mrs meyers contest!

A few months back, Mrs. Meyers announced that they were having a hunt for the first-ever homemaker. To enter you had to submit a 15 second Instagram video showcasing a DIY or craft that makes your home more inspiring. Well, this contest coincided with a big project that I was start- painting our worn out refrigerator with colorful pattern. I decided to film the process and enter the contest and low and behold... I made it to the semi-finals! 

Today I thought I would share the a peek into my process and also ask that if you like what you see you can head on over and VOTE FOR ME HERE. It would be super cool to win! 

In the meantime I hope my refrigerator project inspires you to make the most of what you have!

meyers from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

I am a big believer in using what you have to transform the things in your life. Not everyone has the money to buy new appliances, renovate or even buy new decor for the home but with a little paint and creativity, you have the ability to turn everyday things into art! Since I am an artist, I love using paint to update our home. From walls to furniture to appliances, just about anything can be painted!

Our refrigerator was a MESS! It was covered in photos, tape, permanent marker and paint (from my daughter). As nice as a new fridge would be, our fridge works just fine and honestly we really don't need to spend that kind of money. So I decided I would paint over it and turn the refrigerator into a statement piece for the kitchen.

The first step was to clean the surface really well. 

Next I sanded the surface- just enough to rough things up so that the paint would adhere.

  

Then I got busy painting. There are a number of different types of paint you can use to paint appliances- spray paint, enamel, they even make paint for appliances but I went ahead and selected a paint and primer all in one.

I painted two coats of color letting each dry in between. At this point, you could stop and leave your fridge a solid color but I love pattern and I wanted to paint a floral pattern.

Then I began painting my pattern with a small brush and black paint (again using paint/primer in one). Since I am really comfortable drawing and painting free hand, I jumped right in and painted my design but you could sketch out your design, use stencils or even use a projector and trace your design onto the surface.

I covered the entire surface with my floral design and then I used white paint here and there to add a little extra pop. 

Once finished I let the surface dry and then used a clear coat polycrylic to seal and protect everything.

The result is a bold, colorful and creative statement piece for the kitchen!

Not ready to paint a mural on your fridge? Try chalkboard paint, removable wall paper, decals or even decorative contact paper.