Painting craft things advice.

[Rosendula]

I've just come back to the top to say that below is my life story. I didn't mean to write my life story, only to ask a simple question, but now I've written it I can't bring myself to delete it, so I've made the question bold. Feel free to scro-o-oll down....

I'm doing a craft thing! Me!! Well, I shouldn't be suprised really. I did Art O-Level and began A-Level at school (left half way through). I never thought I was any good at it, but it was so-o therapeutic and just what I needed at the time - the ability to lose myself in something and just switch off from boyfriend/sister/parent problems. One of the reasons I wasn't any good was because I didn't have an imagination. I had to be told what to do and couldn't think of anything for myself. Well, that was me all over back then. I'd never been allowed to think for myself when I was younger, so when I was allowed in this one and only situation, I didn't know how and needed instruction. I was also totally uninspired by anything

These days, it's all changed. Katie has just turned 3 (today), and is such a little artist and (I know everyone says this), she seems to be quite advanced in this area for her age. She's been drawing faces since she was 22 months, and has recently made and painted her own binocculars using loo roll tubes and wool, with no help from anyone other than the advice to leave the glue to dry. So we've allocated a few small drawers to arts and crafts and are stocking up on things she can use. Well, my fingers started twitching at this point. I really wanted to do something but didn't know what.

Another day, I was tearing up egg boxes to put them on the compost heap (tried Freecycling them, but only got one reply and she didn't turn up). I suddenly started craving a soft-boiled egg, and I don't possess an egg cup (because we don't like soft-boiled eggs usually). So, there we have it. I'm using an old egg box to make a few egg cups. I've coated them in glue to prime them, and I've just painted them black. I want to paint on some bright coloured flowers when it's dry but I'm worried the colours will smear with the black. Will they? Won't they? Should I cover the black paint with more glue and wait for that to dry, then put on the bright paint, dry then 'varnish' with glue? I've never done anything like this before, so I really don't want to ruin it with my ignorance.

[StripyPixieSocks]

Need to know what paint you used... unless I skipped it in the other bits (sorry... my eyes are a bit tired)

Acrylics won't smudge but will definitely melt if you put a hot egg in them
Poster paint will smudge
Enamel is about the only thing I could think of that wouldn't smudge or be effected by the heat
Glue will melt as well with heat meaning the paint will just pull right off

I'll have a think and see if I can come back with some better help tomorrow!

[Rosendula]

Thanks SPS, I never thought about the heat thing. TBH, the soft-boiled egg craving has passed anyway, but I'm still making them for when I'm baking. I keep the eggs at the other side of the kitchen to where I normally work and only bring over as many as I need, rather than the full box. On a few occasions have managed to catch an egg as it rolls of the work surface. It's only a matter of time before one splats on the floor. I've been very lucky so far. So I'm making them anyway, to hold cold eggs safely.

I'm just using Katie's kiddie bottles of paint, which don't mention the type, but I assume they are poster paints. They're water based, and it just says on the bottle 'ready mixed paint'. So I guess it's a case of covering the black with glue before applying colour, etc., etc.?

Even if they're not suitable for using 'properly', I could give them to Katie to use as egg cups for her plastic eggs, so they won't go to waste.

[invisiblepiper]

Hi - well dried acrylic paint won't melt with an egg - unless you have painted it relly thickly.
We use dried paint for jewellery and its fine with long contact and body heat.
You can also use acrylic varnish - but its expensive - £7 a can - and its a spray can - which you may not want to use 'cos of the environment.

As well as painting - you can collage things such as magazine cuttings and old clourful stamps onto the cartons - then 'glue'varnish them - its very effective!

[Rosendula]

Thanks IP. The collage thing sounds good. I painted them black last night, but this morning when I looked they had dried a kind of grey mottled look which is not what I was after. Obviously I haven't a clue what I'm doing but it's just for fun, nothing serious. I'll try the collage and ask Katie to help me choose pictures.

[Helsbells]

i Rosendula,

You could try varnishing them with normal wood varnish (not sure if this in environmental) it will protect them from heat etc, and you should even be able to wipe them with a wet cloth if they get dirty. As for the paints mixing together, you should be able to paint over the top, but you might have to do it a thin layer at a time and letting it dry inbeween. As you are using waterbased paint you dont want the water in the new layer of paint to moisten up the black layer which would cause it to smudge.
You have probably already sorted this out by now already, I am interested to know how you have got on?

[Rosendula]

Hi Helen,
Thanks for the ideas and no, it's not too late. I haven't got any further on with them - too much seed sowing, hoeing and watering to do
I'll get there in the end, even if it takes me a full year