From Drab to Fab
Making your own placements in seven simple steps
January 15, 2012
Marc Atiyolil
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Q: I saw the holiday tablescape you made on CTV recently. I especially liked the pewter coloured beaded placemats you placed over the silk mats. That was a really nice finishing touch. How can I paint my old round wicker placemats to look like the pewter ones that you had on the show?
A: This is the perfect project for those who love to collect old things or can’t seem to part with expensive belongings that have become dated.
In order to refinish an old item, first ensure that it has “good bones,” which simply means that, although the item’s aesthetics may be dated, its core structure is still in good shape, making the item a good candidate to refinish.
Refinishing dated placemats are always a fun DIY project. With a little elbow grease and a creative mind set, old placemats can be turned into designer dreams!
The following supplies are needed for this placemat refinishing project.
• 4-6 round shaped wicker mats
• White semi-gloss paint
• Black semi-gloss paint
• Glitter aerosol paint
• Silver aerosol paint
• Paint brush
• Plastic gloves
• Plastic sheet
Step 1: Prepare your work surface by laying a sheet of plastic on the counter or table. If you don’t have plastic, old newspaper also make a wonderful surface protector.
Step 2: Use a paint brush to apply white paint onto the placemats. Follow the shape of the mats with each paint stroke. As these are a circular shaped mats, the paint strokes should be made in a circular fashion. With each of the following steps, be sure to apply the next coat of paint while the previous coat is still damp.
Step 3: With the same brush, apply black paint over the damp white paint. The key is to blend both colours together while leaving pops of solid black and white.
Step 4: Spray silver paint over painted mats. Be sure to apply adequate silver paint to create a lustrous look.
Step 5: With the use of glitter spray paint, apply sparkles to the mats. Some areas of the mats should have more glitter than others.
Step 6: Let the paint dry. Flip the mats upside down and repeat steps two to five.
Step 7: Add the refinished placemats to your tablescape and enjoy.
Marc Atiyolil is the editor-in-chief of Canadian Home Trends: Canada’s Home Décor & Lifestyle Magazine and host of the Marc Atiyolil Show on www.MarcAtiyolil.com. To submit a question for Marc Atiyolil, visit www.CanadianHomeTrends.ca.