8 tips for how to use acrylic craft paint.

I am a long time user of craft paint. I pretty much paint every Mod Podge project before the Podge goes on, and I use it on projects that I don't Mod Podge as well. If I can get away with using acrylic, even on a furniture re-do, I will. Why? Because it's easy to use and it's non-toxic. It's inexpensive and clean up is simple.

I've been thinking about my most important tips for decorating a project with craft paint, and I thought I would share them. Hopefully these can help you, especially if you are making home decor projects that need to look fabulous. These are my top tips for using acrylic craft paint.

1. Choose the right type of paint and the right color. Make sure you read the bottle carefully while you are in the store as opposed to just throwing it in the basket. I know the acrylic paint aisle at the craft store has a ton of selection, but you need to look carefully because it's better than getting the wrong thing and making multiple trips. You should also look at the bottom of a bottle of paint to tell what the color is, rather than the label. While you are looking at the color through plastic, it's more accurate than the label color because it's the actual paint.

2. Prepare your surface thoroughly. I've found that good surface preparation can make a project. Not preparing a surface can break a project. Here is how you do it:

Wood – Sand smooth with fine grit sandpaper, wipe off sawdust.
Glass - Thoroughly wash in warm, soapy water to remove dirt, dust and grease film. Then rinse in warm water and let it dry.
Canvas – Wipe primed canvas clean; if unprimed, apply 2 coats of gesso primer or acrylic paint.
Plaster – Wipe clean with damp cloth.
Plastic – Clean with soap and water. You will need a special plastic paint though - "regular" acrylic paint doesn't stick to plastic.
Papier-Mâché – Wipe clean with damp cloth.
Terra Cotta – Wipe clean with damp cloth.
Tin – Wash with soap and water, then wipe with a white vinegar dampened cloth if it’s really dirty.

3. Use good quality brushes and take care of them. It's important to me to use soft natural bristle or taklon brushes. A cruddy brush will show brushstrokes or leave brush hairs in your project. I have wanted to throw a project across the room because I couldn't get a brush hair out of it - they are very elusive! Also, wash your brushes between projects and leave them to dry on a paper towel (use your fingers to shape them while they are wet). Well cared for brushes are worth the investment because they will last a long time. The same goes for rollers or sprayers. Don't scrimp and clean them up throughly afterwards.

4. Don't put too much paint on your brush. Paint should stay from the tip to the middle of the brush. It's better to go back and get more paint than to have a ton on the brush. Too much paint can make the brush go wacky and make the paint harder to apply (especially important for detail work). If you need to cover a bigger surface, get a larger brush or use a roller.

5. Consider priming, and definitely basecoat dark items with white. If you don't, you will spend a lot longer covering an item, and you may not get the adherence of paint or the brightness of color that you are looking for. I recommend using gesso or a highly pigmented white (like FolkArt Titanium White). Kilz is also great if you need a large amount of primer or a product that acts oil-based.

6. Keep water nearby so that you can add it to your brush frequently. Acrylic paint, when put on a palette, tends to dry out somewhat quickly. It's not THAT quickly, but it's enough that the paint could start drying while you are painting an item. Don't thin out the paint too much because you'll dull the color, but it's okay to dip your brush into the water and swirl it around into the paint to get it going again.

7. Use a sealer to finish. Acrylic paint has a somewhat chalky feel (well, depending on the finish) without a sealer applied. Some acrylic paints are Satin or Gloss and have a built-sealer, so then you won't have to add anything on top. If there is no built-in finish, I would use a clear acrylic spray or brush on sealer so that the surface doesn't scratch easily.

8. Make paint chips. Use cardstock to create "chips," or small squares that show the colors you have in your stash. That way you know what you have for the next project. Plus, you can take the chips to the store for home decor matching . . . rather than hoofing a table to the fabric store to get those curtains!

Plaid has a great painting education center with more tips and videos. Enjoy - and if there are more questions you have that I can answer, leave them in the comments. I'll do my best to help you.

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Choosing color with My Colortopia.

Choosing colors for anything can be a difficult proposition. Choosing the right color is important, especially in your decor and crafting projects - I mean, those are the things you are going to be looking at every single day. You want them to be pleasing and in the right combinations. I definitely do.

Glidden Paint has developed a new community called My Colortopia so that you can select colors with confidence. If you are overwhelmed by interior design decisions, head there immediately to get guidance, advice and inspiration. Several of my blogging friends are on The Colortopia Team (I'm so proud!). Anyhoo, My Colortopia is going to help you select your paint colors and tools as well as get your painting questions answered. It also builds confidence during the painting process. The fancy color tool is what helps you select the paint colors.

The cool part is that you can use your own image! Yay. I like to use my own inspiration to pick color palettes.

I uploaded an image of a really cool crocheted quilt that I like (courtesy of Etsy shop adikeren). Pick a section of the photo and it will give you some colors from the image. Ah! Blues. I likey.

You'll click on one of the colors in the middle, and it will give you a palette on the right. I'm loving that palette with the blue, cream and brown. So pretty.

There's yet another tool for you - the My Life, My Colors widget. You can use this tool to select interior decorating colors based on your personality and style. Go ahead and take the quiz below. It chose bright colors for me! Shocker.
I hope this helps you make more informed and personalized color decisions for your home. Once you get your home colors appropriate, then you can coordinate your craft project colors as well. Enjoy!

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Why you shouldn't make your own Mod Podge.

Photo courtesy of Cre8tive Designs

I get a lot of questions about homemade Mod Podge, and I've seen a lot of it on Pinterest recently, so I wanted to address with a blog post. Interestingly enough, I have been asked these questions for years. I should start by saying this is not a paid endorsement - no person or company asked me to post this, or even knows I'm doing it.

I just don't want you to be disappointed.

The truth is, I've gotten MANY e-mails from people (with pictures) asking why their photo/furniture/gift project is yellowing/flaking/peeling and what they can do. With further prompting, I find out that they made a glue concoction on their own by adding water.

Mod Podge is a step above craft glue in terms of the sealing properties. Mod Podge is glue, but it's also a sealer - and there are varnishes, etc. in the formula that don't exist in craft glues. The bonding properties of Mod Podge are way stronger than that of (most) craft or school glues. Long story short, the ingredients in Mod Podge are not the same as craft glue, and in 99% of cases are superior. That is why Mod Podge costs more than craft glue.

And that is why it lasts longer and is more durable on projects.

A lot of the homemade recipes take craft glue and dilute it with water, which is just about the worst thing you can do to make a decoupage medium of any sort. You're taking a glue that is inferior to decoupage medium and made it even thinner by adding water. This is why I receive pictures all the time of ruined furniture or home decor items that didn't last more than a few years before the paper started peeling off or yellowing BADLY. In the short term, the projects might seem okay, but over the years, the projects go down the toilet. And then I get very sad e-mails.

Decoupage medium is more expensive than glue, but you'll notice on the glue aisle of any craft store that there is a wide range of pricing depending on what the specific glue does. The more specialty the application, the more it's going to cost. Mod Podge might be more expensive than glue and water, but the 8 oz. bottle lasts a long time, and you can always use a 40% coupon (do an online search to find them). Of course I think it's worth it - but I also have the proof: jewelry, home decor items and furniture that have been around for years and still look as great as the day they were made. I hope this helps.

I'm always available for questions, by the way. Just send me at e-mail: modpodgerocks at gmail.

If you're a newbie or can't figure out how to get rid of wrinkles, check out my learn-how videos.

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Painting the perfect stripe.

Let's face it - painting the perfect stripe isn't easy.  Even with painter's tape.  You are probably wondering what Mod Podge has to do with painting stripes, which is what I thought when I first found the post on Landee See, Landee Do.  But Landee has two great ways to paint stripes, and Mod Podge is used in the #1 method.  It's brilliant and Landee is amazing for thinking of it.  Visit here for the full details.

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Tips on tutorial writing from Craftytips.com.

Photo by Flickr user Stefani Woods

Hey Podgers! Michele from Craftytips.com and Blog About Crafts is here to share with you some of her favorite tips on tutorial writing. If you are new to blogging or just haven't done a tutorial yet, take a peek. Oh, and to Michele - you rock!
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Many of us take great pleasure in sharing our latest craft creations and explaining how we made them. It makes my day whenever someone drops me a line about one of my tutorials and shares what they made from one of my designs. Mod Podge Rocks is a true celebration of that wonderful sharing spirit among crafters and I am so excited that Amy invited me to be a small part of it!


I do apologize for my little friend; he’s a bit loyal and just loves his toothpick sized protest sign. I’m Michele and I love to crochet tiny little bears and other wee things. I’m the owner of Crafty Tips. If you haven’t been before, it’s a fun and free website where crafters share their websites and blogs along with their favorite crafting tips.

I talk about Crafty Tips, my two other crafting websites, the business of crafting, selling crafts online and just about anything related to crafts that I find interesting on my blog entitled Blog About Crafts. In my “day job” I offer writing and marketing services to small and medium-sized businesses to help build their online presence. It’s the absolute coolest thing to help someone build or expand their business and
rediscover why they started it in the first place. I truly love what I do.

Amy and I talked via e-mail several times about what I could write about as a guest poster. As much as my little wooden card box is sitting within arm’s reach and just screaming to be cleverly Mod Podged, I’ve not worked (yet) with her medium of choice and wasn’t sure what would be a good topic to write about.

Whether you are selling your hand-made items online and/or a fellow blogger who is generously sharing your designs with others; I thought it might be useful to talk about things we can all do to make our tutorials better and easier to understand. After all, we’ve all faced the headache that often follows those three little words, “some assembly required.” Sometimes I wonder why they just don’t put on those instruction sheets “and then a miracle occurs” and be done with it.

Great project tutorials don’t require having award-winning writing and photography skills. Tutorial writing isn’t about perfect grade A+ grammar either. Tutorials should answer three basic questions for your readers – “Why do I want to make this whiz-bang thingamabob?”, “How hard and time-consuming is it to make this awesome thing I’ve just decided I can’t live without?” and “Can I follow the instructions and successfully make this thingamabob?”

To me, the first answers come from a photograph or two of the finished item. Unless the project is a mystery craft-along where the instructions are dribbled out over a period of time, I’m not going to blindly invest my time and deplete my crafty stash on an unknown project. After reviewing thousands of websites for inclusion in my site Crafty Tips Arts and Crafts Directory, I’ve found that most stolen craft-related content is presented without pictures. With that in mind, why would you want anyone thinking your latest creation might actually belong to someone else?

It’s also helpful to label projects as beginner, advanced or somewhere in between. While I might give an intermediate or advanced crochet project a try, it’s doubtful I’d do more than admire a quilting project that required advanced skills. While not everyone defines being an expert the same way, such a designation may prevent someone from expending time and materials on a project they simply aren’t ready for.

Don’t assume everyone defines terms the same way or is even familiar with those terms in the first place. It’s better to include too much detail than to frustrate your readers or even worse, force them to look elsewhere to find help with your instructions.

Take the time to explain what equipment you are using. If you are brushing Mod Podge onto your project, please tell your readers what sort of brush you are using. Can a hard-bristled, cheapo children’s watercolor brush be used or does your project require a foam or natural bristle brush? Don’t assume that just because you have a picture that your site visitor will notice and realize they should only use a foam brush or other quality brush. And don’t assume that they are frequent visitors of Mod Podge Rocks and know all about using Mod Podge. It might seem like common sense not to use one of those cheapo brushes when putting on a finish coat, but a true beginner may not know that.

It also helps if you number each step. That way if someone has questions or suggestions, they can let you know what part of your instructions they are talking about.

One last suggestion is about branding and name recognition. Always scatter your site’s name in at least two or three places within your tutorial. It helps remind people where they are and if they should print your tutorial, they always know where it came from. Mentioning your site’s name helps with search engine optimization and also adds a small layer of protection against someone reposting your entire tutorial without permission.

I’ve enjoyed working with Amy and hope you found my suggestions on tutorial writing helpful. Happy crafting!

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Because I'm fond of a great giveaway.

Before I blogged and when I was just reading them, I never entered any giveaways because I thought I never had a chance. After I started blogging was when I realized how wonderful giveaways are, and I even won a few . . . then I started hosting them and that was even more fun!

Just a little tip - if you want to know about great giveaways, visit Today's Give Away. The site promotes work-at-home moms (bonus) AND has 5-6 new giveaways each week. Another great feature is that you can list your own giveaway by e-mailing todaysgiveaway(at)gmail.com. Now get out there and win! I just love free stuff. I really do.

Oh, and come back next Sunday for . . . drum roll . . . another fun giveaway I'm hosting.

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How to ship a project that has been Podged.

Poor Jaime. She sent this very cute present to a friend:

When it arrived, this had happened:
I call it "ModPodgus Stickitus." Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done to fix this condition once the damage has been done. So let me tell you how to prevent it in the future.

-When you send, pack, transport or in any other way move something with Mod Podge, you should use an acrylic sealer to protect it. You never know what the conditions will be (could be really HOT on the truck shipping your project) - the Mod Podge could get tacky very easily. Use any acrylic sealer, but I recommend Patricia Nimock's sealers because they are affordable and won't yellow. You can get them from Michaels and other craft stores.
-A little trick I learned from professionals is to put some Glad Press N' Seal around the project before packing. For whatever reason, it won't stick, which is awesome.

Keep in mind that the rules above apply when stacking Mod Podge projects in your closet or in any way putting them in close contact with each other. The Gloss formulas *will* stick if it's not sealed.

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Mod Podge formula guide.

Photo illustration by Kate Bingaman-Burt

"WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MOD PODGE FORMULAS?"

You've asked it in a few different ways, but the basic question is the same. I'm ready to explain to you - so let's do this thing. And in case you are wondering if you should make your own Mod Podge, the answer is no. Here's why.

#1 thing to remember: All Mod Podge formulas are essentially the same in that they can all do three things. They are all good for gluing, sealing and finishing. The finish or use may be different, but they are all capable of those three things. Don't forget that. Now read on.

Classic Mod Podge: There are 2 formulas that fall under this umbrella: Gloss and Matte. When Mod Podge was developed over 40 years ago, it was started with these two. The only difference between these two is the finish that results when it's dry. That's it.
Gloss - Shiny finish.
Matte - Non-shiny finish.
With Gloss I typically hear, "after it's dry, it's sticky." Sometimes I hear that about Matte too. There's a very simple solution: spray with several coats of a clear acrylic sealer and you'll be fine. Stickiness be gone! Extra protection too.
Result: great for all types of projects and most surfaces. This is your all-around Mod Podge.

Okay. Now after the two classics were born, the Mod Podge people thought, "What if we developed Mod Podge in different formulas - for specific needs?" So they did. They kept the two classics around, so if you notice that some of these properties overlap with those two classic formulas, you are correct. But think about it - can you really get rid of the original formulas? No way.

Satin Mod Podge: This is the same as as the two classic formulas, but the finish is satin. What is a satin finish, you ask? It gives a lustrous, soft appearance somewhere between a matte and gloss. Because it is oh-so-slightly frosted, it shows scratches less than matte or gloss.
Result: great for projects where you want a non-glossy, soft appearance that wears well.

Hard Coat Mod Podge: This formula was specially developed for furniture and other functional pieces. Provides extra protection for projects that are frequently used and handled. It has a satin finish - see above and you'll understand why. It doesn't show the scratches like the matte or gloss!
Result: perfect for furniture. It's the ultimate durable Mod Podge finish.

Fabric Mod Podge: It's not just wood or paper that people like to decoupage - it's fabric too! Not only that, you know I love to decoupage fabric TO other surfaces. This formula does both. You can decoupage things to fabric with it, and you can prepare fabric for decoupaging to surfaces by lightly brushing on and allowing to dry before cutting. It eliminates fraying.
Result: Use to prepare fabric for decoupaging to surfaces and for decoupaging things onto fabric.

Paper Mod Podge: A lot of people are confused by this one - can't regular Mod Podge be used for paper. YES! Here's the thing though: the Mod Podge people realized that there is a group out there that do more advanced paper projects; scrapbooking to be specific. These people like their projects to be archival, and that means they want their glues to be as well.
Result: Archival quality, keeps photos and papers from yellowing, and extends the life of scrapbooking projects. Comes in a gloss and matte finish.

Outdoor Mod Podge: decoupage + stuff that goes outdoors. . . . = Outdoor Mod Podge? Yes! Protects your decoupage project from moisture and the elements. Great for clay pots.
Result: Pretty simple. Anything you decoupage that you want to sit outside. I recommend also sealing with an outdoor sealer for added durability.

Sparkle & Glitter Mod Podge: Did you know there are Mod Podge with sparkles and glitter already in them? Yes. All three of these are in a gloss Mod Podge base. Use several coats for more sparkle and shine.
Sparkle - hologram glitter pieces (rainbow effect)
Silver Glitter - silver glitter pieces
Gold Glitter - gold glitter pieces
Result: Adds glitz to your project - choose the above "shparkle" that works the best for what you are doing. Note that the glitters show up great on dark surfaces.

Shimmer Mod Podge: Mod Podge is great for holiday projects, and so from this the shimmers were born. I would say these are definitely "specialty" - meaning, the shimmer they provide is not for everyone. However, if you like shimmer and shine, and you love pretty metallic projects, these are for you. It's basically a metallic sheen in the two following colors. The base is glossy.
Silver - silver luster
Gold - gold luster
Result: A metallic sheen to your projects. Note that if you have a pattern on your surface, the shimmers will cover it a little bit.

Glow-in-the-Dark Mod Podge: Exactly what it sounds like. It's the gloss Mod Podge with crushed fireflies! Kidding. Anyway, you'll need to apply several coats for the best glowing effect. I love this stuff for kids' project and my favoritest holiday in the world, Halloween.

Result: You can't really see the finish, but it glows-in-the-dark! Expose to light to recharge.

That should cover it! I want to let you know, as a final word, that ALL Mod Podge is self-sealing. You don't have to spray it with acrylic sealer. I sometimes recommend it, but that is only for added durability beyond what Mod Podge already offers. If something is going to get used frequently and beat up, then you should also spray seal.

Please e-mail me with any questions - if it's a very good point then I will update this entry. Looking forward to hearing feedback!

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A wordle - and a solution for Mod Podge tackiness. Or stickiness if you like that term better.

If you haven't been to Wordle, you have to go there. Why? Because you can waste hours. Wow, that was embarrassing. I just told you that I wasted hours creating a blog Wordle. Awesome.

The real intention for this blog entry is to share with you a tip that I hope you value. Before I share this tip, I would like to thank (in addition to the Academy), my friends Patty and Holli, who have taught me everything I know about Mod Podge. Including this tip.

Problem: You've finished your Mod Podge project, it's dried, and it feels tacky. Sticky.

Solution: Purchase a clear acrylic sealer such as this one or this one. When you are done with your project, allow it to dry for time recommended (about 24 hours after the last coat). Spray a coat of sealer, allow to dry for 15 minutes, then spray another coat.

SPECIAL NOTE for furniture. I highly recommend Hard Coat Mod Podge. It's not tacky, because of the satin finish. It's basically a tougher Mod Podge, hence the slightly higher price. If you want a gloss finish, I suggest using the Hard Coat and then spraying a gloss sealer over it.

I hope this helps. Okay, back to creating another Wordle!

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Decoupage Pink Damask Bunnies. They exist!

Kimba of A Soft Place to Land learned to Mod Podge!  Not only are you going to love her bunny, but you are going to love her.  Her blog is very fun and creative.  If you are a beginning Mod Podger, please read her post about her Mod Podge problems and then the comments that the readers post to help her.  They are kind of great - and by that, I mean both the readers AND the solutions.

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Design elements and inspiration.

You've asked - where can I get the "stuff" with which to decoupage? And I'm not talking about the medium. I'm referring to the pictures, the clip art - the goodies to put on your project! You have the surface, and you have the Mod Podge, but what do you do? Of course, I have a few suggestions.

Clipart.com is the first one. You need to go there NOW. You'll find anything and everything that you want to decoupage to a surface. Birds, buttons, dogs, animals, ocean, cars, nature. . . you won't believe the huge library of images that they have. You can search through filters, so the nice thing is if you want just black and white, you can specify that. The subscription is $14.95 for one week, so I suggest searching for everything you need, preparing a list, and then downloading all at once. This is the kind of thing you can do with clip art, via www.marthastewart.com:

Isn't it loverly?

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The greatest tip re: wrinkle reduction!

One of the biggest issues I have come across in my decoupage projects is wrinkles. . . you know what I'm talking about. The paper is bubbly. And unattractive. It goes something like this -

PROBLEM: You got those terrible little bubbles and wrinkles in your paper. And they didn't go away when the project dried.

SOLUTION: There are three parts - three options of things you can do to avoid this problem. Here we go.

Part A - Spray your paper with this. You can really use any acrylic sealer, but this one is my favorite. Spray both sides of the paper SEVERAL times and allow to dry. What happens is the sealers acts as a makeshift barrier, so that the surface of the paper gets glued, but the glue doesn't soak all the way through the fibers and make a soggy mess (thereby causing the dreaded wrinkles).

Part B - You can mist the paper with water. This is especially important with thinner papers. I've never had success with really thin papers unless I've misted them with water (NOT soaked) and then also used a roller. Don't roll over the top too much though, or you will start to wear the paper away - since it's wet.

Part C - Allow the paper to dry to the surface BEFORE Mod Podging over it. Let me explain. You MUST apply enough Mod Podge to either the project surface or the paper back. I get that question a lot, actually. It doesn't matter what you do, just make sure that you apply a medium layer - not too thin. Apply the paper to the project surface and SMOOTH THOROUGHLY with your fingers or a brayer. Allow this to dry for 15 - 20 minutes and THEN go back and Mod Podge over it to seal.

NOTE: Tissue paper is going to wrinkle. It's just going to. It's part of the fancy effect.

For more information and to see great videos with some tips, visit youtube.com/modpodgerocks.

Now get Podging!

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