Some will think you are out of your mind when you paint whimsical furniture.
If Dr. Seuss, Willy Wonka and Pippi Longstocking formed their own furniture design company, the results would range from interesting to insane. Staying on the whimsical side of the line when painting furniture is a challenge. One person's whimsy is another's "I can't believe that's in your house." Before you can design and paint whimsical furniture, you must give your creative side free rein.
Instructions
1. Take the quiz "Are You in Your Right Mind," created by Bonnie Hunley and Deanna Cook of the West Virginia University Extension. Logical and orderly, the left brained mind is its own worst critic. If the quiz shows that you are operating mostly with your left brain, it will be difficult, but not impossible, to design and paint whimsical furniture.
2. Doodle to release your creative side.
Perform some of the right-brain warmups listed at the end of the quiz, such as doodling, participating in unstructured activities, laughing and joking or noticing colors, sounds and textures.
3. Doodle for several minutes with at least three colors that you do not think go together.
4. Make a sketch.
Enlarge the doodle until it is tabletop size using an overhead projector. Trace the outline of the outer edge onto an easel pad. Use this as the template for a tabletop, chair seat or shelf.
5. Cut your design.
Repeat the curves and angles of your original drawing to create legs or side supports for your table, chair or shelf. Trace all the parts needed onto plywood, and cut everything with a jigsaw.
6. Connect the sides or legs to the shelf or tabletop using mortise and tenon slip-joints. Jared Patchin of J. Alexander Fine Woodworking describes a slip joint as, "...just a slot for the tenon to slide into."
7. Let color run riot.
Choose your colors. Allow your imagination to take complete leave of its senses. Outline areas of royal purple with bright yellow, its complementary color. Make drizzles of bright blue over squiggles of sunset orange. Spatter cranberry red over Kelly green.
8. Use fingers, straws, fan brushes, feathers, bunched leaves or sponge sections to spread paint and create texture. Allow to dry 24 hours.
9. Apply 3 to 5 coats of clear acrylic sealant, drying 24 hours between coats.
10. Smile!
Take several steps back from your furniture piece. Look at it from several angles. If it makes you smile or laugh, you are finished.
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