How to Paint Wood Crafts

Hand painted wood-crafts are beautiful, fun to create, and make great gifts. In addition, hand painted crafts are also inexpensive to make. All necessary items can be purchased at most craft supply stores or ordered online. The best part about painting wood-crafts is that anyone can easily create wonderful wood-crafts by following a few basic steps.

Things You'll Need

• Wood
• Wood Primer
• Wood-craft paint (acrylic paint is commonly used for small, ornamental wood-crafts)
• Wood sealant or varnish
• Paint brushes in many sizes
• Clean cloths and water for cleanup (if you are using water-based paints)
• Fine-grained sand paper

Instructions

How to Paint Woodcrafts

1. Prepare the wood for priming. If you are working with wood that has not already been sanded, you should sand it (by hand) before doing anything else. Use fine-grained sand paper to get the wood smooth so that the paint can be applied uniformly. Wipe the wood with a clean cloth to remove any remaining debris.If you want a rough-finish, you may skip this first step.

2. Apply primer to the wood, making sure to cover the entire surface, and allow the primer to dry. After the first coat is dry, add another coat of primer if necessary. Primers add extra protection to the wood and also allow paint to be applied more smoothly. Primers can be clear or colored. What kind of primer you should choose depends on what you are creating.

3. Paint the largest areas of the wood first (and all other areas that will be the same color) and allow paint to dry. If you are painting a wooden toy car, for instance, paint the body of the car first. After the paint has dried, you can determine if you’d like to apply another coat of paint. For small, indoor wood-crafts, one coat is usually sufficient.

4. Paint the smaller details using the smaller brushes and then set the painted wood in a safe area to allow paint to dry. If you are working with several colors in a small area, it is best to let a color dry before applying another color next to it.When the other painted area has been allowed to fully dry, it is easier to prevent time-consuming mistakes. If you accidentally get some paint (of another color) on the dry area, you can quickly dab the stray paint away with a dry cloth.If you are using a stencil for letters or designs, do these last after all other areas have fully dried.

5. Apply wood sealant (or varnish) and allow to dry. Sealants can be sprayed on or applied with a brush. Sealants protect paint from moisture and fading and come in glossy or matte finishes. If your finished piece will be exposed to sunlight, choose a UV resistant sealant.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose good quality brushes that don’t shed bristles

• Clean paint brushes soon after painting—don’t allow paint to dry on the brushes

• Always allow paint brushes to dry with the bristles pointing straight

• Sand wood in the direction of the wood grain or else you will not have a smooth finish

• If your wood-craft has removable parts, paint these separately and attach later

• Apply any primer or sealant in a well-ventilated area and away from flame

• Avoid prolonged skin contact with primer or sealant