Self-isolation soul soothing projects: Part 2

Hello everyone,

I am in the midst of letting you know ideas how to keep yourself distracted during the Coronavirus self-isolation days. This is Part 2 - if you missed Part 1, click here!

Projects if you’re in isolation at home 

And straight back into it. These projects are ones you can achieve with 120ml pots of Chalk Paint® which conceivably you may have lying around, or even opened tins of Chalk Paint®. Tip: if Chalk Paint® is old add some water and give it a really good stir. Keep adding water and it’ll go further! You can create a wash on furniture rather than a thick matt coat.

1) If painting is a good exercise for calming and mindfulness then sanding will help you get out some frustration! Plus, all that practice we’re having washing our hands for 20 seconds at a time has got my wrists up to anything, quite frankly! 

To paint this stool I used Chalk Paint® in Aubusson Blue and Lem Lem. For a two colour distress I like to use contrasting colours for maximum impact (I’m a maximum impact kinda gal) but sympathetic shades work well and are better suited for always-popular romantic or vintage looks. If you only have one Chalk Paint® colour you can still distress; varying the pressure you can reveal finished wood beneath - then with extra force sand right back to fresh wood. It’s a very rustic look. 

2) I have started to lose track of time but my husband loves hot cross buns so I do at least know that Easter is imminent! Maintaining fun family traditions and giving a sense of stability and normalcy is a big concern for parents when our children are going through stressful times. Building an Easter tree is fun and, honestly, is one of quite few crafts you can do with your children that actually always ends up looking quite beautiful! Send them into the garden to forage for branches, then spend the afternoon blowing out eggs and painting the shells to hang from the tree. This one is by my Stockist Deborah Meredith of Tea and Roses in the UK, and with its hopeful suggestion of new life, and indeed, chocolate, I think it would make a timely addition to any home. 

Deborah painted sheets of copy paper in Louis Blue and Antoinette. “Then let them dry. I went on walk and found an old branch in the woods. Great in the current situation when we need to get out if we are isolating! The flowers were the glued on with a hot glue gun. My daughter, aged  12, managed that with supervision. PVA could work just as well. Find easter decorations and hand them on, job done!”

Easter tree created by Deborah Meredith and her daughter with Chalk Paint®

3) Chalk Paint® picture frames! But, you cry, Annie, I don’t have any picture frames! Or I have, but I already painted them and I’m quite happy with them thank you very much. Well, firstly, I’m very happy for you and secondly, DON’T WORRY I THOUGHT OF THAT. I created these painterly picture frames on the walls and then blue tacked the pictures to the wall beneath. I think they’re witty and charming and they always make me smile. 

4) Painting plant pots is a no-brainer and because they’re cheap it’s a good activity to get the children going. This really is a doddle, and because Chalk Paint® goes on anything; plastic Ikea pots, terracotta, metal, you name it. Continue reaping the therapeutic benefits of wholesome home making during your quarantine by planting seeds in your new pots. Truly no greater joy then watching a plant grow and all you need is a sunny spot in your home or on your windowsill. 

Plant pot painted with Chalk Paint® in Lem Lem by Hayley Stuart

5) A potentially novel but very easy way to use Chalk Paint® is as a dye. This is a good option if you only have a little paint, though of course the end result won’t be as bold. Dip dye t-shirts, tea towels, and cushion covers with the children then leave to dry before machine washing on a hot setting and ironing to seal in the paint. 

Shibori cushions dyed by duo Abigail & Ryan Bell

6) Terrazzo is a very fashionable material consisting of chips of marble or granite set in concrete and polished to give a smooth surface. I’m suggesting this project because you can do a terrazzo effect over unpainted furniture or something previously painted, and you only use a little bit of each colour. There’s a link to my son Felix giving a demo – click here. Adding detail to something previously painted – whether by stencilling, or outlining the shape of a piece using a small paint brush, or adding a pop of colour inside - uses less paint but still gives the feeling of a refreshed furniture and home! Terrazzo is good because even if you only have teeny tiny increments of various colours left over…you’ve probably got enough to try this. 

7) Finally, this side table was painted with just a Mini Project Pack. So that’s 1 x project pot of Antoinette, 1 x project pot of Old White, 1 x 120ml White Chalk Paint® Wax and 1 x 120ml Clear Chalk Paint® Wax. And a brush! It’s fun to do and you can adjust the geometric shape to something else, or paint one drawer white, or paint the top, or mix the colours together for a lighter Antoinette. The world is your oyster, and the afternoon will fly by. Just know that you are going to be texting all of your friends with pictures of your upcycled piece and they may find this tiring (if this is likely may I suggest posting on Instagram or Facebook so I can see your work! I won’t get tired of seeing your projects ever).

I hope there’s something here for everyone, let me know in the comments of any crafty projects you’ve been involved in – Chalk Paint® or otherwise! Let’s make this page a bookmark of things for us to do whilst in quarantine, with stuff we have around the house already.

Sending much love to everyone.

Yours, 

Annie.

Self-isolation soul soothing projects: Part 1

Greetings, Chalk Paint® community! Tidings from self-isolation, Day 4, Oxford, UK. I have been umm-ing and aah-ing about writing this blog – I know that I am in a privileged position and that whilst for many of us the Coronavirus pandemic represents inconvenience and discomfort, for others it is a matter of life and death.

So I’m here today with suggestions for those who find Chalk Paint® relaxing, who enjoy creative pursuits as an outlet for stress, and who want to remain busy during their quarantine. The purpose is not to capitalise at a time of tragedy – I am not suggesting anybody stock pile Chalk Paint® - my Stockists, however, are among the vulnerable group whose future now feels very uncertain. All small independent business owners are suddenly faced with a landscape completely unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. If you can, please give them your support. Find your local Stockist here and ring ahead to check what measurements they have in place to protect you, themselves and their staff, and the wider community at this difficult time. Many are offering curb-side paint collection, phone payments and even deliveries. Perhaps you can pick up Chalk Paint® for yourself and a neighbour! It’s a time to think of one another  and to stay in touch with those around us, especially the elderly, the less mobile, and oh my goodness all of you with children to entertain.

So! What I’m saying is, Chalk Paint® might not be the first thing on your agenda, but it is my area of expertise, it does help people to relax and unwind, and colour really can spread joy. So this blog is a compilation of projects you might be able to do – the first projects are ones you might need to nip out and get paint for. The next blog I am publishing (click here) requires very little paint and are for those of you who are staying at home, desperately searching the internet for ways to entertain yourself, your children, and your anxious mind during these unprecedented times. If you have some old Chalk Paint® lying around, perhaps you can manage one or more of these projects… 

Projects if you can still get to the shop

If you’re still able to get to your local Stockist, perhaps pick up some supplies for projects you can complete if lockdown commences. Prepare for working from home, undertake a larger-scale project, or repaint your walls. 

1) Paint your desk! This is a fun project in terms of being fairly bitesize, not at all complex, and gives a real sense of place to your work from home environment. Choose blues to encourage deep concentration and focus; yellows for sunny optimism and energy; or greens to enable creative problem solving. Use Clear Chalk Paint® Wax to protect. 

2) Paint your office chair! Or your dining chairs. You’ll be surprised once you paint one how many chairs there are in your home which could benefit from a lick of Chalk Paint®. I used Napoleonic Blue on this beauty, then masking taped the bottom of the legs and applied Warm Gold Gilding Wax so the whole thing looked like it had been dipped in molten gold!  

3) Paint the wall behind your new work-station so it’s fresh for video conference calls. Go for a plain backdrop - or if you’re feeling more adventurous and could use the extra help remaining on top of a lot of moving parts, this wall organiser by Hester van Overbeek is a great idea and a fun project to spend an afternoon on. See more on how Hester created this wall planner here. 

4) Have you got some furniture at home which is looking a little tired? Painting the outside one colour – Chalk Paint® in Antibes Green on the outside in this instance, with Florence on the inside gives extra cheer. These colours give a lovely fresh, botanical feel. Tamsyn Morgans painted this piece with a flat brush to create a less textured finish as she wanted the vivid colours to be the stars of the show. Bring some nature inside when you can’t get out! The blues and greens of open skies and verdant flora. Good for the soul! 

5) You may even think this is the time to try a really big project: painting kitchens, painting floors, and painting stairs are all big jobs which will make a huge difference in your home and will keep you busy for hours. That sense of creative satisfaction could be just the ticket as the days become weeks. 

I’ve collated these projects for those who are able to get to their local Stockist, however I know not everybody is able to do so. CLICK HERE if local guidelines recommend you don't leave the house – I’ve come up with some projects you can hopefully achieve utilising just Chalk Paint® remnants you have around the house.  

Yours, 


Annie.