Paint by number kit

Searching paint by number kit?  I am pretty excited to share with you my completed paint by number kit today.  

Paint by number kits come in a variety, there are beginner kits, children's painting kits, and advance paint by numbers.  Paint by number kits come with brushes, paints, and drawn canvas to allow you to become your own artist.  

First off, I would like to thank you for being here today!  We keep seeing new faces show up, and I am so thankful for each and every one of you.  Blogging can be lonesome, but when I hear from you and you leave comments, I enjoy and love reading each and every one of them.  It definitely makes my heart soar, so thank you for that.

Finally!  The day has come I get to share with you my latest painting masterpiece, er, umm... I mean my latest paint by numbers.  I wish I had that talent to sit down and create a masterpiece, but hey, not all of us can be Picasso, am I right?

I love paintings, but my goodness the cost for a real painting these days is through the roof, sounds familiar, doesn't it?  Like most everything else there is, the cost of well, everything has increased so much.  It is terrible.  I recently read an article where they indicated it was due to covid, and businesses have increased their prices to make up the losses of 2020 and since we keep paying the outrageous prices... well the prices do not decrease.  Now if that is true or not, I have no idea, but it sure makes sense to me.  

When I am unable to find what I am searching for my go to is to make it.  Only when you have zero talent when it comes to painting, you need to figure out another avenue.  My go to here lately is paint by numbers kits.  Have you taken a look at them lately?  There are so many to choose from, and they are beautiful.

Earlier this summer, I shared how you can create cheap art for your walls which was another paint by number kit I completed at that time.  I immediately began another kit, and well, you see how long it took me to complete this one.  

I love that you can go at your own pace.  Paint a little everyday, or lots in one sitting and space it out over time, or if you are a real trooper, you can do it all in one go.  I could never sit that long and punch one out in a day, or even two.  

The thing I love most about paint by numbers is that at the end you have a beautiful piece of artwork to hang on your walls.  It does not matter that you have little skill when it comes to painting, no mixing paints, or purchasing brushes, and figuring out scale on your canvas.  It is already completed for you!  And... you know what else I love?  I can say, I did that!  

It is like when you were in elementary school and your mom would hang your artwork on the fridge or wall, and you were so proud.  Only guess what?  My art is no longer scribbles, lol!  I get to be proud of my artwork again.  

You may have questions pertaining to paint by number kits, here are a few I thought may come up, and I answer those questions, but if you have more, please ask away!

Where can I purchase a paint by number kit?

•  I picked up my peonies paint by number kit from Amazon.  You could also take a look at Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Walmart, Winnie's Picks, Michael's, Jo Ann Fabric or any other crafty store.
• If you are interested in this peonies paint by number kit, you can find it by clicking on the link.   

Are there custom paint by number kits? 

• YES!  
• You can find custom paint by number kits from Amazon, and you can also find them through Winnie's Picks.
• You can send a picture and they will recreate that photo onto canvas, send you the paints needed to complete your painting, and viola, you have a custom piece for your home you have completed and painted yourself.  How cool is that?

What sorts of paint by number kits are offered on the market?

• We already covered custom kits, but there are also adult and children paint by numbers kits, there are landscape paint by numbers, florals, animals, really anything you can think of.

What can I do to make my paint by numbers look better?

• Well, with anything practice makes perfect, but I do have a few tips now that I have a few under my belt.
• Paint in small areas, I always use the smallest brush that comes with the kit.
• Painting with the smaller brush allows me better control of the brush so I am able to stay in those small spaces.
• Work slowly, it is not a race to the finish, enjoy your painting.  My first painting I kept thinking I needed to finish quickly and move on to the next project.  I noticed when I took my time, the next one looked even better than the first and I enjoyed the process so much more.
• Begin with the darker colors first, it took me a while to figure this one out.  I could better see how it was going to all come together when I worked in the darker colors first approach.

How do I get started?

• Just take a look at the example they send with your painting, decide on a color, and just start following the paint colors according to numbers.
• Enjoy yourself, take your time, and let it all come together in it's own time, or your time for that matter.   
• I tend to pick one area and color all of that number according to the color and stay within my small area that I chose.  Trust me, I learned this towards the end of this painting.  My husband is always telling work smarter, not harder... sometimes it takes me a while to figure that part out.

Is paint by numbers messy?

• No, I have not found any of my paint by number kits to be messy.  The paints all come in separate pots, they are small with snug fitting lids.  
• You may decide to cover your work area if painting on top of nice furniture.  I do not usually do this though.  
• The paint does not penetrate the canvas so there is no bleed through.  
• I also use a plastic throw away cup with water in it to wash out my brushes, and keep a paper towel close by to dry my brushes when changing paint colors.  The only mess could possibly be if you spill your water.  Keep it back away from your painting to prevent accidental spills.
• When you are painting a certain number over and over, you have less brush washing happening so there is less of a chance for a water spill.  
• The paints dry quickly so I have not experienced my hand dragging through the paint and messing my canvas or getting the paint on myself.
• The only time I have gotten paint on my hand is opening a pot and my finer slipped and went directly into the paint on the lid of the pot, other than that mishap, you should be fine.   

Other tips:

• If you are a beginner, I would choose a beginner paint by number kit.  When my first one arrived, I was overwhelmed by the detail and all of those tiny spaces to be painted in.  
• Do not get overwhelmed like I did, take your time.
• If your paint dries out, you can begin by adding a drop of water to the pot, replace the lid, and wait a few minutes, then remove the lid, and stir, if the paint is still dried, repeat the above steps until the paint becomes pliable again. 
• Have fun, and enjoy yourself.  I find this to be so relaxing.  I usually play a little Doris Day while I paint and sometimes I hum along.  I love that I can clear my mind and just let go for a while.  Since you are focusing on those small spaces, your mind has to let go of worries, and for me, helps in reducing my stress levels.   

I never really did in progress pictures of the other painting I shared.  Sometimes I begin a project and do not have the intension to share it here, but once it was completed, I decided I needed to give it a shout out.  This one though?  Peonies are one of my most favorite flowers so I had to share it with you all.  

I am not sure when my obsession with floral paintings began, but like most things in my life, I am thinking it began around the time I visited with neighbors as a child.  The home next door to where I grew up was a mansion in it's day, and was built in the late 1800's.  

If you are local, it was actually built by the same man (Daniel Sifford) a little known fact about that home, who also built The Georgian.  For those of you not familiar with The Georgian, it is a home that was turned into a museum to preserve it's history.  I included a link to the home's website if you would like to check it out.

Like many historic homes, people cannot afford to live in those large homes.  They are too expensive to heat and maintain.  The home I grew up next to had horse hair plaster walls that helped in insulating the home at that time.  Did you know that the horse hair also helped in strengthening the walls structurally?  Horsehair plaster also offers more soundproof walls than drywall, and helps in slowing fire progression in homes.  

Oh the trips you take with me.  I love learning tid bits like that and passing them along.  Just when you think you are only here for a simple paint by number kit, you read about horsehair.  I find so many things fascinating, it is why my ears are always open, and my mouth is usually shut taking in as much as I can.  

My mother became good friends with the family who lived next door and so many stories were passed to her over the years concerning the home and it's origins. It had been in her family for over 100 years before it was eventually sold.  She passed before her husband, and when he passed in the 90's the children sold since they were unable to stay due to the maintenance costs.  

Growing up, the entire family slept in the library with those large solid wood pocket doors nearly 11 feet tall closed to keep the heat inside.  Although the home was inherited, it was the only room they could afford to keep heated.  The children slept in sleeping bags on the floor.  I know as a child it was a lot of fun to sleep on the floor, but have you tried it lately as an adult?  I am not so sure I could stomach it, or should I say my back could handle it.    

Imagine those old hardwood floors and a thin sleeping bag as your only comfort.  I can understand why they were not able to take on the home being an adult now.  I was saddened when it sold as a child, but you are not aware of these things when you are young.

 

I attribute many of my tastes and love for older homes, damask patters, floral paintings, antique furniture, and eclectic tastes to the neighbors I had growing up.  I like to think they would be happy to know they influenced me too, old soul that I am.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Oh, and stick around, I have a new recipe to share with you tomorrow!  It was exciting making something new and hearing a certain someone loved it!  ❤

Did you know you can bookmark content from our blog to your Pinterest account?  Click on the photo to be saved to your desired board so you can locate it any time you want, we thank you.  

One last look at that beauty hanging on my bathroom wall.... ahhh, I love it!  What do you think?  I am thinking we need an entire wall of paintings there now... I better get a move on, it may take me a few years to complete that many, wink.