Paint a retro wooden bowl

A pop of glossy colour can turn a retro wooden bowl into a statement piece.

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 35

Finished wooden bowl
Finished project

You will need: Resene Aquaclear varnish, Resene Colorwood stain testpot in Resene Bark, Resene Enamacryl in Resene Riptide (you could use a testpot alternatively if you prefer a low sheen finish), Testpot brushes.

What was previously a bland wooden bowl is now a bright and fun statement piece!

Before

Finished project

Step one
Always clean and prepare your items before applying any paint or product. This bowl was in good condition and didn’t need sanding, so it was wiped down to remove any dust.

Step two
Apply two coats of Resene Colorwood stain in your chosen colour. Sarah used Resene Bark. The stain can be applied by wiping it directly onto the wood grain with a clean cloth. Always wait for the first coat to completely dry before applying another.

Step three
Once the stain has dried, use painter’s masking tape to mask out a freehand pattern on the inside of the bowl. Sarah chose to mask out a striped design, but you could try diamonds, triangles etc. Press down the tape firmly so that it sticks down onto the surface of the bowl with no bubbles or corners peeling up. This is very important to get a clean finish at the end! The idea is that you are creating a negative-space pattern.

Step four
Apply a coat of Resene Enamacryl in your chosen colour. Sarah used Resene Riptide. Sarah chose to use Resene Enamacryl paint because it gives a beautiful gloss finish.

Paint over the masking tape completely. Once the first coat had dried, apply a second coat.

Step five
Carefully peel away all the pieces of masking tape to reveal the negative-space design.

Step six
To protect the paintwork, apply two coats of Resene Aquaclear varnish to the inside of the bowl using a clean testpot brush.

Upcycling for Good

You can find a huge range of treasures, from ornaments and picture frames, to furniture and toys at your local Salvation Army store that you can easily upcycle with a little Resene paint and some imagination.

"Our Family Stores are full of treasures generously donated by members of the public. We value these donations and try our hardest to re-purpose and sell as much as possible. We’re all about re-using and recycling, so teaming up with Resene on Upcycling for Good was a perfect match. Resene’s products and tips are a natural fit with our pre-loved furniture and accessories, which are usually great quality but could sometimes do with a lick of paint to ensure they fly off the shelves.

Each year, nationally, our stores save 16,000 tonnes from landfill. This initiative increases the value of the donated product, improves the range of goods for our customers, and furthers The Salvation Army’s mission and Resene’s community activity.” Gareth Marshall, The Salvation Army's National Family Store Manager.

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Resene Paints (Australia) Limited – www.resene.com