I am a long time user of acrylic 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 how to use acrylic 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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Great tips. Thanks.
Thanks for the really useful tips for paint!! I know all these are really good,I am just bad in cleaning my paint brushes,,because I am tired & Lazy mostly!! Huh
Thank you for the great tips…I use this stuff pretty often too!
I want to thank you for this article – it’s very helpful! Acrylic paints are the only paints I use in my craft, so it’s good to know these things….thanks again!
great tips, Amy. I’ll definitely bookmark this page for my readers too!
One other thing I do to for brushes – I leave a little soap in the brush after cleaning, then shape with my fingers and allow to dry. The soap ‘holds’ a nice shape and brushes last a lot longer
I foumd this through Pinterest. Great ideas. I love your blog
http://barnyardchic.blogspot.com/
I can’t tell you how badly I needed this post. I aspire, someday, to suck considerably less at painting!
If you want to paint on plastic , what paint would you suggest ? I know they used to make a paint for plastic but has been discountinued . What would you use instead ?
Wonderful! Just in time for a DIY project of mine.
These are some good tips. I usually take a bit of the paint and coat the top of the cap for my paint swatch. It makes my colors easier to find too since I store them upright in a basket.
Thanks for the tips, sometimes acrylic paints can be a little tricky.
A jewelry blog.
http://www.houseofavandan.com
Awesome article. I found it on Pinterest.
great tips! one I do is store my bottles upside down. Doing this allows you to see the color and it keeps the top from becoming clogged with dry paint.
Works well for me!
I put a dot of paint on the lid of each new bottle after its first use and keep them all in a shallow, lidded plastic bin. I can just open it up and see all the lovely shades!
Thanks for the great tips! I’ve been painting with acrylics for several years naow and have a couple other tips that I’ve used and a possible solution for the painting on plastic issue.
First, I came across this tip years ago for and use it especially for an older bottle of paint that may have been sitting around for a while. Cut a small piece of nylons or panty hose, remove the cap from the bottle and stretch the material over the opening, then screw the cap back on over it. This will help filter out any blobs of paint that may have accumulated while sitting.
Second, for painting on plastic, I have basically “primed” my surface with some of the “Fusion” for plastic spray paint. Just be sure to use a matte or flat color. Then I painted directly over it with my acrylics. I did this on some plastic flower pots over ten years ago and they are still looking great. I didn’t even bother to seal them and they have been outside ever since.
Is it possible to paint a canvas with acrylic paint and use mod podge matte to seal it or would i have to get the spray paint to seal it?
Hi Anonymous! You can definitely do what you are suggesting. Good luck!
Any tips for painting a light color over a dark color? I just put sealer (Triple Thick) over a canvas painting and anywhere I had painted a light color over a dark color the dark color bled through. Thanks!
Hi Lindsay, What kind of paint are you using? Typically if the dark paint below is dry with acrylic, you should be able to paint on top with no problem.
Thanks, Amy! I was using acrylic and I did let it dry. Oh well…I’ll keep experimenting! Maybe I should try sealing with Mod Podge
Very useful tips….ill try to care for my brushes better in between projects because i already ruined one
, but thanks for the tips i use acrylics to paint my wooden jewelry!
i am about to embark on making a shabby chic wooden heart garland for my home, I would like to know whether i will still need a primer for the hearts, they are bought already cut – i will be painting them white and red.
thank you -
Karen, for something so small you don’t need to prep. Even if you have to paint several coats, it won’t take you long – so you COULD prep, but you don’t have to.
I used these paints when doing my teracotta pots. My granddaughters started with me at age 3, rather than any other paints, we use acrylics. And I use FINGERS, a child’s finger is perfect for flowers, etc. Pansies are beautiful. Taught the 9 yr old how to ‘clean the brush’ making puff flowers. We take the 4 inch terra pots, paint as a theme and add a Goodwill bought animal that matches paint. Donate to Relay for Life. Everyone wants something painted by a child! I seal all pots with any good brand of clear spray paint. Several layers when using for real plants on the steps. Every couple years reseal.
Can you mix acrylic paint with mod podge to create a colored glaze effect? I am thinking gold or silver paint… Also, have you ever mixed glitter with acrylic paint? Thanks!
Hi Dana! Yes you can definitely do that! and I haven’t mixed glitter with acrylic paint, but you’d probably have issues because the acrylic paint is opaque so it would cover up the glitter. But it’s worth trying!!
Hi Amy. I am starting to do my arts and crafts thing again. I was a girl scout troop leader for 7 years (in charge of “creativity”) many years ago. And while I swore off glitter and actually cringe at the very sight of it (;-), I never stopped “creating” things for myself. I am now venturing into the wonderful world of scrap booking and found tiny unfinished wood pieces like stars and clothespins. I am so glad I found you! Your tips are great as I have to paint these little treasures. My question: how can I paint them being they’re so small (1/2 – 3/4 inches) without messing them up! Can I dip them using tweezers? How can I dry them w/o screwing it up!? Help! Thanks for your help and a great site.
HI, I want to use acrylic paint to paint over a factory printed canvas then I am going to modpodge top it with a design from scrapbook paper and modpodge on top of the whole thing to seal it in good..my question is, can i just paint right over the print or to I need to primer it first?
Hi! It depends on how dark the print is. You can use paint, but primer might cover it faster if it’s dark – because primer has more pigment in it
thank you
I painted a beer mug with acrylics and was wondering if i could put a coat of modge podge gloss over it to seal and make it shiny?
Hi Anonymous! If you are wanting to drink out of it (and wash it), you’ll need to use Enamel paints and no Mod Podge. If it’s just decorative, the acrylic is fine, and you can use Mod Podge to make it glossy
Thanks for the tips. I’ve only got in contact with my ‘inner crafty’ the last couple of years! It has been a journey. My FYI is, I paint plastic pots with acrylic paint. Yep. I sand them first (I saw this online), with sand paper from Dollar General, then spray a clear,plastic primer and let dry.
I tried to paint a design on a wooden stool that had been spray painted with a satin finish acrylic. The craft paint didn’t give good coverage…and easily peels off like skin. Do I have to sand it down to bare wood and start over? Any suggestions? I really, really, want this project to work!
Hi Pam! Yes, there must have been something in the satin finish acrylic – not sure what paint was used, but yes, you’ll need to sand down. Not to bare wood, but to at least rough up the surface!
Thanks Amy, a little bit of sanding worked!
I found your blog through google trying to think of a way to “re-color” my heels. I don’t know why I purchased a pair of pink heels. It’s not really my style — maybe I got inspired from looking at someone’s fashion post and thought I could pull it off. I don’t know much about arts & crafts but I was wondering if you could help! My idea sounds like it’ll work in my head, but sometimes they don’t fall through like I planned. I was thinking to use acrylic paint, or some other type of paint, to re-color the leather on my heels black and then possibly using mod podge as a top coat. I don’t think it’s real leather or anything too special since the shoes were very inexpensive, $30 to be exact. I don’t want to leave them sitting in my room anymore collecting dust since they’re a very comfortable pair of shoes! Hopefully your crafty expertise can be of help!
It’s one of my favorite types of paint, because it is so versatile and can be used in many different ways to create many different styles of art.yes your tips are really great….
I am new at all of this type of crafting, but I have a project in mind and not sure how to proceed. I want to use a canvas and combine both scrapbooking paper and paint to design unique art work. In my mind, I mod podge the paper in place and then after that dries, paint designs, patterns, etc. around and across the canvas.
Does this sound correct? And if so, is the acrylic paint (Apple barrel, etc) the type paint I should use. If not what kind should I use.
Thanks for the in put!
Hi there! Yes, this would work – You can paint over Mod Podge when it’s completely dry. Acrylic paint will work (Apple Barrel, FolkArt, etc.). How fun!
I am wanting to decoupage a decorators table that I have and use it as a side table. The top is made of plywood. Do you recommend the acrylic pain to the surface first. I plan on using old wallpaper the size of the top of the table as a backdrop and then putting bright color paper flowers over the wallpaper. Just wanted your thoughts as to which way to go. Thanks
Hi Natalie! You don’t HAVE to use paint over plywood – but I always do. If you don’t, sand lightly and wipe away the dust. You don’t want there to be any coating and you want the surface to be smooth and clean.
Hi! I painted a plywood sign with acrylic paint, and I was wondering if I could use a clear polyurethane sealant over it, or if that would ruin it.
Thanks!
Hi Rachel! No, it will not ruin it. You should be fine
Okay, thanks!
Is it ok to add water to bottles of acrylic paint that is REALLY thick?
Hi Deb! Yes, I would
I’m decorating an old metal teapot using decoupage and acrylic craft paint. Can I thicken up the paint with mod podge so it adheres better and needs fewer coats?
Hi Catherine! You can use primer to do that – Mod Podge isn’t intended to be a paint thickener, and because it’s clear it won’t cover better.
Thank you, Amy!
Sorry to bug you again, but what kind or brand of primer should I look for? Thanks in advance!
Hi, was wondering why the acrylic paints (indoor/outdoor)8oz. Bottles become thinner in consistency over time? Why not thicker? Thank-you
Hi Tami – that is odd – I’m not sure. Are they separating? Are they acrylic?
I have a pair of metal earrings that are painted from Wal-Mart. The paint has come off of them so I am taking them back. I want to get a new pair and was wondering if I put Mod Podge on them before I wear them, will it keep the paint from coming off? Thanks for your help.
Hi Pamela! You could try it! Or you could try regular clear spray sealer, too