Painting Paddles and Oars
One of my favorite DIY decor projects was painting vintage paddles. A group of my girlfriends and I got together to paint old paddles and oars and had a fun afternoon that ended with a fun piece of art!
Everyone brought along paddles and oars they had found at flea markets or had laying around. Several came out of a neighbor's old boathouse. You can even paint a new paddle from a sporting good store.
We started by sanding the paddles and oars down. Many of them had chippy paint that needed to come off before a new layer could be painted on.
We used chalk paint to put colored layers on each one.
Everyone had different ideas for how to design theirs. I love the look of Hudson Bay blankets and Pendleton Glacier National Park stripes, so I decided to remake that look on my oar.
It was amazing to see all the different ways they turned out. There were so many fun design ideas. I also tied some burlap twine around mine to give it even more detail.
When I got home I had my husband hang the paddle in our sunroom. One of my friends was hanging hers horizontally in their bathroom to use as a towel rack. Another idea is to use it as a stair rail or a curtain rod.
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