1. The first thing that I did was pick out my paint. I looked at several home improvement stores, Walmart and Joanns. The only plastic spray paint that they had was in black, white or brown. I asked a worker at Lowe's about priming first and then painting with a paint that wasn't made for plastic. He said that he would not recommend it. I searched the web and found that some ladies who painted their ATGs with different paints had mixed results. Because I didn't want to risk ruining my ATG, I decided to keep searching for different plastic paints. I finally found a pretty blue at Michaels (Krylon Fusion for Plastic) and picked up the Krylon Glitter Spray as well. The glitter spray said it would work as a finish on any paint.
2. Next I prepared my ATG for painting. I went over it with a damp paper towel to remove any dust. Here is what my ATG looked like at that point:
3. Next I removed the tape:
You can wait to paint your ATG when you run out of tape, but because I was between projects, I didn't want to wait. So I simply cut off most of the used tape, leaving enough to wrap around the wheal when I was finished so I didn't have to waste any of the unused tape.4. Next you'll need a Phillips Screwdriver to remove both the wheals that the tape sits on.
5. You cannot remove any other parts without risking damage to your ATG gun, so it is best to take the time to cover them with blue painters tape. Remember that paint will go into any nook that isn't covered with tape. Here's what mine looked like after I taped it up:
I forgot to take a picture of the other side of the lid. I covered everything with the tape other than the little window that had "Scotch ATG" written on it. I wanted to paint over that. :) You can paint the lid if you would like. I like the look of the lid as is, and I like being able to see the tape through the lid.6. Go over your ATG one more time with a damp towel. Make sure you get off any dust or fingerprints.
7. Paint your ATG! Follow the instructions on the back of the spray can. You should always paint in a well ventilated area and have something to wipe off any drips that may occur. I originally put my ATG in a box lid and surrounded the area with garbage bags so I wouldn't get paint everywhere. My instructions said it would take 15 minutes to dry. So I painted one side and when I went to "check" on it 15 minutes later, one of my garbage bags was lying on top of it! Some of the paint was smudged so I sanded it down with fine sandpaper. After that I found it easier to hold the lid of the ATG while I was spraying it. It only took a few minutes for the paint to dry. I did several coats, allowing it to dry completely between coats. Lastly, I sprayed the glitter spray. The glitter covered all defects in my painting skills. I love how it turned out.
8. The glitter sray can said it would dry in 10-15 minutes (it actually took less than 5). But not to handle it until after 2 hours. So after it was dry to the touch, I let it "settle" for 2 hours inside before removing all of the tape. The tape was a lot easier to take off than to put on! I then screwed the wheals back in and replaced the tape. Here is what my completed ATG looked like:
9. Finally, I added a few stickers and a ribbon (I needed some purple!).
That's it! It took me most of the afternoon, but it was a lot of fun! :)
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