Mother’s Day is only three weeks away. You are aware of that, right? That means it’s time to get your bum in gear and come up with a gift for that nice lady who birthed you (or possibly the nice lady who birthed your children).
Last month I received a huge box of craft paint and painting supplies from Martha Stewart for Plaid and I was asked to use them to create a Mother’s Day project. Check out what they sent:
There were satin and glitter paints in twenty different colors, four packages of reusable stencils, a heat tool, stencil plastic and brushes of all sizes, shapes and purposes and a bunch of other stuff too. I completely freaked out when I opened it.
Hello, my darlings! Come to Mama!
The paints are beautiful and they come in all the wonderful colors you would expect from Martha’s crew, but what makes them really special is that they work on nearly any surface: wood, glass, metal, plastic and fabric. They’re indoor/outdoor too. All in one bottle!
Because I had barely any limitations, my mind started spinning with all the fun projects I could make. Finally, I focused on my mom and her interests. One of her passions in life is growing plants and flowers so I decided to head in that direction and make a painted flower pot.
Here’s what you’ll need for this project:
- Large plastic flower pots — I made two for a matched set
- Martha Stewart Crafts multi-surface satin paint in a variety of colors — The colors I used were green olive, carrot, raspberry ice, pool and habanero.
- Martha Stewart Crafts Four Seasons stencils
- Martha Stewart Crafts stencil tape
- Assorted Martha Stewart Crafts paint brushes — Mine were from the basic and large assorted brushes sets.
You’ll also need:
- Martha Stewart Crafts stencil adhesive spray
- Martha Stewart Crafts stencil brush
(I forgot these when I took my original supplies photo.)
Begin by painting stripes of different widths on the top and bottom sections of your pot. I had originally planned to use the stencil tape to get a crisp line, but the pots I bought had ridges on them so I decided to use them as a guide and paint my stripes free-hand. The edges of my lines came out a little wonky, but I kind of like them that way. If you’re a precision crafter, use the tape.
I found that I needed a minimum of two coats of paint to prevent the color of the pot from coming through. Some colors — especially the blue — needed a third or fourth layer of paint. Be sure to let the paint dry completely between layers.
Once your stripes are dry, it’s time to add the flowers. I used the hydrangea stencil. Or maybe it’s a dandelion? I have to admit that I’m not entirely sure what flower I put on my pots, but I like it so whatevs.
Lightly spray the back of your stencil with stencil adhesive then let it sit for a while until the stencil feels sticky but is no longer wet (more on that in a minute). Press the stencil onto your pot, taking care that the edges of your image are adhered tightly with no bubbles or gaps. This will give you a nice clean edge and will keep the paint from seeping underneath the stencil and feathering. (I learned this the hard way.) I also covered the nearby portions of the adjacent stencil images with stencil tape to keep the pot clean in case I got a little overzealous when it was time to start painting.
Lightly dab paint over the stencil with an up and down motion, rather than brushing it on. You’re better off doing multiple light coats than one thick one because the paint tends to collect on the edges of the template.
As you finish painting each flower, remove the stencil and reposition it. The adhesive will stay sticky for for three or four repositions after the initial one, so there’s no need to re-spray each time you move it. I alternated the paint colors on each flower, painting the three orange ones first and then circling back around and painting a red flower in the three empty spaces.
One problem I had was that the first time I pulled my stencils off after initially spraying them with the adhesive, it left a ton of sticky residue behind. I asked around a bit and the consensus was that I probably sprayed too much adhesive on the stencil and I didn’t let it dry long enough. (I am an impatient crafter.) So, be sure to use a light hand and let the stencil sit around 10-20 minutes before you use it. I easily removed the sticky residue by rubbing it gently with a paper towel with mineral spirits on it. I was nervous that this might smudge the paint, but it came right off and it didn’t affect the paint at all. Nice.
When you’ve finished all your painting, let the pot dry thoroughly and then plant some pretty flowers in it. I chose some bright orange marigolds to match the bright colors on the pot.
Finally, give it to your mom, along with a big smooch! (You might want to apologize for your teenage years while you’re at it.)
If you’re interested in seeing some of the other Mother’s Day projects created by the talented bloggers participating in this campaign, be sure to follow Plaid on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest. You will not be disappointed.
Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Plaid and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own. You will see how much I like the products I got in this goodie box as I show you the other things I’ve been making with them in the coming weeks.
