Using MMS MilkPaint™ To Customize Napkin Rings
Painting Napkin Rings With MilkPaint™
One of the best parts about summer is the ability to eat outside. I like to try to create a beautiful place setting whenever I eat outside. Having a nice place to sit down and eat a meal makes the act feel more intentional and memorable. Instead of rushing through a meal, a table setting invites people to linger and have a conversation.
One easy way to create a special table setting is by using napkin rings. It’s a simple way to elevate a meal, and putting a napkin ring on a napkin doesn’t require much work. (In fact, it takes all of 5 seconds)
Also, napkin rings make fabulous hostess gifts or housewarming gifts. So, today, I want to show you how you can customize wooden napkin rings using MMS MilkPaint™ and a few supplies. This is an easy project, and it will take longer for the paint to dry than it will to make these customized napkin rings.
The total estimated time for this project is about 1 hour and 10 minutes, which includes drying time for the paint.
I love using MMS MilkPaint™ for this project because it is non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and food safe. Any time I am using a paint product near food or in an area where people are eating, I want it to be safe.
Video Tutorial
Here’s a video tutorial that I made for you to enjoy. It’ll show you every step in the process on making your own customized napkin rings.
Supplies Needed
As with any project, the first thing we need to do is gather our supplies. Below is a list of supplies you will need:
Set of wooden napkin rings. (I recommend purchasing a set of at least four up to eight.)
120 grit sandpaper
A small 1” paint brush
MMS MilkPaint™ in any color you choose. I used Flow Blue.
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Pressed dried daisies
Everything other than the MMS MilkPaint™ products can be ordered online and/or purchased at a craft store. I was inspired to use pressed daisies and the color Flow Blue because we are at the height of summer. Both the color blue and daisies seem to represent the season and time of year.
Step 1 - Prepare The Napkin Rings
I ordered a set of 8 napkin rings from an online retailer for about $12. After opening the package and removing the napkin rings, I sanded them to remove the existing clear finish. The clear finish can prevent the MilkPaint™ from adhering to the wood. You don’t have to remove all of the finish but be sure to scuff sand the napkin rings.
I used 120 grit sandpaper to remove the existing finish on the wooden napkin rings. When you are sanding, be sure to sand the interior of the napkin ring as well as the edges. In the photo above, you can see the difference between the sanded and unsanded napkin rings.
Once all of your napkin rings have been sanded, wipe them down with a damp cloth to remove any remnants of sanding dust.
Step 2 - Prepare The MilkPaint™
In a small container, mix ¼ cup of MMS MilkPaint™ with ¼ warm water, and then add a few drops of MMS MilkMix-EZ™ and 2-3 tablespoons of MMS MilkGrip™. Combine all the ingredients well and let the paint sit for a few minutes.
Cover your work surface with kraft paper to protect it. Here is a quick tip - you can use a paper grocery bag to protect your surface. Then begin painting your napkin rings. For this project, I used a small 1-inch brush to apply the paint; however, you can also use a craft-style paintbrush.
You will need to apply two coats of MMS MilkPaint™ to the napkin rings. (Don’t forget to paint the interior of the napkin rings.) Once painted, it takes about 30 minutes for the paint to dry before you can apply another coat of paint. The part of this project that takes the most amount of time is allowing the paint to dry. Everything else is easy.
One more note, if you are painting your napkin rings a lighter color, such as MMS Farmhouse White or Linen, you may need to apply three coats of MilkPaint™ to the napkin rings.
Step 3- Seal Your Napkin Rings
Once both coats of paint have been applied and the napkin rings are dry, I recommend sealing them using MilkWax™. I simply used a small cloth and rubbed the wax on each napkin ring. I wiped off any excess wax.
Step 4 - Attach The Daisies
A quick note - I used pressed daisies for this project, but you can use any dried flower of your choice. My only suggestion is that the flower is pressed - or flat - so that the dried flower is more protected when you put the napkin rings away. Another option is to use artificial flowers, which are readily available at craft stores.
Now is the time to plug in your hot glue gun and get out your glue sticks. Once your glue gun is hot enough, add a small dollop of glue to the center of your napkin ring and apply a dried daisy. Repeat this until you have a sufficient number of pressed daisies attached to your napkin ring.
Here is a TIP: aluminum foil makes a great work surface for a hot glue gun. When you are done, you can put the foil in the recyclable bin.
Here is another TIP: If you are concerned about burning yourself on the hot glue, you can use tweezers to attach the daisies.
I decided to attach three pressed daisies to each napkin ring. However, you can choose to attach a single daisy, or you can attach daisies all the way around the napkin ring.
Step 5- Enjoy Your Napkin Rings
Congratulations! You have customized your napkin rings! This is such an easy project, and they make great gifts.
You can customize the napkin rings to whomever you are giving them to. Here are some additional ideas:
You can paint the napkin rings a favorite color
You can customize napkin rings for each season or for a holiday
You can attach a favorite dried flower or foliage
You can also paint the napkin ring different colors by using painter's tape
If you hop on over to the Sky Lark House blog, you can see an additional post on another way I customized these wooden napkin rings.
I hope you are all enjoying the long summer days and spending time with your loved ones! Of course, I also hope you are able to enjoy eating outside and having long meals where company lingers, and the conversations are engaging.
