Tag Archives: office supplies

Getting My Craft On

I have to confess something before I get on with this post.

I have a love/hate relationship with crafting. (whew! I said it)

I am easily seduced by DIY ideas. I imagine wildly creative sessions with editorial-worthy results. The reality? I usually jump into things without planning. I make huge messes. I get discouraged easily. I have a vision of the results that the reality never achieves (in my opinion). And to top it off, my husband has a ridiculously good eye and hand for crafting/drawing/design. Which usually means he completes the project to perfection as I pout in the corner (yes, I am totally embarrassed to admit this).

But I am determined to change this. First by carefully planning the craft before I even step foot in a Michaels or Hobby Lobby. And second by trying to remind myself to take things slowly and have patience throughout the process. It’s a work in progress, but so far, my new mantra has yielded a presentable front door wreath, and my latest endeavor: painted bowls to house office supplies on my desk.

The inspiration for these bowls came from the lovely Ez over at Creature Comforts. You can view her version here.

I wanted to play around with a few different dishes, so I purchased some basic white oven-safe ceramic/porcelain ones at Target, all for very reasonable prices. I couldn’t find the same brand of paints at my local Michaels crafts store that Ez had used, but I found a comparable brand that stated it would work on porcelain/ceramic. I knew I wanted pinks and oranges, since those are the colors I want to use in my office. I also picked up a metallic silver to add some bling, a variety pack of brushes, as well as small round sponging brushes, all from Michael’s.

I laid out all of my dishes, wiping them down with rubbing alcohol first to ensure they were clean.

And then I got to work! With a little planning first, of course! I started with the bowls, as they seemed easiest. I squirted a dollop of paint into the center, selected a brush (I used a fan brush for the pink and a more rectangular/basic brush for the orange) and started swirling paint up the sides.

I wanted to get more creative with the plate and the mug. After a failed attempt to stencil the plate AND the mug, I scraped the paint off and decided on an easier design: orange polka dots for the plate, using one of the sponging brushes, and pink chevrons for the mug. However, the chevrons didn’t turn out as planned either. After one sorry-looking row of zig-zags, I just went with the artistic swirly all-over brushstroke look. And then added some silver polka dots for good measure.

Here’s a finished shot, complete with office supplies!

I can’t wait to pull the rest of my office together!  I think these would look perfect on a white wood desk, mixed in with a bouquet of fresh flowers!

These would also be great for storing other little trinkets, keys, jewelry, etc. Or just as a colorful accent on a coffee table!

 

 

**Note: this paint is NOT food-safe! Please do not use it on dishes/items that you would serve food on/in.

There are two ways to “cure” this paint: the first is to let it air cure for 21 days; the second is to wait 48 hours, then place item(s) in a cold oven, set the temperature to 325-degrees, bake for 30 minutes, and allow to cool before removing. I intended to do the oven curing, but wound up letting them sit for 21 days.