I am super stoked to share today that Project Nursery has added me to their team of DIY blog contributors! Their website is “the ultimate children’s design resource” with an engaging array of ideas for baby nursery design, children’s parties, and product reviews.
You won’t want to miss my debut post where I share the secrets of how to make your own custom stencil – come check it out!
Picture this: You’re standing in a store aisle, one kid tugging at your shirt complaining she’s starving, the other kid’s fiercely fighting the shopping cart buckle – screaming because you won’t hand over your iphone for him to play games. You just found a smokin’ deal on that thing you’ve been hunting for… but is it the right color?!
Do you know that color memory is actually one of the least reliable recalls we have?
Tired of buying home accessories only to end up returning them because they were slightly the wrong hue, I decided to put together a portable paint deck of all the colors I’ve used in our home. You can, too!
Buy large craft sticks – these can be found at Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc.
Using sturdy kitchen scissors, cut the sticks about 3.5″ long.
To ensure they are all the same length, use your first stick as a template to mark the rest.
Drill a hole 3/4″ down from the cut side. Even though mine are already painted, I’d recommend not painting them before drilling. That way, if one cracks, you haven’t wasted your time.
Again, use the first hole as a template to drill through the others. Drill holes in more sticks than you need. That way you can have “blanks” to easily paint new swatches as you continue adding color to rooms.
Gather your house colors and paint the stick ends on just one side. Do 2 coats for adequate coverage. Let dry.
Purchase metal binder rings. (found mine at Target)
Loop your painted sticks on and label the back sides for reference.
Smaller, regular-sized Popsicle sticks could work also. However, I found it more difficult to hand-write info on them.
You don’t have to be flustered by demanding kids to benefit from a personal portable paint deck! This baby stays tucked in my purse and has already saved me from a handful of wayward purchases.
The painting continues! When Handsome and I got to the stairwells, we were a little perplexed. Even with his 6’3″ height and an extension pole, how on earth do you cut in and finish spaces like this massively tall stairwell? Hire a painter at $30/hour? Rent scaffolding at $50/day?
After a quick YouTube search, a trip to Home Depot for a 2×6, and a neighbor’s borrowed extension ladder we were in business.
Step 1. Take photo of “before”. Laugh as 5-yr-old perfects her photo-bombing skills. Then firmly warn her not to mess with steps 2-6. (this step optional)
Step 2. Secure extension ladder feet against the stairs. If pushed tight against the back of the step it will not slip.
Step 3. Lean ladder against far wall and double check all ladder safety devices are set.
Step 4. Use a second step ladder on the top landing, keeping its feet a few inches back from the step edge!
Step 5. Lay one end of 2×6 lumber through the extension ladder. Double clamp the other end to the step ladder. We needed a 10ft board, but be sure to measure your distance to determine how long yours should be.
Step 6. CAREFULLY climb the extension ladder and walk the plank to finish the job. The contractor guy on YouTube said this was safe so that’s gotta be true, right?!
Our front zig-zag stairwell landings were too narrow to fully open the step ladder, but leaning it against the wall worked just as well.
This technique is NOT for the faint of heart or clumsy. I tried to research just how much weight a 2×6 can handle before it snaps, but had little success coming up with a concrete number. My girlish figure of 140lbs slightly bowed the beam and it did spring a little when I walked, but was no where near breaking and never felt unsafe. (Did I just tattle my weight for the world to know?! In the interest of safety… yes, yes I did.) Best to do a trial run very low to the ground before attempting this up high.
$7 for lumber and some sweat equity – that’s what I’m talkin’ about!
Now go forth and conquer those impossible spaces, my friends.
And if you missed any of the previous proper painting posts, you can find them all HERE.
Disclaimer: Please use extreme caution and common sense. I claim no responsibility for botched or mishandled plank walking!
Now that you’ve mastered painting perfect tapelines, it’s time to finish up. Painting a huge space can be a physically demanding task: squatting to roller the bottom, climbing ladders to roll the top. Here’s a few tips to minimize the pain of painting.
SUPPLIES
Grab what they call 6.5″ mini-rollers instead. These smaller frames and roller covers hold almost as much paint and they won’t have your arms screaming “uncle” after one wall. Choose the correct roller “nap” for the texture of your wall – more texture needs thicker nap.
• Ladder – preferably one with wide steps and a nice shelf. My lightweight 4′ Cosco has been my trusty assistant for a decade. I’m 5’6″ and can easily reach a 8′ ceiling from the top step.
AND if you’re military, don’t forget to ask Home Depot and Lowe’s for their 10% discount (they will even honor it for online purchases – just “live chat” with one of their specialists)!
Make sure all your “cutting in” is done with a brush before you start rolling (wall edges and inside corners). Click HERE if you missed the post on perfect tape lines.
Step 1. Remove all light switch and outlet covers. Please don’t just tape and paint around them – not only is it lazy, but it will cement that cover to the wall in a very unsightly manner.
Step 2. Fill the tray well with your color-du-jour. I like to steady my tray edge against the baseboard, too. I’m going rogue here and not using a dropcloth, but you may want to. Attach your roller to the handle extender. Evenly saturate the cover and roll off extra on the bumpy part of the tray.
Step 3. Working in 2ft columns, start at the bottom and paint your way to the top. Run the roller in an X-ing motion – opposing diagonal strokes – for the best coverage. Using the handle extension allows you the ability to paint the entire wall standing in one comfortable position. Since you already painted 2″ in from all the edges when you taped, you don’t have to worry about getting super close to the ceiling or baseboards.
Step 4. Continue making columns up, then down, until the whole wall is covered. I have never met a paint that didn’t need two coats (at least). Paint the first coat around the entire room and typically it will be dry enough to keep going with a second coat by the time you get back to your starting point. Enlisting a helper makes it twice as fast and fun.
Step 5. Wait about 8 hours before replacing the switch covers – you don’t want them to adhere to tacky paint. It’s not worth rinsing out roller covers and trays either… just toss ’em.
You’re done! Did anyone notice we didn’t use the ladder?! Hooray! Well, it is my favorite ladder and I forgot to mention it for taping (where you do need it), so I threw it in here. The quickest way to change the mood of a space is with a new wall color and now you know how to do it right.
Stay tuned for death defying acts of awesomeness in my painting impossible stairwells post…
I'm Hayley. Wife and mother by day, DIY enthusiast by night. Fueled by sweet tea and jelly beans, I own power tools and know how to use them. Consider yourself warned.
