It’s time for another Tool Tuesday. Today we are going to look at paint. There are several different kinds of paint and different finishes. I use paint almost every time I craft. I have my favorites and I can not wait to share them with you!

Paint Finishes

The first thing to look at is the finish of paint. When you are looking at the finishes of paint, it is helpful to think about what you would put on the walls of your house. What finish do you prefer? For my walls I like something easy to clean but for my craft projects I prefer a flat or matte finish.

Here is a great list of the different finishes of paint. For most projects I use a flat or matte finish paint. It has a rustic and vintage feel to it. Flat paint is thicker than most and covers very well. The only downside to it is that it is not easy to clean.

From there, the rest of the finishes can be cleaned and wiped down. The coverage is different though and will take more coats of paint to cover your projects. Depending on the brand, the paint can be hard to put on and get it to cover what you are painting.

It is hard to put glossy paint over the top of glossy paint. Most of the time you need to either sand down and clean a glossy surface before adding a glossy paint over the top of it. The other option is to use a primer paint. then go in with the glossy paint over that. Primer will also make sure what ever paint you put on with stick.

Brands of Paint

My all time favorite paint is Waverly Chalk Paint made by the company Plaid. It is sold at Walmart or online and is cheap. I use the White chalk paint as a primer on most of my projects. It makes ever other paint look brighter and cover better.

Waverly makes several different colors of chalk paint and also a few different waxes. I use the Antique Wax a lot. It can cover as a regular paint or you can water it down and it applies and gives the look of a stain without all the mess.

Let’s talk about some brands of acrylic paint. Apple Barrel makes a pretty good acrylic paint. It is cheap and there are some many colors to chose from. They are good paints for your money. I remember doing crafts with my mom as a kid and using Apple Barrel paints to do our projects. They have been around a long time.

Another brand of acrylic paint I am starting to use is by a company called Arteza. Their products are great quality. The paint is thick and covers most of the time with one coat which is great. I order this paint from Amazon but they also have their own website. Most of their products come in sets so you get lots of colors for your money.

Folk Art is another good company for paint. I really like their glitter and metallic paints. They are wonderful. I like that they have several shades of their metallic paints because that helps with blending when you are doing different techniques.

Most of these companies make several different finishes of paint so you have to first decide what you want your project to look like. Then from there pick your color of paint. The good thing is that most of these companies make small bottles of paint and they are reasonably priced so you can try a few different kinds.

This is just a small break down of paints. Do your research because all crafters are different and all have information to offer.

Thank you for joining me today. Please Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe!

Melissa McGuire

I want to thank everyone for checking out my 5 days of Halloween last week. I also should inform you that I tested positive for Covid about a week and a half ago and I was down for a good three days. I am feeling much better but my energy is still way down so I will do my best to get posts out on time. Thank you your patience and support! Now onto Tool Tuesday.

Welcome to another Tool Tuesday. You might be wondering why you are seeing pictures of stores for this week. Well we have to have places to get our tools at right? So I only saw it fitting to tell you about all the places I shop for all my crafting needs.

I get craft supplies from all kinds of places and it is not limited to just craft stores. Any store you walk into can have something you can craft with. For example, grocery stores have things like salt for snow or painting techniques, tin foil, parchment paper, wax paper, and any other number of things. A hardware store has wood and sandpaper along with all kinds of paint and brushes. The possibilities are endless.

Dollar Tree is a great place to get craft supplies from. Some stores have what is called a Crafters Corner and it is filled with different supplies. They now care paint, brushes, wood pieces, foam tape, glue sticks, canvases, glitter, stickers, felt, glue and more. Each season they are starting to get in wood pieces too for crafting. Mason jars are another great thing to find at Dollar Tree along with seasonal flowers. It is a one stop shop especially if you are on a budget!

Don’t get me wrong, I will still shop at craft stores because the have the best variety. With places like Hobby Lobby and Michael’s there is always a coupon to help with the cost which is great. They will have larger selection of the types of products you might be looking for. For example, if you are looking for acrylic paint, you will find several different brands, sizes, colors, and finishes. This is what makes craft stores great. They have things for all types of crafting.

Let’s talk about online shopping. You can shop Hobby Lobby and Michael’s online and have it shipped to you or the store and you pick it up. During Covid though I have used Amazon A LOT!! They have anything you could be looking for. It is easy and if you are a PRIME member, you get two day free shipping. I have notices though that a lot of the craft supplies are from China and I try to stick with U.S. based companies unless I’m in a pinch. Amazon is a great option though.

Paper Crafting

If you are a paper crafter like me, Hobby Lobby and Michael’s is great and all, but I want stuff that is different and paper that is a bit better quality. My favorite place to shop is Heroarts.com. They have great stamps and inks. I also like butterflyreflectionsink.com The lady carries a huge assortment of stamps and inks. Also a lot of patterned paper and tools. She does sales too from time to time. I am picky about what I buy to paper craft with, so these are two of my all time favorite places to get stuff from. I get a My Monthly Hero Kit every month from Hero Arts. It is the only company I have a subscription with because they are U.S. based and all around great company to deal with. That is how much I back the company.

Other Places

I am always on the lookout for things to craft with. Clearance from places like Kirkland, Rural King, and the At Home store are great ways to pick up stuff to redo at a cheap price. I also get things from Target and Walmart. Both carry great craft sections and the Target Play Ground has things all the time for DIY projects. Walmart is where I buy ALL my chalk paint because I believe it is the best paint for your money.

I hope this gives you an insight into the places I shop for my craft supplies. It is where I buy all my tools to show you for Tool Tuesday.

Thank you for joining me! Please Like, Share, Comment, and Subscribe!

Have a great week!

Melissa McGuire

This Tool Tuesday is all about paint brushes. Not this is a very basic look at paint brushes. I am not an expert at all. I use what I like for the different things that I paint. Honestly I did not really use most of my brushes for the mediums it says to use them for.

There other thing I will say is that I have gotten brushes from all over the place. Of course Hobby Lobby and other craft stores have all kinds of paint brushes but I also get them from Dollar Tree and Amazon. So lets take a look!

These brushes are flat and pretty short bristles. I use these for big paint projects. They cover a lot of surface area. These big brushes are also good for doing a big wash of color or getting water color paper wet.

These are smaller versions of the being ones we just looked at. They are small, square tipped brushes. Brushes like this are great for making stripes with paint. They are also great for getting close to lines.

Dome shaped brushes are next. This is a universal brush. They can be used for almost any kind of painting.

Chalk paint is the paint I use the most, and these are chalk paint brushes. They put a thick coat of paint on and do not leave a bunch of brush strokes behind. Chalk paint brushes are great for large areas.

The final brush we will look at are the most cost effective and can be used for just about any kind of painting. They are foam brushes. You can get lots in a pack and they come in several different sizes. I do not clean them, I just throw them away when I am done.

Here is a good paint brush trick for you. If you are applying more than one coat of paint, put you brush in a plastic bag and wrap the bristles up in it. This will keep moisture in the brush that way you do not have to wash it or throw it out and start with a new one when you are ready to put on the next coat of paint.

These brushes can be bought almost anywhere. I normally get mine at the craft stores and Amazon. Buy them at a price point you are comfortable with.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you found this information helpful. Please Like, Comment, Share, and Subscribe!

Have a great day!

Melissa McGuire