Jennifer

Why do I like to paint under my foils? Well, let me tell you why base painting under foils is so important!

Base Painting Under Foils

Foils are a thin metallization that looks better over complimentary paint colors. This is because the foils will never release 100%, so there is always a little of the base color peeking through. This makes picking the base coat color very important in the foil application process.

When trying to decide what color would look best under a foil…

You can easily create a sample board to determine for yourself.  We all have different tastes, and this will allow you to create something smaller before you start your project.

When I am picking a base color for my project…

I pick the colors I think would look best by matching the colors of the foil I am using. I also always check to see how Black will look under the foil because it looks good under most foils. I will then create a small sample board by painting all the different colors on a styrene board (about a 1” square of each color).

Allow the paint to dry and then apply a layer of Foil Adhesive over all the different colors of paint.  Allow the foil adhesive to dry for at least an hour and then transfer your foil.

Each color will slightly change the look of the foil…

Which is what I mean when I say the foils “read” or “look” different over different base coat colors.

When you’re not sure and don’t have time to test, just grab the black paint. Black will always look better than white or a light color.

If you have a solid color foil and want it to look as flawless as possible, pick a color that is as close to the foil color as possible.  This way if you have any base paint showing, most of the time you will not notice it at all.

Do you love creating with your laser cutter? Ready to learn the basics of using foils with a laser cutter like Glowforge? After this tutorial, you will be an expert at glowFORGING with Foils.

glowFORGING with Foils

Are you ready to get started??

It’s best to foil your surface before you cut it and here is the process…

Basecoat the wood with black paint or another color that works great with your foil choice and allow this to dry. I recommend a paint/primer all in one like the Bondago we use here at Artistic Painting Studio.

Once your paint is dry…

Apply a layer of Foil Adhesive and allow this to dry for at least an hour. The longer you let it dry, the better.

Now that your foil adhesive is “dry”…

Apply your favorite foil color or pattern. You can do this by rubbing the foil with a cloth or scrubbing the foil with a scrub brush. When you apply your foil, make sure the “pretty side” is facing you.

You can either topcoat before cutting or after, but I think it would be easier to topcoat before.

Mask the surface and cut out your design or pattern.

That’s all folks…

We have seen some of the most amazing designs and projects cut by Glowforge users. We are so excited to see what else y’all create using our foils.

Here are a few Glowforge projects 😍

If you are a fan of gloforging with foils, we want to see your projects! Text them to us at 714-202-9356. You can also join the amazing gloFORGING with Foils Facebook community created by our friend, Debi. Join, HERE.

Don’t miss the recent Redfin article I was featured in:

“20 Easy Fall DIY Decor Ideas that You’ll Absolutely Love”

With leaves on the ground and pumpkin spice lattes in hand, there’s no doubt that fall is in full swing. One of our favorite things about this time of year is all the traditions that come with it. Like roasting marshmallows by your backyard fire pit or watching scary movies. But nothing makes it feel like the new season is upon us like decorating our homes with festive, fall decor.

Whether it’s gathering materials from your yard to create warm-colored tablescapes or visiting your local craft store to make a DIY fall wreath, there are many creative and easy ways to embrace autumn in your home. To help inspire your seasonal decorating, Redfin reached out to experts for our most creative, yet simple, fall home decor projects. So before the cold temperatures approach and you have to prepare your home for winter, check out the Redfin article I was featured in and try out one (or more) of these fall DIY projects this season!

20 Easy Fall DIY Decor Ideas that You’ll Absolutely Love

We are all inspired by the many different things all around us every day.  Sometimes it can be an ad, nature, fabric, or even someone else’s project.

I was scrolling through Facebook when there was an ad for MacKenzie-Childs through Neiman Marcus.  I have been a fan of MacKenzie-Childs for many years and still hope to own a few pieces someday!  But these pumpkins were fabulous and I had to recreate them with some foils.

So grab yourself some pumpkins, and let’s get started…

The small pumpkins that I used for this project were from Dollar Tree. I mean how can you beat a buck each, what a deal!   They were all different colors, so I painted them all with Bondago Black. I love this stuff because it sticks to just about anything.  I painted two coats and allowed this to dry overnight.

Once your base coat is dry…

Get your Foil Adhesive out and hand paint on the checks/squares.  I made sure that the pumpkins had an even number of sections to have this would come out right.  Start at the top and paint a small check/square and skip every other section, then move down a row and alternate the checks/squares.

I only painted on one coat of Foil Adhesive which was more of a distressed look which I really liked. If you want a more perfect release, then apply two coats of foil adhesive. Allow the first layer to dry and then apply a second coat.

Once your adhesive is dry…

You can choose whichever foil color or pattern you want to transfer to your pumpkins.  I used Copper, Orange, and TieDye Purple for my fun “Halloween” inspired collection.  These pumpkins will be great for the entire fall season!

Product List:

• Plastic pumpkin from Doller Tree (You can also find them at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby)
• Bondago Black Paint
• Foil Adhesive
• Foils
• Final Coat

Are you ready to get crafty and create some one-of-a-kind decor for your home?? If you answered yes, you are going to love this Dollar Tree Arrow DIY.

If you haven’t been recently, the Dollar Tree has an amazing collection of surfaces you can create on. The best part?? The surfaces are only a buck! You just can’t beat the deals they have and they have so many different ones to choose from.

I started to get in a habit of hitting up the local Dollar Tree once a week to see what’s new. Yes… I have a pile of projects ready for me, but a girl can never have too many projects waiting for her!

On one of my last trips, I found these wood arrows and a collection of metal words, Harvest, Thankful, and Welcome that fit perfectly on the arrows!  This seemed like it could be a fun project, so I grabbed several of each.

Let’s get started…

I lightly sanded the arrows to make sure they were cleaned up nice and then base coated them in Black Bondago.  Y’all should be getting used to this being my go-to paint at this point 😁

Next, I went looking through my foil collection to see what foils I thought would be fun to bring together!  I chose Weathered Copper, Melody, and Wild Leopard Spots Gold Small.  I know it doesn’t seem like they would work together but you will be amazed at how well they really do look together.

Once your paint has had a chance to dry…

Make sure it’s been several hours. Then you can apply a layer of Foil Adhesive.  When brushing on the foil adhesive I like to add a little water, about 1 to 2% to thin it down so that it will brush on a little smoother.  Don’t water it down too much you could lose your adhesion. Foil Adhesive does not self-level so try to apply as smoothly as possible.  Allow the foil adhesive to dry for at least an hour so that it dries to a firm tack.

Once the foil adhesive is “dry” you will lay the foil over the surface with the pretty/patterned/colored side facing up (facing you) and rub or scrub the surface to transfer the foil to the project. Lift a corner and look under to see if you are getting the transfer you want (we don’t always want 100% transfer). When you are happy with the transfer, peel back the carrier and reveal your beautiful foiled arrow.

Protecting your project…

I made sure to apply our Final Coat over the foil to protect the surface and then glued on the metal words to each arrow.  The arrows came with the twine to hang, you could leave this or change it out to match your project. This Dollar Tree Arrow DIY was such a fun project. If you try it out, I would love to see your pictures. Text them to me @ 714-2029356 😁

It’s finally that time of year to start decorating for fall. Can you tell that I’m excited about this? 😁  I am so excited to share this DIY Pumpkin Tutorial with you!!

One of my all-time favorite projects is to Foil pumpkins! And I mean ALL of my pumpkins… paper-mache, plastic, Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby finds, and yes, even real pumpkins!!

DIY Pumpkin Tutorial

You can even create your own theme for the holidays! Can you imagine an entire house decorated with animal print pumpkins??  I think this would be amazing 😍

Whatever color or theme you desire, you can create it with a little Foil Adhesive and Foil.

I have recently been on an animal print pumpkin kick this year…

You might have seen some of these tutorials on my Facebook Lives, YouTube Channel, or even my last Hometalk segment this past month.

Check out my YouTube Tutorial!

Foiled pumpkins are such a fun and easy project to create! Take a little trip to your local Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or the good ole Dollar Tree and snatch up some pumpkins no matter what color they are. You can always change the color of them!

I recommend painting the surface of the pumpkin you choose in the color black. My go-to paint and primer is Bondago. But… depending on the color of the pumpkins and the color you plan to foil, you can possibly leave them as they are. You will have to determine this based on your project.  If your pumpkins are slick plastic you will need to do a little extra prep. You will need to lightly sand and prime the surface before you get foiling.

Let’s get started…

First, you will paint your pumpkin. I usually go with black because most foils look great over a black basecoat. Allow your paint to dry for several hours and then apply your Foil Adhesive.  Make sure to allow your foil adhesive to dry for at least an hour. If you live in a humid area, you will want to allow your foil adhesive to dry longer. You want the foil adhesive to dry to a firm tack.

To make cleanup easier, I covered the surface I was using with press-n-seal so that the pumpkin would not stick to anything. Also, I used painter triangles to put the pumpkin on while drying.

Next, grab some of your favorite foils and cut them into strips to make it easier to foil an odd-shaped surface. Also cut a piece large enough to set the pumpkin on while foiling the sides and top. This way it’s just sticking to the foil you are using.

Ready to give your pumpkin more bling??

Everything can use a little Glitter!  The foil adhesive will still be sticky any place that the foil didn’t transfer 100% and your glitter will adhere to the surface in these spots.  I sprinkled some glitter on my pumpkin, and then also found a bag large enough that my pumpkin would fit in. I put the pumpkin and glitter in the bag and shook it until it was covered in glitter 😍

Once you are done foiling your pumpkin, make sure you protect your beautiful pumpkin with a topcoat. We want you to enjoy your pumpkins for as long as possible! My go-to topcoat is Final Coat.

Make sure to check out all of my videos on Facebook, YouTube, and Hometalk for some great ideas!

PS: If you want to be the first to know about everything going on at Artistic Painting Studio, Text Me #apsblog to 714-202-9356! This will add you to our two-way texting community 😁  Yup, you heard that right… We can text back and forth! Just remember all customer service is handled through email (jennifer@artisticpaintingstudio.com) and not texting.