frankie exclusive diy: puff paint vase

In frankie issue 90, we gave five local makers a once-loved craft and tasked them with updating it for the modern day. Below is the results of designer Rachel Burke‘s efforts, along with her handy DIY so you can give it a whirl at home. Peep the rest of the crafts inside the latest issue of frankie here, or subscribe from $10.50. 

MATERIALS

For DIY puff paint:
3 cups foam shaving cream
1 cup flour
1 cup white glue, like PVA
food colouring of choice
ziploc-style sandwich bags

For the project:
pencil or marker
puff paint, bought or homemade (see how-to below)
plain pot or vase

HOW TO

Make homemade puff paint

Pop the shaving cream, flour and glue into a large mixing bowl and gently stir until they’re blended together. (The aim is to keep some air bubbles in the shaving cream.)

For multiple paint colours, divide the puffy mixture into small bowls and add a few drops of food colouring to each. Stir gently, being careful not to over-mix. Leave some white, if you wish!

Spoon the puff paints into squeeze bottles or sandwich bags – a bag will make it a little easier when covering larger surfaces. If you choose that route, seal the bag up nice and tight at the top (maybe even adding some thick tape for extra sturdiness), then snip off one of the corners to create a DIY nozzle. Now you’re ready to roll!

Decorate your vase

First off, use a pencil or marker pen to lightly sketch the design you want to create on your vessel’s surface. (We went for a simple pattern of squiggly lines and shapes.) Once you’re happy with your design, you’re ready to get painting!

Shake your puff paint bottle or bag to ensure the mixture is nice and thick and ready to go. Using a generous amount of paint is a good idea to ensure your artwork has a full and ‘puffy’ look – now’s not the time to skimp!

Carefully squeezing out the puff paint, trace the outline of the shape you’re creating, then fill in the whole shape (almost like you’re colouring in). Try to keep the flow of paint even, so the puffy texture is consistent across your surface area.

Continue this method until all your shapes are filled, then leave the vessel to dry overnight. The paint will probably get even puffier over time as it sets!