Watermelon Phone Stand

Are you a watermelon fan?  I wasn't a big fan of it growing up, but the older I've gotten, I really enjoy some for the summertime.  Hi everyone, it's Maureen today, here with you during the heat of the summer.  I thought you'd enjoy a refreshing treat today - and even if you don't like to EAT watermelon, you might enjoy this cute project.

Today I'm sharing an adorable item that's not only fun, but fun-ctional!  It's a watermelon phone stand, using the Clear Scraps Acrylic Phone Stand item.  This is a great project to try out your painting skills, because when you use acrylic paints, you can just wipe it off and start over if you don't like it!

My first step is to peel off the protective film from both sides of the stand.  Next, I'm taking a foam brush and doing one light green stripe down the side, center and opposite side of the back of the stand.  I'm only going about 3/4ths of the way down, because this will be the top of my watermelon pattern.

Next, I'm taking a white acrylic paint and the tip of the brush handle, and applying small dots down the sides of each green stripe, in varying sizes.  I'm also adding a stripe of white where the green stripes end.  This will be the rind of the watermelon.

To paint on acrylic, it's helpful to start with the top layer of your design so it will show through later.  It's like painting in reverse!  Here I'm painting the watermelon seeds on first, and to do that I'm making a black dot with paint, then pulling one side out with a pin tool.  This helps me make tear drop shapes more evenly across the stand.  I also take that tool and add small white highlights in the shape of a comma around the seed.

Make sure each layer dries really well - I actually left mine overnight to make certain I wouldn't have any streaking.  Once the seeds are dry, I set out to cover them in a watermelon pink background with a light coat of paint.  Don't overdo it - just one or two strokes are plenty, and the image is meant to be a bit transparent.

My top layer involves sponging some dark green paint over the open stripe at the top.  These are applied over the white dots too, and become highlights from the front.  I did go back and fill in my white "rind" again, so that it was more visually appealing from the back.

Now, I'm also choosing to add a front image for decoration, so I've picked the watermelon wood shape from the Wood Summer Collection.  I'm painting this piece in a similar color scheme to the phone stand.  I've base coat the front and back in a light green paint, then sponged stripes on with a darker green on the back, and a half circle of watermelon pink on the front.

I've also added the same highlight dots to the edge, making it look like a rind.  Let this piece dry thoroughly.

I am a growing fan of the items I can print in vinyl, and acrylic products are so great for this medium!  I've chosen a phrase from my electronic machine and printed in a black permanent vinyl.  I recommend following the instructions on your machine for how to apply vinyl, but I'm including basic steps below.

First, peel away the excess vinyl and weed away the small pieces.  Rub this upside down on some transfer tape and peel off the backing.  Take the transfer tape and lay it over the area you want to apply it.  Then rub with a squeegie tool and pull the transfer tape away.

I've added a few words to the wood piece and a phrase to the acrylic phone stand too.  I've then applied the watermelon wood piece to the top of the stand with some hot glue.

Your final step would be to seal the stand in an acrylic sealer, especially so the paint doesn't chip away over time or if you are using it outside.  Then, you are ready to take your smartphone with you, to any room in your house or even outside to listen to some music!

I hope you enjoyed this "no-calorie" treat today - would you consider making something like this?  I'm including a supply list below, if you choose to give it a try.  Hope you stay cool this week and now, if you'll excuse me - Summer is calling.  grin  I'll see you next time!

Maureen

Additional tools:  acrylic paints in bright pink, white, black and lt/dk green; black vinyl and an electronic cutting device (I used Cricut Joy); acrylic paint sealer, sanding paper for wood, hot glue gun.