Upcycling

Gradient Desktop Organizers

Spray paint FAQ via montana.link/help

@allspraypainted

Where do we put our pens, paperclips, erasers, sticky notes, and scissors? The list goes on and on for all the things that live on the desktops that we need to help us create and stay organized. It is great to have all these things, that is, unless there are no desktop drawers to store and organize them all. Naturally, that gave us an idea to resolve the problem and have an excuse to start a project all at once. The DIY Desktop Organizers were born, and here is how we made them.

HOW WE DID IT The basis of our DIY Desktop Organizers is the bowls, dishes, or cups you decide to use. The idea is to glue one to the other to make a base and a holder on the top. Any variation of shape and size is possible as long as some thought is given to equilibrium. Be mindful that whatever combination you use can balance and hold the weight put into them once filled with desktop goodies. We chose to use plastic bowls and dishes due to their availability, strength, and lightweight. They can hold a lot without weighing a lot. Scuffing the sides and insides of the bowls lightly with some sandpaper meant that there was a bit of tooth on the plastic surfaces to hold paint well. All items were cleaned and dried and the rims of the bases were glued together using superglue. Important at this stage to remember is that if any excess glue drips or runs onto the outside of your join, that you clean it off straight away with a q-tip. Dry glue drips and blobs will show up on your painting work and can be wiped away when the glue is still wet. Depending on the material of your bowls etc, you may want to ask your local hardware or craft store if the glue you have is right for the materials you are using. Once glued together and holding, we left the new look holders overnight to dry. Then it was time for the fun part. Remembering to shake all our cans well for 2-3 minutes before using them, we removed the black safety ring from under the nozzles of the cans (where applicable) and started with the Montana Plastic PRIMER. Should you be working with other materials like wood or ceramics, we recommend using the Montana Universal PRIMER instead. Once the 2-3 minutes shaking has occurred and you can hear the mixing balls moving freely, spray the holders from a distance of about 15cm, in thin light coats, moving in a side-to-side motion as you trigger on each pass. Start with the inside of the holder and then move your way to the outside. Once dry, you can repeat this process with your chosen Montana GOLD colors. Again, start with the base color you want to use from the inside outwards. Once dry, you can take the holder in your hands and turn them upside down, spraying first the midsection of the holder, allowing any spray mist or splatters to drop downwards to create an ombre or gradient, and then with your third color spray a portion of the top rim of your holder, which will be the base once you place the holder back down the right way up. We chose the Montana GOLD colors Bazooka Joe, Lyche, Shrimp Pastel, Frozen Strawberry, Smaragd Green, White Lilac, Flipper, and Shock Blue Light. You could choose any color or any colorway you like making your holders look exactly as you want them to. All holders were then left overnight to dry. This allowed the curing process of the Montana GOLD colors and gave us some time to decide if we wanted to clear coat them with a Montana VARNISH Spray or leave them as they were. If you wish to clear coat them, choose your preferred Montana VARNISH Spray to finish in Matte, Semi-Gloss, or Gloss, repeat the painting process as with the other cans and allow them to dry overnight. Then you‘re done. Nice work! The actual work time for this project was no more than 30 minutes, however for best results, allow overnight drying time for the gluing, painting, and sealing processes. Don‘t skimp on good glue as the bond between your bowls, cups and dishes are essential to the longevity of your desktop organizers. And if at first, you are not happy with your choice of colors, don‘t worryit‘s just paint! Before applying any clear coat, allow the old colors to dry and recoat in the new colors as desired. This is a project for any skill level and could be a good way to upcycle some bowls, cups, and dishes you may already have lying around. Don‘t hold back and Happy Crafting!

MATERIALS USED • Montana MARBLE Effect Pastel Green • Montana Universal PRIMER • Montana GOLD Bazooka Joe • Montana GOLD Lyche • Montana GOLD Shrimp Pastel • Montana GOLD Frozen Strawberry • Montana GOLD Smaragd Green • Montana GOLD White Lilac • Montana GOLD Flipper • Montana GOLD Shock Blue Light • Montana PRIMER

• Bowls • Cups • Dishes • Superglue • Q-tips • Gloves • Mask • Drop Sheet