The Interior DIYer
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DIY Friday – spray paint basics

Every time I start a spray paint project, I make a mental note to share some of my painting tips because even though I’m well used to spray painting, there was a time when I wasn’t. And I know there are others out there who are equally as intimidated as I was. And like I’ve said before, if I can do it, anyone can. So here are my spray painting tips and tricks …  

Before I begin with my tips and tricks, I’m going to be Captain Obvious and say you should always paint in a well ventilated area. This doesn’t necessarily mean outside, just somewhere that gets a good supply of air and isn’t windy. Wind + spray painting = sworn enemies.  

1. SPRAY TECHNIQUES / TIPS – First up, make sure the object you’re spray painting is clean and sanded {if needed}. Shake your spray paint can vigorously. For like, 2 minutes. Shake it so hard your neighbours hate you. Then do a little test spray on a piece of paper as the first spray is usually clear liquid. Hold the can about 2 feet away from your piece. If you hold your can too close, little ‘waves’ of paint will appear and we don’t want that. Start painting your piece from the bottom upwards – like you’re writing a letter from the bottom up. Sweep across and paint one line. Stop. Then sweep across a little higher and do another line. Stop. Continue this until you reach the top of your piece. Should you need to apply a second coat, let the first coat completely dry first. 

2. AREA COVER – Unless you’d like a permanent reminder of your project, you’re going to need something to cover the ground underneath whatever you’re painting. The easiest thing I’ve found is to use old bed sheets. Don’t have any? Then help out your local charity shop and pick out a couple of sheets there. I also use old pillow cases for smaller projects such as spray painting picture frames. Simply lay them under your project, and when you’re finished, fold them back up for next time. 

3. GLOVES – This isn’t mandatory, but I always make sure to wear gloves while spray painting, and on both hands. Sometimes the cap can be unruly and my spraying hand can get a bit of spray back / drippage {this all sounds like I’m using a urinal}, so it’s best to wear a pair of gloves. Where do I get mine? I save my disposable gloves after I dye my hair and reuse them for spray painting. I should really be on that Superscrimpers show. 

4. EYE PROTECTION – There isn’t really a risk of things hitting you in the face while spray painting, but I always wear my sunglasses or oh so trendy hipster glasses whenever I’m painting for some reason. I think it has something to do with my next point … 

5. MASK – In the beginning when I first started spray painting, I made the rookie mistake of not covering my face. Doesn’t sound like much of a deal, right? Wrong. For 2 days after spray painting without proper face cover {and without proper ventilation as it turns out}, every time I blew my nose, it was a rainbow of the colours I had been spray painting with. Yeah, not so good. You don’t realize it, but you can inhale a lot of speckles / fumes. If you don’t have proper gear {I’m hoping to get a proper mask that looks like a gas mask ’cause that would be cool}, your second best option is to grab a scarf and tie it around your face like so – 

… so you too can rock the hipster graffiti cowboy bandit look {and in pajamas; while we’re on the topic of my outfit}. Isn’t safety sexy? I think the answer you’re looking for is no. Yes, your face will get a bit sweaty but it’s better than inhaling fumes. 
So friends I hope this was a little bit of help to any of you who may be hesitant to pick up a can of spray paint. It’s very rewarding and if you’re nervous at first, practice on an object you don’t mind ruining.

Happy Friday, homies! xx A

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DIY Friday – cherry blossom branch

Spring is slowly starting to show its first signs here in Dublin. Slowly. After the downright horrendous winter we’ve had this year in Ireland, I am greeting spring with arms wide open, twirling in a field with a simple yet incredibly flattering dress and my hair looks perfect. Very Sound of Music.

I adore cherry blossoms. To me they are the definition of spring. Unfortunately, they’re only in bloom for about 2 weeks in May, and it’s only March. Massive sad face. So I thought what if I could come up with a way to bring some spring indoors a bit earlier? And if it was a little more permanent that wouldn’t hurt either. That’s when I had my light-bulb moment – why not just DIY some spring? YEP. I’m that desperate. 

What you’ll need – some small faux flowers in either white or light pink {I bought two faux delphinium’s from Dunnes Stores at €3 each}, a fair sized naturally discarded branch {we don’t want to go terrorizing a tree for the sake of a DIY} and some UHU glue. 




Step 1 – wash the branch of any debris. I simply held it under the shower until it was clean, and left it to dry in our bathtub. Step 2 – remove your flowers from the faux stem. This should be fairly straight forward and they should just pop off. Step 3 – prop up your branch in a vase and begin to add the faux blossoms. With some squeezable glue, simply add a drop of glue into the circular opening of the faux flower, then press the base into any nobules {so technical} on the branch. Hold in place for a couple of seconds, and that’s it really! 

ADDITIONAL TIP – the faux delphinium’s I bought in Dunnes were actually white. I couldn’t find any faux pink flowers, so I simply used one of my pink college rendering markers {Promarker in ‘blossom’} and randomly coloured some of the petals before gluing them on. 

You can choose to use a branch as big or as small as you like, and feel free to overcrowd that baby with as many buds as you can fit onto it. More is more in this instance. This is also a great project for people like myself, who every year are taken off guard by weird and unusual hay fever allergies. Ain’t nobody going to get a runny nose from these blossoms. And they’ll last all year. Yes please. 

So what do you think? Would you actually try this DIY in your home? Or do the thoughts of faux flowers make your skin crawl? I’ll definately being DIYing this one again but on a much larger scale, and a hella lot more blossoms too. xx A
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DIY Friday – chalkboard clipboard

Before I dive into today’s DIY, I want to thank you guys for your words and support regarding Wednesday’s post. I stare at my blog every day, so sometimes I need a kick in the hole to remember how much I have managed to achieve here. At the same time, I’m attempting to step out of my comfort zone and start contacting people about projects. I’m happy at the rate I’m going, but I want to kick it all up a notch. I’d love to get into doing upcycling for reals, one piece at a time. And now I’m rambling. Onto the DIY! 


In June of last year I painted a blackboard shopping list in our kitchen. It was great, served its purpose well, and we get tons of use out of it but I always looked at it and thought it could do with being pimped out just a bit. I had a light bulb moment when I happened to bring my clipboard into the kitchen one day, and thought the marriage of the two would be a perfect focal point in our kitchen. And I will say, a painfully simple DIY … 

I took the above ‘before’ picture yesterday morning before work. It was only when I began editing the photos I realized I hadn’t erased what was on the chalkboard. Great. Toilet cleaner. Don’t panic, you can edit that out on Photoshop. But then I thought no, keep it real. Yes, we need toilet cleaner. If I edit it out, I might forget to get it when we go shopping. Maybe you need to get toilet cleaner this week too? Okay, enough about toilets. Onto the DIY.

What you’ll need – a clipboard, some masking tape, a paint brush, some blackboard paint, a hammer and a nail.

Step 1 – using some masking tape, mark the border for the area you’d like to paint on your clipboard. You can of course throw caution to the wind and paint the whole thing if you’d like. Step 2 – paint that baby good. I applied two light coats of chalkboard paint. Step 3 – before the paint dries, peel off the masking tape. Step 4 – set it aside and allow it to dry, then hang that baby up wherever you like.

Voila, c’est fini! And that is my super simple DIY this week. For the week that it is, I hope you have a safe and eventful St. Patrick’s Day weekend! Monday is a national holiday here in Ireland, and I tell you, I cannot wait to sleep in 3 days in a row. xx A