13 Creative Paint Projects

Our challenge: Boost this bedroom on a barely-there budget. What to do? Paint to the rescue! By the tube, can, quart, and gallon, we brushed, sprayed, and stenciled our way to a colorful, sunny view. With large-scale zinnias underfoot and thrifty butterfly artwork, we set a springtime theme.

A trendy faux bois headboard was anything but spendy -- it's painted right on the wall. Its wood-grain appeal gives a nod to nature. Try your hand at these techniques and you'll be painting your way to a new look in no time.

Drenched in playful hues, this room looks as fresh as a spring day. Sunny yellow is a delightful canvas for sky blue and grassy green accents. Bright Pink ups the ooh-la-la factor, while crisp white keeps the room from becoming Candyland. Here, we gave an old dresser a bright makeover with the help of a sassy pink (BHG 315, Better Homes and Gardens through Dutch Boy).

To give the dresser a personalized touch, we created a honeycomb-like stencil.

To get the look: Purchase a stencil or cut your own from plastic. Clean and dry the surface to be stenciled; add a base coat, if desired. Then position the stencil and use stencil adhesive to adhere it to the surface. Use a stencil brush to apply paint over the stencil. Apply a very small amount of paint and, if working with a stencil brush, use a dabbing motion while holding the brush vertically. If your stencil requires a repeat, use the registration marks on the stencil to line up the next position. Let dry. Spray with a clear finishing sealer, if desired.

We transformed this thrift store shade into a unique masterpiece with a few simple steps -- and just a few bucks!

Click to the next slide to get the how-to instructions.

First, spray the entire shade with a latex spray paint. Then use painter's tape to mask off a straight line for the stem and use a darker shade of green to fill it in.

You can create two leaf stamps using foam and Plexiglas blocks. Stamp the two different-toned leafs onto the shade, completing the personalized look.

To add a whimsical butterfly pattern onto these once-white plates, use butterfly cutouts (download below) and a masking technique. When masking with intricate shapes, trace or print designs on sticky-back label paper, then cut out.

Don't shell out a fortune on a designer pillow when you can create your own with less than a yard of fabric and a little paint!

Click to the next slide to get the how-to instructions.

Cut fabric into two 14x24-inch pieces. Print or photocopy desired letters. Using the end of a paintbrush as a stylus, trace letters onto one piece of fabric using dressmaker's carbon transfer paper.

Paint gesso inside the transferred lines; let dry. Paint fabric paint over gesso; let dry. Machine-stitch around letters. Cut piping to fit around the perimeter of the pillow and cover with fabric cut on the bias. Place fabric pieces right sides together, sandwiching piping between. Sew together, leaving an opening. Turn, insert pillow form, and hand-stitch opening closed.

As with the bedside dresser, we rescued this highboy dresser and misfit mirror from a thrift store and revamped them with a coat of Sweet Rhapsody by Behr. We matched the dresser to the headboard hue -- and even gave the dresser top the same faux bois treatment. To get the look, we sanded and primed each piece, then applied two fresh coats of paint. The wicker chair was our gain from a friendly furniture swap; we covered it in several coats of Paradise Green by Pratt and Lambert. The bed's pillow shams inspired the chair color. New glass knobs and drawer pulls are the finishing touches.

To give this standard pink pillow a new look, we used the same zinnia stencil as we used on the floor but on a much smaller scale. Then we used a masking technique to create the collection of lines.

Use a stencil and Krylon glass frosting spray paint to achieve the vintage etched style treatment on the mirror.

With a custom-made stamp, this once-ordinary vase gets embellished with a pretty pink cricket to tie in with the room's spring theme.

Punch up any surface with a faux bois finish.

To get this look: Purchase a wood-graining tool from a crafts store. Mask off the area with painter's tape, if needed, and paint a base coat; let dry. Mix 4 parts glaze mix with 1 part paint color. Apply the glaze mix using the wood-graining tool and following the manufacturer's instructions, rocking the tool back and forth as you pull it across a surface. Repeat until the entire area is completed. Remove masking and let dry. Spray with a clear finishing sealer, if desired.

This custom piece of artwork is a one-of-a-kind screen print, which is an easy way to make your own art.