London, Ontario… It's that time of year again. We
are spending more time indoors and looking for creative, easy
and fun ways to spruce up our homes for the coming winter.
Sue Warden, popular host of Life Network's hit craft television
show and author of best selling craft and home décor
books, offers 10 creative and simple ways to add your personal
touch to your decorating projects.
To get the best results in all of the ideas below, Sue Warden
recommends using Scotch® Long-Mask™ Masking Tape,
a high quality professional painters' tape. Its revolutionary
adhesive allows the tape to be applied and left for up to
seven days and then removed cleanly and easily from virtually
any type of surface without causing damage. Long-Mask™
gives clean paint lines every time and is suitable for indoor
and outdoor painting projects. It also helps that Long-Mask™
Masking Tape is a bright blue colour making it easy to identify
throughout the project.
Try Sue Warden's suggestions below and have fun.
1. Giving your home a new feel can be as striking as painting
a new design on the glass of your front door or as simple
as painting a small design on the glassware in your kitchen
cupboard. Glass painting is not as complex as it sounds. The
paint used for glass is often more liquid that usual latex
or acrylic paints and so naturally it can run easily. For
the best results, use a professional painters' masking tape
which holds firm to glass so it can be used to block the areas
you don't want painted. This should prevent the paint from
seeping into the other area leaving you with a crisp, clean
design.
2. Another effective glass decorating option is etching.
To get the best results, it is very important to have the
area you do not wish to be etched well masked off since the
etching cream is applied liberally.
3. A fresh coat of paint can dramatically change the look
and feel of a room. Masking tape is a fabulous tool for blocking
off areas on a wall, helping to create special designs. A
striped motif can be an attractive addition in your home décor.
Simply tape strips of masking tape down the wall vertically
once the wall has been plumbed. It removes easily, and keeps
the present paint in good condition. Consider using masking
tape to tape off a grid in the middle of a wall to resemble
a window design. How about painting a large border at the
top of your walls in a coordinating colour, or even the bottom
of the walls? To get the desired effect, it is very important
to use professional painters' masking tape to ensure the lines
are clean and crisp. (Please see attached image of Sue Warden
creating this effect.)
4. Mosaic patterns can personalize your home décor.
Again, masking tape can be a great friend when working on
this creation. Block off patterns and spaces in between the
mosaics to create the motif. Use the tape to edge a table
for a clean grout line.
5. Have you thought about stenciling as a possible decorative
change? Using masking tape, you can block off images on stencils
that you don't want to use. You can also use it to affix the
stencil to the project and because of its low tack; it will
remove easily and cleanly.
6. Artist's canvas panels can be employed to create beautiful
painted placemats. Imagine creating a design to match your
newly painted walls. Using professional painters' masking
tape helps you produce clean lined borders.
7. You can continue with kitchen ideas by decorating canvas
aprons and bags or tea towels. Masking tape can be used on
these surfaces as a block so you can paint in just one area.
8. Has your child been asking for a new design in his bedroom?
Stars on the ceiling perhaps or balloons painted onto the
wall? Masking tape can be cut into various shapes and use
as a negative block. Projects can be painted a bright colour;
circles, stars, and geometrical designs can be cut from the
masking tape, placed on the project surface. A coat of a different
colour of paint can be applied over the shapes. Once the shapes
are removed, the first colour shows through on the design.
9. If you're using spray paints and creating designs and
patterns, masking tape can be useful to again, block areas
that shouldn't be sprayed.
10. Children can become involved in the decorating by sprucing
up their own rooms. Have their favourite books become dog-eared?
Kids can create fun book covers using masking tape - it will
hold the book together and makes a great canvas for them to
work on.
Sue Warden is a veteran of the arts and crafts industry,
professional designer, H.I.A. Certified Professional Demonstrator
and popular host of Life Network's hit craft television show.
Sue is the author of two best selling craft and home décor
books: "Sue Warden: Creative Decor" and "Sue
Warden Craftscapes: Gifts for Family and Friends". In
addition, her website and newsletter inspire budding crafters
and experts alike. Sue Warden's passion for the arts is evident
in everything she does. For more information, please visit
her website at www.suewarden.com.
Scotch® Long-Mask™ Masking Tape is available at
home centers, department stores and paint supply stores across
Canada. For more information please contact Sophie Larochelle,
Market Supervisor for Construction and Home Improvement Markets,
3M Canada Company, P.O. Box 5757, London, Ontario, N6A 4T1,
phone 1-800-265-1840, extension 2177, or 1-888-3M HELPS, or
visit www.3M.ca.
2001 marks the 50th Anniversary of 3M Canada Company.
Established in 1951 as one of the first international subsidiaries
of the 3M global company, 2000 sales reached $1.006 billion
Canadian. It employs over 2,000 people across Canada, who
manufacture and market more than 50,000 products serving industrial,
commercial, and consumer markets.
