I’ve been having so much fun with the Painters Paint Markers from Elmer’s!  I shared my timeline notebook with you a couple of weeks ago and I decided to share my latest project, too.  I think I’m most impressed with the sheer versatility of the Painters Markers.  They can be used on so many different types of surfaces – wood, plastic, clay, glass, metal, foam board, fabric, and terra cotta.  (Oh, imagine the cute flower pots you could do for Mother’s Day!)  This week I’m using them on glass, though, and I’m so excited because Elmer’s has started selling the paint markers as individual colors.  So, I was able to add individual colors to the ones I already owned!  I love that I can just pick up the colors I need instead of having to purchase a five-pack to get one shade!

I'm still getting used to our fabric and craft departments being flipped, at the local Walmart. I always have to hunt a little bit to find what I'm looking for, but I actually do like the new layout.

Love, love, love the individual markers and the fantastic selection of colors!

After the History Timeline, I got the idea to try the Painters Markers on a clear glass plate I picked up at a local thrift store.  The plate is square and super thick glass.  I decided to do a summer flower design that I could incorporate into a display on our fireplace mantle.  I’m pleased with the way the final project turned out, but I would definitely choose a design with fewer tiny details for my next project.  Painters Paint Markers are available in three different tip shapes – fine point, medium point and chisel (calligraphy ) point.  Most of my markers are medium points, though I did have a black fine point and both a black and a silver chisel point.

The plate markers and printed stencil. After I laid these out, I realized I had several more from my last project and ran to get them. It was a good idea, since some of them had different tips.

Originally, I had planned to paint the underside, of the plate, so I could still feasibly use the plate to serve cookies or something, and then just hand wash it; but as it turns out, I didn’t think through the need to lay the paint on in a sequence backwards to what I would normally do.  Painting the underside and then flipping the plate to see the painting through the top means all the highlight and accent details should have been put on first and then the main color added over that.  A rethink of the plan was necessary and it actually turned out to be better than I anticipated, because the thickness of the glass allowed me to create what looked like a three-dimensional art piece.  I went ahead and painted flowers on top of the plate, over the same general area as the ones underneath.

Stencil taped face down in the top of the plate.

Flipped over, I can clearly see the design through the bottom of the plate.

Here’s how I put together this simple and frugal piece of “decor”.  The thrift store plate was fifty cents, I think, and I printed out a line drawing to trace, for free.  The paint markers were $1.97 each and I bought 7, but used only a small bit from a few of them.  They will make it through many more projects and my guess is that I didn’t even use $1 worth of paint, but we’ll use that as a generous figure, bringing the grand total for a new piece of colorful art/decor in at only $1.50!  Not bad!

After tracing this first flower, with a fine tipped Painters Paint Marker from Elmer's, I realized I was going to need to use the chisel point for the control I wanted. Even with the chisel point, I was going to have to omit A LOT of detail.

Finished tracing all the details I'm going to add. This was done with the narrow edge of the chisel point marker.

The first step was to position the drawing face-down on the top of the plate, so I could see it through the bottom and trace my outline.  Remember, at this point I was still planning to only paint the underside.  I used transparent tape to hold the “stencil” in place and then flipped the plate, so I could begin painting the outline for my flowers.  I first started out with the fine-tip black marker, but could see that even that would be a thicker, less controlled line than I was hoping for.  Fortunately, I had a black chisel-tip marker and that worked much better for the outlining.

I was able to start adding color after that and began to carefully fill in my outline with the medium point markers, as that was what my local Walmart carried in the brighter colors.  This paint dries really quickly, so by the time I was finished adding one color to the plate, I could go back to the top and begin with another color.

Yellow centers in the flowers.

Adding more color to the project.

It didn’t take more than an hour to complete this project as the thin layers of paint dry quickly, allowing you to keep moving.  I did notice that a couple of the lighter shades needed a second coat to achieve the opaque look that I wanted.  Once I had finished the underside of the plate, I realized my mistake in not layering the colors on backward.  The back looked fine, but the top, not so much.  So I set to work painting flowers on the top of the plate, over the ones showing through from the bottom.  The glass is 1/4 to 3/8 inches thick, so the top layer of paint seems to float over the bottom and creates a really nice effect.  Who knew? 

The back was finished and I was okay with it, considering the small detailed pattern I chose, until I realized my layering mistake. I'm too embarrassed to show you the way the front looked at this point, but the finished project that you will see next, is proof that even a goof of a non-artist can cover up her mistakes with these fun and easy to use Painters Paint Markers from Elmer's!

So, there's my thrift store remake. Not to shabby for a $1.50 and an hour of my time. FYI Those are paper flowers with floral wire stems and arranged in the holes of a thrift store salt shaker. I can't take credit for that one, because it was a gift from a sweet friend, but I love the simplicity of the amazingly frugal idea and how well it coordinates with my newly painted plate.

So, what frugal DIY dress ups can you do in your house this summer with a little time and some Painters Paint Markers?  I’d love to hear your ideas!  For news, tips and any special promotions, be sure you are following Elmer’s on Twitter and Facebook!

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™.   As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own and based on my personal experience with the products.  #ExpressYourself #CBias #SocialFabric