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How to Paint Plywood for Bedroom Decorations

While plywood is often used as a building material for constructing floors and walls, you can also transform this thin form of wood into a range of decorative items. Making plywood shapes, such as an animal or castle, and mounting them on the walls adds character and imagination to a child’s bedroom. Plywood bedroom decorations can take on numerous forms, and painting is a key part of the creation process.

Things You'll Need

  • Wood putty
  • Sand paper
  • White latex primer
  • Roller
  • High-gloss acrylic craft paint
  • Different size brushes
  • Water-based clear varnish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare the bare plywood surface on the bedroom decoration for painting. Clean away any sawdust or dirt left behind from the cutting process. Fill in any indentations on the plywood surface or edges with wood putty and allow it to dry. Sand down the putty and any rough spots.

    • 2

      Place the plywood bedroom decoration on a flat work surface, and use a roller to apply a white latex primer to the surface. Let the primer dry for at least six hours.

    • 3

      Paint the details onto the plywood bedroom decoration using high-gloss acrylic craft paint, which lends a vibrant shine. Cover the primer base with another base color or apply the design or pattern directly to the white surface. Use fine-tipped brushes to apply intricate details and larger brushes to cover wider areas with color. Let the paint dry overnight before handling.

    • 4

      Apply a water-based clear varnish to the finished bedroom decoration, which protects your paint job. Cover both sides of the plywood to completely seal it in, even if one side will be against the wall.