In What Order Should I Paint My House?

Are you considering freshening up the exterior of your home this spring?  If so, here are some helpful tips from Glidden® paint on what order you should consider before dipping in!

Paint in the following order overall:

1) Gables
2) Main siding
3) Windows
4) Siding trim
5) Doors

When painting siding, always paint from the top down, and paint next to the trim first, creating a border about two to three inches from the edge of the trim.

Then begin painting the rest of the siding, remembering to paint under the edge.

(Hint: Paint in small sections of three to four clapboards and a few feet at a time, applying a fresh brush full of paint to unpainted areas and working back into the areas you've already done. Be sure to paint in the direction of the siding.)

When the siding is dry, paint the windows, siding trim and doors.

Learn how much fun and easy painting can be. Tomboy Tools and Glidden paint help women gain confidence, motivation and add color to their lives!

Contact your Tomboy Tools Consultant to book your painting party today. Your Consultant will show you how you can beautify your living space or painting project with ergonomically designed painting tools, color selections, techniques and tips. 

5 Easy DIY Painting Projects

Maybe it's been a while since you've painted, or maybe you've never done it before. Even if you feel like you barely know which end of the brush to hold, that's OK — Glidden® paint and Tomboy Tools have you covered with simple instructions, tips, ideas and tools for common projects and helpful answers to FAQs.

Learn how much fun and easy painting can be. Tomboy Tools is excited to partner with Glidden® paint to help women gain confidence, motivation and add color to their lives!

Here are five simple ideas to add color to your home in a single day's work.

1.  How to Paint a Door

There's nothing like a first good impression.

1.    The first step to a good first impression? Give the door a quick wash and rinse, letting it dry completely.

2.    Next, just cover the metal hinges so they don't get covered in paint - a couple coats of rubber cement should do the trick. Mask the doorknob, lock and any other hardware as well.

3.    Now you're at the fun part. Start by painting the frame, making sure to work up from the inside bottom, across the top and then down the other side. This is done best with a 2" to 2.5" brush. When you start on the door, use a 4" brush or foam roller.

Glidden color idea:  Red Delicious (GLR30)

2.  How to Paint a Planter

Add a little color to your greenery.

1.    If you're painting a planter that's already been used, start by giving the plant a new home and scrubbing the planter with warm, soapy water.

2.    Give it a quick rinse and let it dry completely before applying any paint. This is a good time for lemonade. Try it with a little mint for a refreshing twist.

3.    Apply the first coat, inside and out. Follow that up with a couple more coats for denser color, allowing enough time to dry between coats. Looking for a little color inspiration? Why not run with the whole refreshing beverage theme and try Sweet Tea?

Glidden color idea:  Soft Sage (GLG18)

3.  How to Paint a Doghouse

Even your blacklab will be green with envy.

1.    Start by treating the wood with a coat of primer. It's a great way to protect and seal the wood and ensure durability.

2.    Using a paintbrush, apply one coat of paint to each side of the house. Once that dries, just brush on a second coat for denser color. Remember, dogs are color-blind, so the choice is entirely up to you, but they'll probably like anything named after food.

3.    Oh, and to keep this simple project from getting a little complicated, you may want to keep your dog indoors until the paint's dry.

Glidden color idea:  Antique Silver (GLN51)

4.  How to Paint a Window Box

Your view just got even better.

1.    Start by removing any soil or debris left in the box and rinsing it with soap and water. As always, don't forget to let it dry completely before you move to the next step.

2.    Before you paint, spray the entire box with one coat of white enamel.

3.    Once that's dry, it's time to pick up a paintbrush. Paint the box with the color of your choice. You can even match the paint color to the flowers you plan on planting.

Glidden color idea:  Natural Straw (GLY20)

5.  How to Paint a Fence

Consider it the perfect frame for your masterpiece.

1.    Start by rinsing the fence with a hose. It's important to remember to unhook the sprinkler if it's still attached.

2.    Once it's dry, dip a 4" to 6" brush about a third of the way into your paint. Follow the grain of the wood, painting each slat in an up-and-down motion.

3.    Add a second coat using the same up-and-down strokes you did the first time. Simple as pie. As for color, try a twist on a classic, like Granny Smith White.

Glidden color idea:  Wood Smoke (GLN40)

Contact your Tomboy Tools Consultant to book your painting party today. Your Consultant will show you how you can beautify your living space or painting project with ergonomically designed painting tools, color selections, techniques and tips. 

Color Ideas To Get You Going!

Choosing coordinating colors for a room is a lot easier than you think.  A great way to start is to find what color family you like the most (reds, greens, blues, etc.). 

Once you pick your color family, choosing that final color is much easier. 




Follow these easy steps to start:

- Collect pictures of rooms and accessories that you like from magazines and catalogs.

- Next, gather up your favorite things in a room.  Vase.  Pillows.  Floral arrangements.  Comforter.

- Then step back.  Take it all in.  Do you see a common color family or scheme?

Another trick is to steal from the largest pattern in the space.  Upholstery.  Rug.  Even your favorite painting.  Use its background color for your wall color.  Then choose one or two of the other colors for your accents. 

You've now successfully coordinated color! 

Piece of cake.

Perfect Paint Color Do's & Don'ts

Do: Go au natural.
Your son says he wants his room painted his favorite color: green. Tell that to the paint store assistant and he’ll give you a few shades to choose from—or rather, a few hundred. When in doubt, opt for colors that Mother Nature created. Natural colors call less attention to themselves and generally better compliment other elements of the décor — furnishings, artwork, etc.—than manufactured colors.

Don’t: Be afraid to go bold.
Choosing a natural color doesn’t have to mean choosing one that’s subdued. Rich, saturated colors can transform a room and create a dramatic backdrop for your décor. A room that gets ample sunlight and is decorated with light colored items won’t feel overly dark with bold paint.

Do: Pick your furnishings before your paint.
Choose a paint color that compliments your furniture, not the reverse. Is there a recurring color in your décor that the walls could compliment? Is there a hue in the fabric of your new chair that you’d like to bring out? Consider what’s going to be in the room before choosing what’s on the walls.

Don’t: Paint a room before furnishing it.
You can have paint mixed to match your new chair, but it’s much harder to have your chair upholstered to match your walls.

Do: Take advantage of the samples.
Start with the strips of color — bring home several, and tape them to the walls in various areas of the room and at times of day when the light changes and the colors may appear slightly different. When you’ve settled on a few options, ask for the sample size jars of paint that can be applied to the wall. Follow the same steps and consider them for a couple of days before deciding on your favorites.

Don’t: Assume that a color that looks great on someone else’s walls will work on yours.
Your friend’s bedroom may be the perfect shade of gray — for her house. But as much as you love how it looks on her walls, it may not look the same on yours. Some rooms receive more light than others, or are narrower or have higher ceilings. All of these factors and more can affect the way a single color of paint looks on different walls. Sample that divine gray before you find yourself living in a room that feels like an office cubicle.

Source: Parentables.com

10 Designs We Love!

Beautiful, innovative home design concepts don't have to be costly.  Just ingenious.  Here are 10 that the editors of Better Homes and Gardens® shared that we love too!

1.  Rearrange Your Furniture (it's FREE):  Start with the biggest piece toward a focal point, such as a fireplace or window. Or angle a sofa, chair or bed that's currently hugging a wall.  If you don't like how it turns out, try it again!

2.  Paint Your Front Door: A warm color at the entrance of your home makes it seem more welcoming.  Just pick a fun color, get a quart of Glidden exterior paint...you can transform your home in an afternoon. Learn more about color choices and tips at www.glidden.com

3.  Ungroup Matched Sets:  Identical end tables, nightstands and lamps can make your home feel like a furniture store.  Swap out one of the pair with something in another room.

4.  Add a Folding Screen:  Not only does a screen add visual interest, it helps define open rooms and hide excess clutter.

5.  Dress Up Your Drawers:  Replace ho-hum cabinet pulls with colorful artsy knobs that coordinate with the rest of your room's decor.

6.  Warm Up Your Walls:  Give your white walls an instant glow with a coat of neutral beige paint.  It won't overwhelm you with color or compete with brightly colored furnishings.  Glidden Paint has a great online room visualizer where you can actually select a color and put it on the wall.  Check it out here:  www.glidden.com/color/color-visualizer.do

7.  Rethink Your Accessories:  Create a whole new look - with home decor you already have!  Just gather your accessories in a room, then try items in new spaces.

8.  Use a Big Basket:  It's perfect for collecting shoes and magazines...plus, if you love it, you can keep it out in the open for the world to see.

9.  Get a Big Look From Small Pieces: Gather different sizes and shapes of paintings, plates, and mirrors to make a collage perfect for hanging above your sofa.

10.  Fall for Pricy Fabric - Guilt-Free:  Just pick up a yard - it's all you need to whip up your pillows or a tablerunner that's guaranteed to make a bold splash in any room!