Portable Painting Tote -- Get Organized!

While taking a tole painting class, I needed a system to keep my supplies portable but handy.
I purchased a plastic tote, which was originally sold for cleaning supplies. This is the type that has a handle in the middle and the sides are about 4 inches high. There are dividers down the center and on one side. The tote is about 14 inches long by 9 inches wide.

I placed the 2 oz bottles of paints I use the most often in this tote, along with a couple of soft clean rags to wipe my brushes, paper towels, 2 ceramic tiles for mixing colours, and my most frequently used brushes. I also carry paint extender and drying retarder.

The brushes are kept in a hard plastic pencil container that I bought at an office supply store. They are stored with the bristles up, so they don't get bent out of shape. I put an arrow on the container with an indelible marker so I don't store it upsidedown by mistake. I labeled the arrow "this end up".

I also keep a small empty pump spray bottle in the tote. This is filled with distilled water before I leave home, (the hard water around here can change colours over time).

I use this sprayer to keep the palette wet so paints don't dry out as I work (the tile is my mini palette), and to wet and thin down paint, so my colours stay true.

If you use water from your paint cleaning bucket, you will get muddy colours. If you try to use one bucket for cleaning and one for mixing, eventually the "clean" water will get dirty and so will your colours. You can also easily mix up the buckets and end up with two really dirty buckets of water.

I only use the distilled water from the spray bottle to thin down colours, and this way I avoid that problem and I can get better control over how much water is added to my paint.

Cleaning brushes;

I carry three empty plastic mini-bucket food containers (from deli salads) in a shopping bag for water, along with my current project. One is quite deep, I dump my dirty water into this one. The other two are my brush cleaning containers. I prewash in #1 to get most of the paint out, then dip into #2 to get the remainder out, and then wipe my brush off.

Another container with a tight lid holds my source of clean water. I only put about 1 inch of water into each bucket, and change it frequently. I find this more effective than using more water. I dump it out, and refill as often as I need to. My brushes are always clean between colours and I don't have a problem with colours getting muddy.

This portable system works so well for me that I continue to use it for my paints, even though I am done my classes. I can take them anywhere with me.

I store my extra paints inside see-thru plastic containers with hinged lids. They are about the size of a large shoebox. I have a dot of colour on each lid, like most people do, to tell at a glance which colour is in the bottle.

Several classmates liked my portable painting system so much they used it too. I use this system for water... [Read More]

storing 2 oz. paints

I don't have a lot of room for storage for the bottles of paint. I have found that spice racks hold them quite well. I find them at thrift stores and yard sales. They don't take up work space because they hang on the wall. It is easy to find the right color at a glance.

Hand Painted Greeting Cards

I recently discovered I am a pretty good painter! For Christmas this year, I hand painted all of my greeting cards. It was a wonderful experience that I enjoyed, and although it was time consuming ( about 1&1/2-2hrs.a card) I love the fact that my family and friends will receive a special and personal greeting card from my family! Also- my 8 year old son often admires my work, and joins in!! Debbie Peterson
Chicago Heights, Il.

paint bottles

I use a q-tip and put a dot of paint on the lid so that I can easily choose my colors.

paint cart

I have painted and taught painting for years, using the 2oz. bottles. I keep all my paints on a roll a bout round flower cart. It has two shelves and works wonderfully.

Puzzle Wreaths

I take old puzzle pieces and spray paint them according to season. I make a wreath shape out of them about three pieces high and glue them together. Then add a tiny bow to the front and away you go. You can use any colors, and make any size wreath. Mine are usually 3" to 4" across.
Dawn

Clothes Pin Bunny Ideas

I drilled very tiny holes through the ears, used three to make a necklace with a tiny painted wooden bead in between and ribbon and made necklaces...a huge hit...and one of those inexpensive and nice things to sell.

And if you paint him the other direction with pants painted on instead of ears, and dress the ladies with a small scrap of fabric and use larger clothes pins for adults, and cut paper raffia ribbon ears (creamy white with pink highlighting, you can make a cute little wreath with dried moss and the raffia bows...I used the 6 or 7 inch wreaths....Cute and nice at spring shows.

signs

I took small blackboards obtained at walmart I spray painted them a solid color then painted designs added things like bees etc from my scrapbooking supplies............i took foam letters....... small wooden letters painted em...... then did things like put on it ........... welcome to my home
or friends welcome here....... or god bless all who enter.......
added the family names like jim and sally etc
then sprayed clear acyrilic on all it put on back something to hang it with....... it was a big hit.

Keeping Paint Colors Available

I have a larg box that I use. I turn my paints upside down in it which displays the colors and aides with squeezing the paint out when I use it.

Potato Stamping

You will need:
Large potato
Pencil
Acrylic paints
Paint brush
Paper
Paper towels
Choose a large potato and clean it. Carefully cut the potato in half and pat it dry with a paper towel.
Using a pencil, draw an outline of the shape you would like to print on the cut surface of the potato. You can have a different pattern on each half. Simple shapes work best.
Carefully cut away the area that you do not want to print. Cut around the shape and then out to the sides so that the pieces come out.
Pat the surface dry again, then brush on some paint. Press the potato gently onto the paper so that it will not smudge.

Spraypainting sea shells

We all collect too many sea shells at the beach and we don't know what to do with them! We took some metallic gold spray paint and painted them. Add the gold or silver shells to a nice apothecary jar and you have a beautiful centerpiece!