In my attempt to paint V's bedroom this week, there have been many times where I have been painting with a busy 14-month old underfoot. I thought I'd share what I've learned from my experiences:
Do expect baby to want to help.
Don't expect to get much done.
Do dress baby in only a diaper because skin washes easier than clothes.
Don't put baby dressed only in a diaper down for a nap without putting more clothes on, she is likely to take the diaper off.
Do put up a baby gate so baby cannot splash in your paint bucket.
Don't use lead-based paint because baby likes to taste anything she splashes in.
Do put plastic or dropcloth under your paint bucket and preferably all over the floor of the room you are working on.
Don't let baby stand on your paint bucket. When she tips it over, the lid will come loose spilling paint all over.
Do secure baby someplace safe before cleaning up spilled paint from the carpet so she doesn't track it through the house.
Don't let the paint spilled on the carpet dry before cleaning it up.
While V is off at Junior Camp this week, I've been repainting his room. He is a self-proclaimed cowboy, so I went with a western theme. I still have more painting and a lot of decorating (curtains, shelves, ect.) but the messiest of the job is done.
The faux wood plank wall took the longest, but wasn't nearly as hard as it looks like it could be. Using a wood graining tool dragged through brushed-on brown glaze gave the grain texture.
I'm hoping to place a video camera in his room when he walks in to see this surprise. Funny thing is that he was already hoarse from yelling and singing at camp as of yesterday (Tues. afternoon), so he probably won't be able to talk by the time he gets home.
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