DIY Network

Painting an Animal Footstool From "DIY Crafts" episode DIC-152

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Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G Figure H Figure I Figure J Figure K Figure L Figure M Figure N

Crafter and demonstrator Vivian Peritts explains how to paint a wooden footstool to look like a turtle.

Materials:

Unfinished wooden footstool
Coloring book with desired animal for pattern
Paper
Marker
Pine shelving
Scroll saw
Wood glue
Sandpaper
Tack cloth
Wood sealer
Paintbrushes
Wood filler
Putty knife
Acrylic paints in antique green, light green, dark green and white
Bowl of water
Compressed sponge
Paper plate
Mylar
Craft knife
Cutting mat
Plastic wiggle eyes

1. Select an animal design from a coloring book. Trace the pattern onto paper with a marker. Vivian used a turtle (figure A).
   

2. Transfer the pattern to a piece of pine shelving: trace around the pattern on the wood, or place the paper pattern on the wood and saw around it. Cut out the turtle's head with a scroll saw. Repeat the tracing and cutting steps for the turtle's tail. Sand the edges (figure B).
   

3. To attach the turtle's head to the stool, place it under the edge of the top of the stool at one end, and glue it in place with wood glue. Glue the turtle's tail in place at the opposite end of the stool. Let the glue dry for 24 hours (figure C).
   

4. Fill in any holes in the stool with wood filler, applying it with a putty knife. When dry, sand the entire stool. Remove sanding particles with a tack cloth. Apply one coat of wood sealer to the stool. Let dry.

5. Apply a base coat of antique-green acrylic paint to the legs, the head and the tail. Let dry. Don't paint the top of the stool (figure D).
   

6. Pull off a piece of compressed sponge in a random shape. Drop it in a bowl of water to expand it to full size. Wring out the water.

7. Pour a little light-green acrylic paint onto a paper plate. Dip the sponge into the paint, then lightly touch the sponge onto the antique-green base coat to add highlights and give the stool the look of turtle skin (figure E).
   

8. To add the turtle back design to the top of the stool, trace the design to a piece of Mylar, and cut out the "scales" of the turtle shell with a craft knife (figure F).
   

9. Transfer the turtle-back design to the top of the stool by drawing around the Mylar cutout pattern with a marker. The paint will cover the transferred lines. Use a paintbrush and light- green paint to apply the turtle-shell design. Let dry. Apply a second coat (figure G).
   

10. Add highlights to the turtle's back by dipping a small square sponge in antique-green acrylic paint that's been poured onto a paper plate. Sponge around the inside edges of the scales on the shell (figure H).
    

11. With dark-green paint and a brush, outline the scales of the turtle shell, painting around each one and filling in between them. Paint the edges of the top of the stool with the dark-green paint. Add a second coat, if desired (figure I).

12. Draw eyes on the head with a black permanent marker. Fill in the white part of the eye with white acrylic paint (figure J). When the paint is dry, attach a pair of purchased plastic "wiggle eyes" with wood glue (figure K).
    

13. Brush or spray on two coats of varnish.

• Paint a leopard stool, using gold and black paint (figure L). Cut a sponge into a C or an open crescent shape, dip it into black acrylic paint, and sponge on the leopard's spots (figure M).
  

• Use swirls of white dimensional paint to add "wool" to a lamb stool (figure N).