Do it yourself

I thought it was time we threw another project out there.

This time it’s something extra creative that demands you use your imagination and can be used to decorate any kind of space – be it a child’s room, teenagers’ room or living space. I picked up these wooden arrows while out and about and decided they would look so great with a bit of paint applied. First things first – supplies. To complete this project I used the following: Haymes Paint Sample Pots; Haymes Paint Designer Finishes Copper Paint (for a little sparkle); a Sequence can opener; and a Rokset artist brush set. You will be able to get these at your local paint store.

Now I want to clear something up before we proceed. I decided against undercoating these, as I knew I didn’t want to coat the whole surface, only pieces.

So I made the decision to just apply an extra top coat if necessary, luckily for me that two coats were enough. I also decided against sanding the arrows, as I liked the rough edges and thought they added character.

Lastly, I also decided against using tape for straight lines, again, I wanted an imperfect look. Otherwise, I would also recommend tape, sandpaper and undercoat for the best possible finish.

Now all that was required for this was for me to choose my colours and then to use my imagination to apply the paint in an interesting manner and create a look I was happy with. Selecting colours was fun in itself.

Haymes has a great range of colours to choose from.

I selected Haymes Mars, Surf Green and White.

I knew I wanted each arrow to be different and knew I wanted a geometric design on it, but otherwise I had no idea what was going to happen – which is part of the fun!

I started with one colour and just went from there.

My only real guideline was that all colours were balanced across the arrow and there wasn’t a stand-out of any kind.

I started off with just a few bits of each colour and then applied more if I thought necessary.

Once I was happy with the designs, I added some sparkle. I used the bottom end of a paintbrush to achieve dots and used the smallest artist brush for any lines.

Again, I just applied this until I was happy, nothing previously thought out.

Now if you aren’t comfortable free styling, then simply plan out your design using a grey lead pencil. Just be sure to use very light lines.

You don’t want grey lead bleeding through the paint.

I was really happy with these and think they look great! This sort of project can be made to suit any surroundings, you would just need to choose your colours appropriately and paint a design that suits the room.

In the end, just have fun! Kathleen Toohey Haymes Paintright Southbank