POW! BANG! BOOM!!!
What a transformation and imagine my little boys faces when they saw their dreary old cabinets brought to life with all their favourite superheroes, mixed with vintage artwork. And, For those of you thinking you don’t have enough space, I can assure you that I completed these in my office (which has nearly room to swing a cat) to make sure it stayed a surprise gift.
To create something similar here’s what you’ll need:
*2 Paint Brushes
*Stencil brush or flat ended brush
*A roller (not a necessity but makes it easier)
*Print outs or wall paper design
*Blutac or similar
*Paints
*Varnish (I used polyurethane varnish, satin, clear).
*Large protective mat
*Lots of ventilation (e.g. open windows)
The cabinets I used were from ikea so free of stain or varnish and ready for painting if your cabinet has a finish on it, it would be best to rub it down first with some 80-120 grit glasspaper so that the paint adheres better.
Step 1: Painting
Prep the area, e.g. spread a large plastic sheet or bin bags over the floor and cover anything you don’t want splashed, allow the plastic to go 2 feet around the item to prevent drips and splashes on the floor; open any windows.
Apply 2 to 3 layers of thin paint over each surface. You’ll end up with a nicer finish using thin layers rather than 1 thick layer. I used the brush to paint all the awkward bits and corners and then the roller to paint the smooth flat surfaces. Allow the paint to dry fully between coats.
Top tips:
*Before using PVA or water based paints dip the brush or roller in water and squeeze out any excess. This will keep the paint at the end of your brush and it wont get sucked up to the handle.
*When you have temporarily finished wrap your brush or roller in cling film (saran wrap). This will keep the tool damp ready to pick up and use again in a few hours or the next day.
Step 2: Decorating
Apply your decoration, I bought a lovely wallpaper design with vintage comic book covers on it. I cut them out individually and stuck them in place with a mixture of 50/50 PVA and water. Wipe away any excess PVA that escapes with a damp cloth.
For the lettering I was lucky enough to print out my own stencils, however, you can free hand paint or download my JPEG here to make your own stencils. For a illustrator version send me an email and I’ll send it to you FOC.
Stencilling:
Blue-Tac (or similar) your stencils into place to keep them from moving. I also use blu-tac for the inside of the small letters rather than trying to fiddle about with small bits of stencil (see pics below). Using a stencil brush in a stippling motion, apply a small amount of paint at a time. The brush must be flat and you must dab it, not stroke it or the paint will seep under the stencil (too much paint on the brush will cause this as well). The white letters needed 2 coats and the red letters had a base coat of white and then 2 red. If like me you are adding a bright colour on top of a dark colour then apply a base coat first or mix some white into the paint this will help it cover better.
When I finished I just had to touch up some bleeds with the blue base colour paint , Allow to dry thoroughly. (I used a base coat of white under my read and some of it was showing when I removed the stencil so I went around the letters with a black permanent marker pen).
Step 3: Finishing
Choose your style of varnish e.g. Matte, Satin, Gloss (I used satin). Ensure you have lots of ventilation, this stuff stinks so I squeezed in a fan with my opened windows. Apply 2 thin coats on each surface. I applied 4 thin coats to the tops of the cabinets because my boys play rough and I know it’ll get lots of wear and tear. Again allow to dry thoroughly between coats.
I also added some little furry protective stickers to the bottom to stop the floor from getting marked.
Top Tips:
* Before using varnish dip the brush in white spirit and squeeze out any excess. This will keep the varnish at the end of your brush and it wont get sucked up to the handle.
*When you have temporarily finished wrap your brush in cling film (saran wrap). This will keep the tool damp ready to pick up and use again the next day.
*If the surface is slightly rough to touch, between coats give a light sanding with 800-1000 grit glass paper. This will leave you edge silky smooth.
Congrats!!! you’ve finished :)
Now stand back and watch your kids destroy it ;o
Christina x