How to Hand Paint Pictures on Furniture

Enamels can be used on wood, metal or glass.

Hand painting pictures on furniture can create a warm, personalized look. You can add accents such as butterflies and flowers to a little girls' bedroom, fruits and vegetables to your kitchen table, or moons and stars to a baby crib. Your careful painting can add charm and interest to what might otherwise be a drab table or chair.

Things You'll Need

• Enamel primer
• Enamel paint
• Paintbrushes of all sizes
• Paint thinner
• Palette
• Old rags

Instructions

1. Choose a design for the piece of furniture you wish to paint. You may choose to stencil the design or freehand the painting.

2. Pour the colors you will use into the palette, mixing some if necessary.

3. Paint your design on the furniture of your choosing.

4. Allow the painting to dry. Enamel paints do not require wood furniture to be sanded, nor do they require stripping of coated metal furniture. Because they dry with a hard, glossy finish, they also require no finish.

Tips & Warnings

• Use small paintbrushes to create details and larger paintbrushes to create swaths of color.

• Use the paint thinner to create a translucent look where appropriate.

• Keep a rag on hand to wipe up spills immediately.

• Make sure the room where you do your work is well-ventilated. The fumes from the paints can be harmful to you.

• Call poison control immediately if paint is ingested or gets into your eyes.

References

• Testors: Model and Hobby