52 Projects has shown us the magic of spray paint!

Simple glass vases are easily transformed into lovely Striped Vases, perfect for a glowing tea light candle.

Rachel, of 52 Projects, was inspired to create these beauties after seeing a charming upcycled centerpiece created by Mark Montano.

Please click here to visit 52 Projects and see the instructions that we followed!

Reviewer #1 - Sheri

Mission: When I first saw this project I thought it was a cute way to vamp up your décor. It would also make a great centerpiece of a bridal shower or something similar. An easy way to incorporate your wedding colors.

Our pin brought me to 52 Projects, which then led me to Mike Montano’s Big-Ass Blog. Mike used yarn and Rachel of 52 Projects used twine. Either way, I think this one will be easy enough to pull off.

Details:

• I used twine like Rachel did because that was what I had on hand. I taped one end of the twine to the inside of the vase and then wrapped it all the way down the vase and taped the end to the bottom.
• Then I brought it outside (we finally had a night without crazy winds) and used Krylon spray-paint. I picked a metallic caramel color. Loved it! A great thing about the Krylon paint is that it only takes 10 minutes to dry.
• After the paint dried I removed the twine (see tips).
• A little tea light and voila!

Tips & Tricks Learned:

A little tip – DON’T use twine. The twine completely ruined the project. Little pieces are stuck in the paint. I have a feeling that yarn would do something similar. Try cooking string.

Pros:

It is really an easy and quick project to do.

Cons:

The smell of the Krylon paint. Definitely make sure you do it outdoors.

Conclusion:

I’m really disappointed that this didn’t come out how I envisioned it. That damn twine! It would have come out beautiful if I had used something else.

I loved the Krylon paint. It was super easy to use and comes in a great variety of colors which would be great for this project. Get some orange paint and really brighten up a room with some new/recycled décor.

This project seriously took me 15 minutes to do. You could definitely bang a bunch of them out for a party very quickly.

Reviewer #2 – Mandy

Mission: Make some cute new vases or “junk holders” without spending a ton of money.

Details:

• I found a cute shaped vase for $3 at the grocery store and took a cheap champagne glass I had in my cupboard.
• I used spray paint I had around but think it would be fun to get “wild” with bright, fun, trendy colors!
• I also tried to get creative and spray with two different colors on one vase. Fun idea, but read below for tips!

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Don’t overspray. I tend to go overboard with painting and started getting crazy.

On the vase I tried to spray with two colors, I started spraying too much, then had to fix (aka. Spray more of the other color) it. I went downstairs the following day to check out my creations and the vase was totally all chipped and the paint had fallen off.

Pros:

A cheap and easy way to use up those old, boring vases laying around and add a bit of color to your décor.

Cons:

Drippy paint that falls/chips off right away. Also, once you remove the rubber bands, the lines weren’t as clean as I had anticipated.

Conclusion:

Not for me. I love the idea, but it just didn’t work out the way I thought it would. I ended up with two things I’m not sure to do with… maybe it will wash off and I can try another craft. (Yay!)

Reviewer #3 – Sarah

Mission:  To utilize clear glass votives and make them even cuter.

Details:

• Glass votives (in place of vases)
• Twine
• Spray paint
• Surface/environment for spray painting
• Patience

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Make sure the link you go to has the full directions and follow them!

Pros:

My completed painted striped votives are pretty cute in their own right, even though they don’t look as intended…they do give off a darling glow

Cons:

I did not follow directions.

The smell of spray paint is never fun…especially when pregnant.

Conclusion:

Well, first of all – I did these ALL WRONG!!! I’m usually a good follower of directions, but with this project I had major issues! I believe I was supposed to paint the vases on the inside and use another type of spray paint on the outside (a frost), which is not at all what I did. I instead wrapped the outside with twine and then painted them with white spray paint on the outside. The end result was a similar effect, but definitely not as crisp and pretty.

Was super pumped for these as I was doing the project, then once I determined I did them all wrong, was a bit disappointed. The end result was a reflection of my poor direction following

The gorgeous shot of the Striped Tea Light Luminaries taken by 52 Projects

Balancing Home has shown us that a little spray paint can go a long way – turning undesirable items into fabulous and chic pieces of home decor that are sure to wow!  Check out the gems that we found, and sprayed to glam!

Please click here to visit Balancing Home to see the post that we followed!

Reviewer #1 - Maren

Mission:  To see if my little pink Buddha can be given new life with a few coats of paint!

Details:

• Martha Stewart High Gloss Multi Surface Craft Paint in Wedding Cake
• Martha Stewart Gloss Enamel Finish
• Craft Paint Brush

Tips & Tricks Learned:

I desperately wanted to use my new Martha paint… so I didn’t use a spray paint.  This would have been a bad idea had I not used the AMAZING Martha Stewart Gloss Enamel Finish to shellac my little Buddha man at the end.  The super glossy spray covered every brush mark and made my little buddha look incredibly chic!  Yay!

Pros:

Super easy and the result is so much fun!  I can’t wait to spray some more stuff!

Cons:

Non – I love this guy and this project!

Conclusion:

I love this project!  I love Martha’s craft paint and I can’t wait to transform more items from our home!  This gives me a whole new perspective when I see weird things at garage sales, or the Goodwill!  I am totally inspired!

 

 

Reviewer #2 – Mandy

Mission:  I love spray painting stuff and just bought a new home to decorate. “Old crap” to mod décor… here we come!

Details:

• Used random spray paints from Michaels.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

Find a spot where you won’t be permanently painting the driveway. Lay down lots of old newspaper or paper bags! Also, exercise some patience and don’t paint too many layers on before fully allowing the previous to dry.

Pros:

So easy! And so cute and economical!

Cons:

Messy. The paint is also hard to get to stick on some surfaces, resulting in flaking paint. I was finding myself having some issues with drippy paint streaks as well.

Conclusion:

It’s a lovely way to utilize the old, ugly stuff you were going to get rid of or throw away. I hate being wasteful and this is a fun way to revive that stuff.

 

 

Reviewer #3 - Kristy

Mission:  Paint can do wonders to change the look of furniture and accent pieces.  I have used spray paint once before on cabinet knobs so I was very interested in using it again for this project. I went shopping at the Goodwill and I found a couple of pieces I wanted to paint, but decided the best item was this gold plastic mirror frame.

Details:

• Picking out spray paint was a bit overwhelming with so many options….glossy, textured, flat, matte, metallic, etc.  I also noticed, each can was specific for the material it was be used on.  Since mine was plastic, I purchased a plastic friendly spray paint.  As for the color, I was considering a color but didn’t find one that I loved love so I went safe with glossy black.

•  Next step was protecting the mirror from the tape.  I used painters tape and newspaper to frame the perimeter of the frame.
• It was a windy day, so probably wasn’t the best day to do this project but I moved forward. My finance came supervise and informed me that I was applying the paint too thick.  Light and short sprays would have been better for the finish
• Finish project, let dry!
• Yikes, bubbles had formed on the edges of the frame.  Not too noticeable but depending on where I decide to hang the mirror, I may have to consider sanding the paint off and repaint.

Tips & Tricks Learned:

It’s easier to take the screws off the frame and detach the mirror if you are able to.  It’s easier than taping first…wish I had learned this first.  Thanks to my fiancé, I finally figured this up.

Don’t spray on a windy day…not sure if this is what caused the bubbles, but it could have potentially caused it.

Use short, light strokes for even finish!

Don’t forget to clean the surface, wipe it down!! This will help for a clean finish.

Hang to spray paint; I think it might have been easier to spray on more evenly.

Pros:

It was super simple! The taping was the hardest part, well most time consuming! 

Cons:

Bubbles, unsure of how it occurred.  Did some “googling”…it might be from the wind, heavy strokes or because I forgot to clean the surface!  Its just on the edges so it looks find from the front.

Conclusion:

Overall, the project was super easy.  I definitely will consider spray painting other objects but I will be bold and try more color next time!  This is a perfect way to transform an old piece to give it new life.  Giving a room a pop of color with a cool piece, can make all the difference!

Gorgeous shots of “Mr. Growl” taken by Balancing Home