Trash Talk Thursday: Plastic Prims!

Home parties were all the rage in the 1960's - 80’s, and during that time companies such as Home Interiors produced some great plastic wall décor which were reproductions of antique cast iron or wood plaques. Sometimes labled Burwood, Dart or Homco, these lightweight treasures are plentiful at thrift stores and are easy to upcycle with a little paint. This large patriotic Eagle was a recent $2.00 score.

After lightly cleaning with a damp cloth, I sprayed a light coat of flat black spray paint.

It looked good enough to hang with just the black paint, but I decided to add some patriotic colors. Using Folk Art acrylic craft paint, I applied red, white, blue, and gold paint on the dimensional areas, as shown. When it dried completely, I wiped Minwax Stain & Sealer with a cotton rag and waited a few hours before hanging. If you'll be hanging your painted plastic prims outdoors, a coat of clear acrylic spray will help protect it from the elements.
Check it out! This makeover of mine was featured in the Winter 2011 issue of A Primitive Place Magazine, page 107
© copyright 2011 redshedvintage.com 

Here are some other painted plastic projects of mine, recycled using the same painting method:

 

 

 

Trash Talk Thursday: Shake It Don't Bake It Prim

 

With a can of flat black spray paint and a plastic bag of ground spices, almost anything can be made prim. Even plastic perfume decanters such as these baby shoes, a .25 yard sale find.

After wiping clean with a damp rag, I waited until the shoes were dry before spraying a light even coat of Walmart’s $1.00 flat black spray paint. When dry, I placed one shoe at a time into a Ziploc bag half full of cinnamon, ginger, and allspice (all purchased at Dollar Tree) sealing the top before shaking & rubbing the spices over the painted finish, as if breading a chicken leg with Shake & Bake for oven-fried cooking. When the surface was well coated, I shook the excess spice mixture over the bag. The bag of spices can be used over & over again! This process also works well for transforming other surfaces which will be used for display only, including wax, metal, wood, plaster, glass, ceramic, clay, plastic, fabric, and even paper. Just think of all the recyclable junk you can shake prim!
copyright 2013 www.redshedvintage.com