How to Potato Print a Border

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

Rate: (1 Ratings)

Adding a border - elegant, whimsical or romantic - is one of the quickest and easiest ways to define a space or dress up a room.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • Acrylic Paints
  • Several Large Potatoes
  • Sharp Knife
  • Felt-tip Pens
  • Rulers

Step1
Choose the area you want to paint - around a door frame, or along the top of the wainscotting - and decide on a design.
Step2
Mark your border, if you wish. Use a yardstick or tape measure to mark the desired height. Then use a yardstick and chalk to join the marks to create a faint, easily removable line that runs all the way across the wall or around the room.
Step3
Cut off and discard 1/3 of a potato with one clean cut.
Step4
Rinse the flat surface of the potato and dry it on a paper towel.
Step5
Use a felt-tip pen to sketch your design on the flat surface.
Step6
Score about 1/2-inch deep along the lines and carefully cut away or scoop out the unwanted part.
Step7
Rinse and dry.
Step8
Pour a small amount of paint onto a smooth, flat surface such as a glass pie plate.
Step9
Stamp the potato gently onto the paint; then stamp it on the wall.
Step10
Use a ruler, held above or below so you don't smear the paint, to find your next target and repeat the process.

Tips & Warnings

  • Practice first. Use a quick, firm motion with no twist or slide to avoid smearing.
  • A border design can have several parts in different colors (for example, a quarter-moon in gold and a star in silver) but potato printing is a simple technique and works best with simple designs. If you want something more intricate, a stencil may be a better choice.
  • Potatoes are flat. If your walls are irregular, you would probably be better off with another technique such as sponge painting.

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eHow Article:  How to Potato Print a Border

eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Category: Home & Garden

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