PROJECT ONE Upcycling an old milk churn, polka dot style
LEVEL Beginners
Milk churns add interest to a country garden as containers for small trees and plants. They are also great indoors when used as umbrella holders, while small churns look cute when placed in the centre of the kitchen table with flowers. This project is based on a milk churn for outdoor use.
Materials Needed
• Sandpaper• Primer for exterior (I used Little Greene’s acrylic primer and undercoat)• Paint for exterior (I used Little Greene’s Intelligent Eggshell, Camine 189 and Shirting 120)• Paintbrush • Small brush for detail• Small sponge • Scissors • Marker• Plant pots • Drill with drill bit suitable to drill through metal Method
1 Clean off any dirt from the churn.
2 Lightly sand the surface in a circular motion with a fine sandpaper.
3 Coat the milk churn in a light coat of primer suitable for exterior use.
4 Paint the churn in a colour of your choice with two coats, leaving it to dry fully between each (make sure the paint is suitable for exterior use).
5 Lay a €2 piece on top of the sponge and draw around the circle with a marker. With the scissors, cut the sponge into a small circle.
6 Lightly dip the sponge in the “shirting” paint (or your choice of colour) and dab around the end of the milk churn, leaving four inches between each polka dot. Move up another four inches and dab your sponge in between the two spots on your first line, working your way up until you meet the top.
7 When fully dry, turn upside down and drill three holes in the base of the churn to allow water to drain.
PROJECT ONE Upcycling an old milk churn, polka dot style
LEVEL Beginners
Milk churns add interest to a country garden as containers for small trees and plants. They are also great indoors when used as umbrella holders, while small churns look cute when placed in the centre of the kitchen table with flowers. This project is based on a milk churn for outdoor use.
Materials Needed
• Sandpaper• Primer for exterior (I used Little Greene’s acrylic primer and undercoat)• Paint for exterior (I used Little Greene’s Intelligent Eggshell, Camine 189 and Shirting 120)• Paintbrush • Small brush for detail• Small sponge • Scissors • Marker• Plant pots • Drill with drill bit suitable to drill through metal Method
1 Clean off any dirt from the churn.
2 Lightly sand the surface in a circular motion with a fine sandpaper.
3 Coat the milk churn in a light coat of primer suitable for exterior use.
4 Paint the churn in a colour of your choice with two coats, leaving it to dry fully between each (make sure the paint is suitable for exterior use).
5 Lay a €2 piece on top of the sponge and draw around the circle with a marker. With the scissors, cut the sponge into a small circle.
6 Lightly dip the sponge in the “shirting” paint (or your choice of colour) and dab around the end of the milk churn, leaving four inches between each polka dot. Move up another four inches and dab your sponge in between the two spots on your first line, working your way up until you meet the top.
7 When fully dry, turn upside down and drill three holes in the base of the churn to allow water to drain.
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