Tartan Plaid Table: How to Correctly Paint a Custom Tartan Plaid
- Tracey Bellion
- 19 hours ago
- 5 min read
One day I lost my mind.....and thought painting a tartan plaid table would be a great idea!
I know.....I'm usually here to INSPIRE you....not DETER you....but I worked too hard on this not to share!
Will I do it again? Probaby not!
Do I love it? I do!
Do I think you should try it? I do! Mostly because I want you to feel what I felt! Absolutely nuts!
PRO TIP #1: Buy lots of painters tape!
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Where to start? Tips to correctly paint a tartan plaid...
What I do know is that you really can't mess this up!
The pattern is YOURS to design in any way you want. I started with this tartan design as my inspiration.
It looks overwhelming before you get started....but trust me.....after you complete your first few layers of stripes you realize that it is a building process and it just starts to flow!
I could have kept going.....I had to MAKE myself stop!
PRO TIP #2: It's important to let each layer dry before you begin the next layer. That is KEY!
This keeps paints from blending and keeps your lines sharp. It also keeps paint from lifting when you remove your tape. So take it slow, work in a climate controlled room with low humidity and have a heat gun available to dry each layer.
PRO TIP #3: I found it much easier to achieve clean stripes by using very little paint on my brush....almost dry brushing.
PRO TIP #4: A true tartan plaid is done with translucent colors... so you can see the place that they overlap! I did this by thinning my paint greatly and then blotting off all moisture before painting the plaid stripes.
Knowing and using the correct painting supplies makes all the difference...
Before the Tartan Plaid
The transformation from before to after is unreal! The "before" table is almost unrecognizable!
Supplies Used: Tartan Plaid Table
Custom Blend Cotton Candy (Soft Pink, Cottage Door, Peony)
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Painting the Base of the Table First
I began this table by painting its base first....with the table upside down. I did not prime.
I painted a solid base of my custom blend pink that I call Cotton Candy.
I painted the legs in my favorite aqua.... The Gulf.
I striped vertically over the Cotton Candy with Honky Tonk Red.
Base was complete in no time at all.....which left plenty of time to lose my mind on the tartan plaid surface.
How to Paint a Custom Tartan Plaid
I can't think of a way to describe the tartan plaid process to you in words without putting you to sleep.
I began by painting the entire surface in the Cotton Candy Pink. And then I started with the tartan stripes.
PRO TIP #5: The size of the stripes is completely up to you. It is important to change the sizes of your stripes as you change colors.
I did my stripe colors in the this order:
I taped off and painted large red stripes (watered down Honky Tonk Red) in one direction.....and let dry.
Then repeated this same thing in the same size. in the other direction.
And then I did the same with Fluff.
Next up... Limeade
Followed by The Gulf
And then a touch of Caviar
The metallic gold was a last minute decision and I didn't do it until the following morning after I added the metallic gold around the rim of the table. It was then that I thought.....hmmmmm......I'll just add ONE vertical and ONE horizontal thin gold stripe "offset" to the upper and left as an accent! You can see it here if you look closely in this photo below with my feet!
Looking for other painting technique tutorials? Check out some of my online classes!
The Finished Look
It was honestly a great experience! And much easier than it looks! It just took a lot of time..... and a heck-of-a-lot of tape!
I do think I'll try this again in the near future....but on small home decor pieces that I can just free hand it without taping!
Heck...maybe I'll try that today!
Have fun with the process should you try it at home!
More Inspiration:
I pulled a few blogs from past intricate table projects that came to mind when working on this piece. All of these pieces took extra time to paint but the results were worth the effort! I hope you can use them to draw inspiration for your upcoming project. Here are the additional designs for your inspiration:
Pink Geode Side Table - hand painted intricate design with a WOW finished look
Tiny Whimsical Christmas Table - a whimsical table with a fun holiday hologram top
Blue Green Sunburst Table - a show-stopper with pops of gold
Whimsical Painted Heirloom - stripes and checks in the tiniest most stunning way
Click on any photo below for more up-close photos and all the design details
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