The Perfect Start: Basecoating Techniques

Let's discuss a couple of my favorite base coating techniques that you can use for your next sign project! During our recent Facebook live session (watch here), I showed you two of my favorite methods - car wash sponges and baby wipes!

Using a Car Wash Sponge

The first technique I showed uses a car wash sponge. You can purchase a car wash sponge from Dollar Tree or Walmart and cut it into smaller pieces. This method works well for larger surface areas and is super quick. Simply add the paint to your board, then spread around using the sponge. On the final coat, make sure that you're not too heavy handed with the sponge or you'll wind up with some texture; a lighter touch will help with that a lot!

Using a Baby Wipe

The second technique we demonstrated is using a baby wipe. This method works well for smaller surface areas or stains! Simply add your paint, then use the baby wipe to wipe it around on your surface. This creates a "stain" look with paint and is an easy way to add stain to your board as well. 

Priming with Rustoleum Flat White Primer

If you plan to use white as your base coat color, I do recommend priming your wood knots with Rustoleum Flat White Primer. This primer will help seal those knots and keep them from bleeding through to your project and yellowing your base coat.

Sealing with Rustoleum 2x Matte Clear Sealer

After completing your project, I always recommend sealing your project with Rustoleum 2x Matte Clear Sealer. This sealer will protect your project surface and make it easy to clean. You can seal between your base coat and your stenciled design, but it's not necessary.

We hope you found these base coating techniques helpful for your next project. Don't forget to join us over in the Facebook group for any technique questions you have and sharing your projects!