Just the other day I received a box of multi-surface satin Americana paints from DecoArt. I was so excited to try them out on different surfaces so I grabbed up a few things from my studio including cork and screen mesh. I am ready to share three easy peasy back to school hand painted decor ideas in this post and hope you are inspired to try one or all of them! This post is sponsored by DecoArt but the ideas and opinions are my own.
To create the screen mesh apple garland, you will need a few things. Here are the supplies to gather up.
- Screen Wire Mesh
- Sizzix Die Cut Machine
- Laura Kelly Apple Die for Sizzix (Part of my Calendar Collection)
- Americana multi-surface SATIN Paints
- Paintbrush
- Paper or Paper Towels to Paint On
- Twine or String or Thin Ribbon
- Needle
- Scissors
Start by cutting your screen mesh into apples using the die-cut machine.
Paint the apples. The more times you put a coat of paint on the mesh, the more the tiny holes fill in. You can add as much or as little as you would like.
I added a little of the black and beige to add some dimension.
Let the apples dry COMPLETELY then use either twine or string to tie them together. If you want a thicker and more filled in look, double your apples up on top of each other. I stitched them together.
If you have trouble getting the string through the mesh, use a needle!
Hang your garland in a festive place to celebrate the season!
Next up, CORK! Cut an apple out of cork using the die-cut machine again. Isn’t it amazing how many surfaces this little machine will cut?!
Paint the apple with the multi-surface paints.
Paint a piece of wood black. I used an old wooden lid to a crate that I got in the mail filled with goodies. Once the paint is totally dry on the wood, add a layer or Decou-Page to seal it. When that dries, personalize with a name. I used white adhesive vinyl cut out letters. This method works great on a Decou-Paged surface. Add a ribbon handle. I used a staple gun to attach my ribbon but you could drill holes too and tie a bow.
Glue the cork apple to the wood. Add a couple of push pins and you have a fabulous back-to-school teacher gift sign!
Lastly, Walnut Hollow makes a great rustic pallet that measures 12 x 14 inches. With five slats, it is perfect for a classroom WELCOME sign. I painted this one and added a painted ruler, apple and some pencils using hot glue.
Ta Da!
This paints are creamy and smooth. I love love love how they work so fabulously on all three of these surfaces and look forward to trying them on new ones very soon. Just so you know, these are the colors I still get to try!
Cheers to Back-To-School and Hand Painted Decorations,
Laura