Introduction: Giant Paint Chip Valentine
Time for a totally awesome, fairly inexpensive giant paint chip that doubles as a nice art piece and sweet photo backdrop!
***** Pictures are actually from a time lapse video of us creating this project******* For more info, photos and videos check out www.Handmakemyday.com
What You'll Need:
• Giant foam core board 8' by 4' - the thicker the better
• 1.5" wide painters tape - we used the blue stuff
• Ballpoint pen
• Your preferred message on printer paper. We used the "Giddy Up" font.
• Contact paper or craft paper for the giant heart template.
• Your preferred paint - we used Behr Premium Plus Ultra indoor with a satin finish in these colors: Pink Eraser, Cheery, Firecracker and Poinsettia.
• Paint rollers (for smooth surfaces)
• Small touch up brushes
• Jigsaw, hand saw or something that will cut foam cleanly. Hacksaw blades work well.
***** Pictures are actually from a time lapse video of us creating this project******* For more info, photos and videos check out www.Handmakemyday.com
What You'll Need:
• Giant foam core board 8' by 4' - the thicker the better
• 1.5" wide painters tape - we used the blue stuff
• Ballpoint pen
• Your preferred message on printer paper. We used the "Giddy Up" font.
• Contact paper or craft paper for the giant heart template.
• Your preferred paint - we used Behr Premium Plus Ultra indoor with a satin finish in these colors: Pink Eraser, Cheery, Firecracker and Poinsettia.
• Paint rollers (for smooth surfaces)
• Small touch up brushes
• Jigsaw, hand saw or something that will cut foam cleanly. Hacksaw blades work well.
Step 1: Set the Foam Up
Before you start you should grab a friend, colleague, partner or "lova" to help you.
• Set the foam up at a comfortable height so that you can easily reach across it.
• Next mark the foam at the edge at every 24" mark, this is the center line for your painters tape which will give you a white border between the paint chip colors.
• Lay the strips of tape across
• Set the foam up at a comfortable height so that you can easily reach across it.
• Next mark the foam at the edge at every 24" mark, this is the center line for your painters tape which will give you a white border between the paint chip colors.
• Lay the strips of tape across
Step 2: Embed the Lettering and Heart
• Place the lettering you printed out onto the foam face up and tape down the edges to prevent slippage.
• Take a medium point ball point pen or dull pencil and go over the lettering so that it leaves an indentation in the foam that you can later follow with a brush.
••• do not press too hard, you don't want to damage the foam, just indent it
• Take a medium point ball point pen or dull pencil and go over the lettering so that it leaves an indentation in the foam that you can later follow with a brush.
••• do not press too hard, you don't want to damage the foam, just indent it
Step 3: Outlining a Shape With Contact Paper
• Cut out your desired shape. We used contact paper to cut out halves of a heart and then taped it down to the foam to prevent slippage.
• Outline with a fine tip pen. Again, not pushing hard enough to damage the foam but just indent it.
• Outline with a fine tip pen. Again, not pushing hard enough to damage the foam but just indent it.
Step 4: Round Corners With High Speed Saw
To get a clean cut, I use a hack saw blade on a high speed jig saw.. there are devices that melt foam too but we don't have those!
• Round your edges off by marking the foam with a template then tracing the line with black felt tip.
• Using a high speed saw with a hack saw blade, cut the edges off for a nice rounded appearance.
•••• you don't need to be bald to do this.. that's just how it happened to work out for me.
• Round your edges off by marking the foam with a template then tracing the line with black felt tip.
• Using a high speed saw with a hack saw blade, cut the edges off for a nice rounded appearance.
•••• you don't need to be bald to do this.. that's just how it happened to work out for me.
Step 5: Paint
We selected a quart of Pink Eraser, Cheery, Firecracker and Poinsettia thinking we would need multiple coats but a smaller sample size would have worked just fine since we had the primer mixed into the colors.
• Use a smooth surface roller to apply generous amounts of paint and remember to do the edges. Using a brush on large areas causes uneven strokes and just seems to smear the paint around rather than apply it to the surface.
• Use a smooth surface roller to apply generous amounts of paint and remember to do the edges. Using a brush on large areas causes uneven strokes and just seems to smear the paint around rather than apply it to the surface.
Step 6: Adding the Details
• Let the paint set for 2-4 hours depending on your environment.
• Now add the details by hand painting over indented the words and design. We used a sponge brush for dashed lines and a thick rounded paint brush for the words.
•••• lazy dog not needed but great for team moral
• Now add the details by hand painting over indented the words and design. We used a sponge brush for dashed lines and a thick rounded paint brush for the words.
•••• lazy dog not needed but great for team moral
Step 7: Removing Tape
****Incorrectly Removing Tape Can Damage The Project***
• Before removing the tape, use a razor to score the paint between the tape and the painted sections. If this is not done, any paint touching the tape will rip unevenly causing it take chucks with it.
• Touch up and enjoy.
• Before removing the tape, use a razor to score the paint between the tape and the painted sections. If this is not done, any paint touching the tape will rip unevenly causing it take chucks with it.
• Touch up and enjoy.
Step 8: Take As Many Cheesy Photos As You Can!
