Paint an easel

Update a worn out old kid’s easel with some texture, bright pink paint and a magnetic blackboard twist!

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 05

Finished project

You will need

• Assorted loose buttons or similar stick on items
• White rope
• Detail brush, testpot brush, painter’s tape for masking, sandpaper and superglue
• Resene Blackboard Paint (black)
• Resene Lustacryl in Resene Colour Me Pink (from the Resene KidzColour range)
• Resene Magnetic Magic paint
• Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat

Tips and tricks: Kids will have so much fun using their easel for magnets and chalk drawing! This easel has a bulldog clip on one side to hold sheets of paper for non-chalk masterpieces too. It would be easy to add one to yours using a magnetic strip or some superglue.

Instructions

Step one: Prepare your item for painting by giving it a thorough clean and sand. Remember to sand all surfaces, even the ones underneath that you might not consider necessary. It is important to prepare all surfaces for painting so you get the best finish.

Step two: Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry primer and wait for it to dry completely.

Step three: Apply three coats of Resene Magnetic Magic paint to the drawing area of the easel, waiting until each coat is completely dry before applying the next. The more coats you apply (the thicker the coating), the stronger the magnetic effect! Always test your magnets once the Resene Magnetic Magic is dry to make sure they stick well before applying any topcoats.

Step four: Once the magnetic paint is dry, apply the Resene Blackboard Paint over the top. This means your easel can be used for both magnets and chalk! Cool! Apply two coats of Resene Blackboard Paint.

Step five: For a fun bit of texture, glue buttons around the outside frame of the blackboard. Use superglue to stick them on and wait for them to set. Once glued on, apply a coat of primer to the buttons with a detail brush.

Step six: Apply your topcoat colour to the entire easel. Resene Colour Me Pink was chosen for this project because it was bright and fun! You will need to apply two coats, taking extra care as you paint over the buttons so you don't get drips.

Step seven: This easel didn't have any way of staying standing up. To make it freestanding drill holes in the legs and thread through some general purpose rope to support the legs.

Step eight: Add a few fake flowers at the end just for fun.