Paint on a crate

From Designer DIY and DIY hacks - ideas and inspiration

Think of this project as an opportunity to paint mindfully.

Painting can be relaxing, and calming, a bit like an adult colouring book. Use your imagination and try a similar doodle-type of artwork on canvas, or paper. Background colours for this project are Resene Fountain Blue and Resene Pale Rose.

You will need

• 1 x plain timber crate (any size)
• Testpot and detail brushes
• Sandpaper/Electric sander
• Resene testpots in your chosen colours; Sarah chose Resene Rice Cake, Resene Gelato, Resene Reservoir and Resene Midnight Express.

Instructions

Top tip: Turn this into a family project and get the kids to help with their favourite colours and designs.

Step 1: Plain wooden crates are fairly easy to come by. You can purchase simple storage ones from places like Kmart, or you might have a rustic old drinks crate in the garage. Lightly sand the crate first and wipe clean. Remove splinters if you are bringing an old one inside.

Step 2: Choose four colours for your colour scheme. Sarah used Resene Rice Cake, Resene Gelato, Resene Reservoir and Resene Midnight Express.

Step 3: Paint bendy stripes all over the outside of the crate, and some on the inside too. I used Resene Rice Cake and Resene Gelato, using a testpot brush.

Step 4: Using all four colours apply lots of little doodles all over the crate. Think of it as much the same as scribbling on a piece of paper while you chat on the phone. Try polka dots, raindrops, zigzags and flowers. If you aren’t confident painting freehand, try stencils or use masking tape to help guide you. Use small detail brushes for this.

Think of this project as an opportunity to paint mindfully. Painting can be relaxing, and calming, a bit like an adult colouring book. Use your imagination and try a similar doodle-type of artwork on canvas, or paper. Background colours for this project are Resene Fountain Blue and Resene Pale Rose.