers of the spray paint of your choice and allow to dry. Simple! We used Fluorescent Pink and Green for a zingy table setting.

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Stained Glass spray paint was used on bottles and glass jars to create inexpensive vases and tea light holders. Wrap elastic bands around the bottles before spraying to achieve the stripy pattern.

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Spray paint on a glass cake stand gets in to all the grooves and highlights the pattern of the glass. An old metal watering can looks pretty sprayed in Cameo Pink and makes a great container for summer blooms.

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If you prefer pretty pastels, you’ll find several in the PlastiKote Twist & Spray or Chalk spray paint range. Cameo Pink, Baby Blue and Daffodil Twist & Spray have been used on the jugs, cola bottles, tea light holders and cake stand. The cutlery basket is sprayed in Pale Rose Chalk.

If you’re unsure about using spray paint, watch our vlogs for tips on spray painting and inspirational projects (look on the right-hand panel for the vlog category).  This month’s vlog is an instructional video on using Chalk spray paint.

Hopefully, we have inspired you to have a go. Share your projects with us on Facebook or Instagram#plastikoteuk – we’d love to see them.

For more inspiration, check out our YouTube or Pinterest page

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How to: add colour to your garden with PlastiKote spray paint

With longer days and warmer weather, people flock to garden centres to stock up on bedding plants and flowers to fill their borders and add colour to outside spaces. With PlastiKote spray paint, you can add instant colour to the garden as well as freshen up tired-looking furniture and recycle all those garden centre plastic pots as well as planters and ornaments. PlastiKote Garden spray paint comes in ten gorgeous colours and can be used on most surfaces, from metal and wood to stone and wicker.

Here’s a simple project to get you started. It’s as easy to use as 1,2,3!

1  Make sure the item you are spraying is clean and dry.

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2  Apply several fine layers of PlastiKote Garden spray paint in the colour of your choice (this basket is in Azalea, the other two are Light Blue and Lavender). The instructions are on the back of the can.

2 - May 19 being sprayed

3  Allow to thoroughly harden off (48-72 hours) before putting in the garden.

3a - May 19 baskets after

Have you been inspired but are unsure about using spray paint? Watch our vlog in this issue which shows how we recycled on old pallet to make a colourful plant stand to display pretty spray painted plastic pots. It includes a top tip for spraying pots that are already planted up.

Hopefully, we have inspired you to have a go. Share your ideas with us on Facebook or Instagram#plastikoteuk – we’d love to see them.

For more inspiration, check out our YouTube or Pinterest page

 

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How to: Download the NEW PlastiKote spray paint Colour Finder App

We are delighted to introduce the new Colour Finder App from PlastiKote spray paint.

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This clever little app will help you find a colour match to, say, a favourite fabric, vase or flower. Take a picture on your smartphone or import an image from Pinterest and this easy-to-use app will enable you to find the nearest colour match in the PlastiKote spray paint range.

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There’s a colour palette for you to browse, products to discover and a handy option to find your nearest store. You can even visit the blog and enter our latest competition via the app.

colourfinder app3a

If you’re new to spray painting or are looking for ideas for your next makeover, talk a look at the Tips and Inspiration section where you’ll find top tips for spray painting and short videos to inspire a new project.

 

Apple storeGoogle play

Available on the App Store or Google Play, download the app today!

(Click on the store icon to download.)

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Jan how to - featured

How to: PlastiKote spray paint – New Year, New Colours

Introducing the latest addition to the PlastiKote spray paint family – Matt Classic Teal, Dusty Coral, Duck Egg Blue, French Grey and Satin Lime Green in the Twist & Spray Colour range. They work beautifully together or can be used individually to update items around the home – spray frames, vases, lamp stands, chairs, almost anything! Available in 400ml cans, it’s an affordable way to add a splash of colour or keep up with the trend.

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If you’re a spray paint novice, PlastiKote Twist & Spray Colour paint is a great product to start you on your spraying journey. It’s easy to use, quick to dry and can be applied to almost any surface. And no annoying brush strokes!

Here’s a super simple project that anyone can do.

You will need:

Belly baskets

Dust sheets/newspaper

PlastiKote Twist & Spray Colour (we used Classic Teal, Dusty Coral and Lime Green)

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As we wanted to spray only the bottom half of our belly baskets, this set of three (from Amazon) were perfect as they came folded as in the picture above allowing them to be sprayed without having to mask any area. If you purchase some that aren’t folded, use masking tape and newspaper to mask off the area you don’t want sprayed.

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Apply the Twist & Spray Colour of your choice following instructions on the can. Make sure the basket is dry and clean before starting and use long, even strokes to build up the colour. It is recommended to build the layers rather than try to get an even coverage in one go. A project like this should only need two coats, allowing 15-30 minutes between each coat. The basket will be touch dry in under an hour.

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Allow to thoroughly dry before putting into use.

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Hopefully, we’ve inspired you to have a go. Share your ideas with us on Facebook or Instagram #plastikoteuk – we’d love to see them.

For more inspiration, check out our ideas on Pinterest page.

 

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featured

How to: pimp your pine cones with PlastiKote spray paint

Pine cones – they’re free, easy to find and make fabulous festive decorations with the help of PlastiKote spray paint. In their natural state, they complement a woodland-themed tree or table setting but a spritz of spray paint can make them a colourful and glittery addition to your Christmas décor.

cone placenames

A place name holder is not always the first thing you think of when planning your festive meals so this is a great idea for a last minute make. Simply spray cones to match your theme using PlastiKote Fast Dry Enamel spray paint. With many colours to choose from plus some stunning metallics and glitters, one can will be enough to do lots of cones. Go bold with colour or just spritz the tips with white spray paint and silver glitter to give a frosted appearance.

 

pine cone Chrsitmas tree

If you feel a little more ambitious, these mini cone trees are a cute decoration and could double as place name holders. The mini maché planters and gift box are from Hobbycraft.

 

pine cone tree

It’s a simple process to make hanging decorations from pine cones. Spray the cones, allow to dry and then screw small eyelets into the top of the cone. Hang on twigs and branches for an alternative Christmas tree – you could spray the twigs as well.

 

4b wreath after

An easy way to upcycle an old wreath is to spray it with a colour to suit your décor. Whilst it dries, spray some pine cones in the same colour or perhaps a metallic and when everything is dry, hot glue the cones to the wreath.

 

pastel cones

If your theme is pastels this Christmas, this may be the choice for you. These have been sprayed with PlastiKote Chalk spray paint.  Add a layer of Translucent Glitter spray paint to pimp them up for the festive season.

 

It really is so easy to do. Just make sure the pines cones are dry before applying the spray paint of your choice and follow the instructions on the can. Simple!

Hopefully, we’ve inspired you to have a go. Share your ideas with us on Facebook or Instagram #plastikoteuk – we’d love to see them.

For more inspiration, check out our ideas on Pinterest page.

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how to featured

How to: candlestick updates with PlastiKote spray paint

Candlesticks have always been one of our favourite spray projects as it is so quick and easy to change the look with PlastiKote spray paint. As the seasons change, so do our candlesticks! At this time of year, look at what you have and think about updating your collection for the festive season. Ring the changes again in Spring with brighter, sunnier hues.

how to candle 2We gathered this selection and gave them a makeover with Metallic Silver and Twist & Spray White Satin spray paints. These colours work well throughout the year, not only at Christmas.

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These two images show the candelabra before it was sprayed with Metallic Silver for the first pic above. Using up left-over Fast Dry Enamel spray paint, the multi-coloured candelabra looked fab on a summer dining table. Toned down with Twist & Spray Matt Black, the candelabra adds a certain elegance to the black and white themed dining table.

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If a shiny metallic finish is not your thing, try Metallic Brushed Nickel spray paint which has a flat silver finish. Spraying a collection of candlesticks one colour brings cohesion to an otherwise mismatched grouping.

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This collection of slim stemmed pretties has been sprayed with various colours from the Fast Dry Enamel spray paint range. The coloured candles complement their holders

It really is so easy to do. Just make sure the candlesticks are clean and dry before applying the spray paint of your choice and follow the instructions on the can. Simple!

Hopefully, we’ve inspired you to have a go. Share your ideas with us on Facebook or Instagram #plastikoteuk – we’d love to see them.

For more inspiration, check out our ideas on Pinterest page.

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how to featured Oct

How to: Halloween decoration with PlastiKote spray paint

Halloween is big business with costumes, decorations and spooky treats filling the shelves at this time of year. If you want to join the fun but are on a budget, get creative with a can of PlastiKote spray paint. One can of PlastiKote Twist & Spray paint in Black Matt or Satin would be enough to do all of these projects!

wreath in copy

Recycle an old wreath – spray it black and then be creative with the decoration. We stuck on fluorescent BOO but you could twist toy snakes around it, hang bats or spiders from it, even stick bits of old dolls to it – macabre!

 

door mat in copy

A plain door mat has had a Halloween message sprayed on using a stencil made from a cereal box.

 

Pumpkin face in copy

Using newspaper and masking tape to define the features, spray faces on pumpkins for a twist on the traditional jack o’ lantern.

 

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Spray some twigs in black, push them into a pumpkin and use a bat stencil to make some paper bats to hang from the twigs. Use the stencil to spray a bat shape on the pumpkin.

Hopefully, we’ve inspired you to have a go. Share your ideas with us on Facebook or Instagram #plastikoteuk – we’d love to see them.

For more Halloween inspiration, check out our Pinterest page.

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