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DIY WATERCOLOR
YOU ARE:
The DIY craftsy type with a coffee table in dire need of a cosmetic refresh.
Before you kick your lackluster coffee table to the curb, try this crafty DIY trick to spruce it up with bold and brilliant Watercolor Coasters using Sharpie® markers.
TIP:
If you think you've added too much alcohol, double-down by adding even more drops to form a fresh pool on the tile top, making your design new again (see image).
YOU'LL NEED:
- White ceramic tiles found at any big box home improvement store. Buy 4-6 tiles to create a coaster set.
- Sharpie Permanent Markers
- Rubbing alcohol
- Eyedropper or stirring spoon
- Spray fixative also available at the hardware store
- Clear varnish or Polyurethane coating (optional)
- Adult supervision is required.
STEP 1 – COLOR: Color the first tile using your favorite bold, brilliant Sharpie colors. Cover the full face of the tile in different shapes and patterns. Repeat for the rest of the white tiles making each one a little different from the last.
STEP 2 – DROPS: Use a stirring spoon or eyedropper to drop small pools of rubbing alcohol onto the tile to create swirling circle patterns. Careful not to add too many drops at a time much to keep colors from blurring together more than you'd like.
STEP 3 – DRY: Let tiles dry for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
STEP 4 – SEAL: One at a time, hold dry tiles at least six inches away and lightly spray with a spray fixative. Spray in layers with a 1-2 minutes in between to set for best results.
STEP 5 – (OPTIONAL): If a high-gloss finish is desired, apply varnish or polyurethane to seal it with a shiny coat.
TIP:
Combine dark and light colors to add depth and dimension to your design.
Voila—vibrant Watercolor Coasters that restore that drab coffee table to its rightful place as a conversation-sparking room centerpiece.
Try creating more unique coaster designs for other small tables throughout the home—and be sure to share your creations with the entire Sharpie community
Special Sharpie shout-out to 52 Weeks Blog for this inspired DIY home idea:
#uncapthepossibilities
EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH FASHION
CANVAS SHOES
YOU’RE A BORN ORIGINAL AND BOLD INDIVIDUAL with a style and edge all your own. So you’ve meticulously cultivated your fashion sense to stand out from the crowd, not blend in. Rather than sport the same look as the general public, you prefer to make a personal statement that’s uniquely, undeniably, unmistakably yours.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A PROFESSIONAL DESIGNER TO MAKE A PERSONAL STATEMENT THROUGH FASHION. All it takes is some basic items, a little creativity, and a fresh set of Sharpie markers. And in our new How-To series, “EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH FASHION,” we’ll show you how in just a few quick and easy steps.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR CANVAS KICKS Canvas sneakers never go out of style. Whether it’s Chuck Taylors, Vans or Keds, this casual and comfortable footwear is a go-to look that goes great with almost any outfit. So fittingly, there’s no better canvas for creating personalized design creations than classic white canvas slip-ons or tie-ups.
YOU'LL NEED:
A fresh pair of bright white canvas sneakers
Rubbing alcohol
Eye-dropper
White acrylic paint (optional)
STEP 1: PRACTICE ON PAPER FIRST to perfect your personalized design before applying it to your new sneaks.
STEP 2: PICK A DESIGN THAT’S TOTALLY YOU. Choose a design that fits your individual style and that you’ll want to wear often. For example, play with fun ideas like:
- INTRICATE DESIGNS: Explore interlocking shapes, circular swirls, or floral patterns.
- SHOW OFF YOUR FANDOM: Incorporate your favorite fashion, band, or sports team logos; your school crest or mascot; song lyrics; or themes and characters from the latest popular TV show you’re streaming.
- GO GALACTIC: Create out-of-this-world space scenes mixed with stars, planets, and far-off galaxies.
- CLASSIC TIE-DYE: For another far-out look, create classic tie-dye patterns that are a snap to recreate with Sharpie markers. (Bonus: no messy dye or clean-up required)
STEP 3: OUTLINE YOUR DESIGN. Transfer your paper sketches to your canvas sneaks using a pencil. Pencil lines neatly erase from canvas if you make a mistake. And if light smudges are left over, don’t worry, your Sharpie markers will cover them up.
STEP 4: COLOR IT IN. You’re now ready to make your design pop in bold, brilliant colors using your Stained by Sharpie™ markers.
- For shapes, borders and words you wish to stand out, retrace your pencil outlines using black Sharpie Fine Tipor Medium Tip markers. Trace over two to three times to add greater weight (thickness) for extra boldness.
- Next, uncap a panorama of eye-popping colors using Red, Green, Purple, Blue, Turquoise, Pink, Yellow, and other Stained by Sharpie™ hues to bring your design to life in living color.
STEP 5: BLEND IT TOGETHER. If you desire a blended-in effect in your design, use rubbing alcohol to subtly swirl your Sharpie colors together. Using an eyedropper, simply add several drops of alcohol to the areas you want to blend, then let soak in and watch the colors spread and mingle. The more drops you add, the greater the blurring effect will be. Allow to dry when done.
DONE! You can officially join all the other kids with the pumped up kicks with your own one-of-kind creations sure to kick up tons of compliments from your friends.
Check back to this section often for our next EXPRESS YOURSELF THROUGH FASHION edition. And be sure to send us your own ideas too!