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Painted Closet Doors

July 23, 2011 By Colleen Jorgenson 26 Comments

When I was teaching painting  & faux finishing classes, a lot of my students wanted to paint their walls – just some flowers or a touch of ivy. Walls make great canvases, and if you have left-over wall color, you can just paint over your design if you don’t like it. But I’d like to recommend another ‘canvas’ – closet doors.

Besides having to add a couple of extra steps – priming & sealing – closet doors are a great way to add some art to a room, especially children’s.

I painted this Classic Pooh door for my two-year-old niece as a growth chart – see the plank shingles going up the tree?
Pooh on closet door

It matches the toy box too.
Pooh painted on toybox

The whole ‘Pooh’ theme lasted until princess-mania set in last year. Now she’s all about The Princess and the Frog.

Princess & Frog painted on closet door

Mom didn’t want to give up the Pooh closet door so we just flipped it over and painted Princess Tiana and some of her friends.

Princess&Frog Mural

The next one was my husband’s idea. If you visit here often, you’ll notice he comes up with lots of ideas. This one actually was a keeper.

At first glance you might not ‘get’ what this is. It’s the nose of an airplane.
Tuskegee Airmen closet doors
Do you see the little planes around the nose? This actually is not my favorite. But the little boy loves it, as does his dad. Maybe it’s a guy thing. Here are some of the planes – the actual ‘art’ – in the rest of the room . . .

Tuskegee Airmen on wall

While I’d encourage you to paint any closet door – shoot, the core doors are only about $24 @ Home Depot – I would definitely not recommend louvered doors.

These took forEVER! Luckily Hubster primed, basecoated & sealed them. But getting in all the nooks and crannies, while trying to keep the integrity of the art was a pain in the *#%.
mural-on-louvered-closet-domural on louvered doors
But in this room, three bright white closet doors just wouldn’t have worked. I probably could’ve moved the tree, but still. The stark white would’ve drawn the eye right from the mural, imho.

Not into trying closet doors? Just add some touches around them.

That’s a soffit above the doors, with the rose vine hanging down. They used the sunflowers as a growth chart, too. Double duty – I love it!

If you’re not brave enough (yet) to paint a mural on your walls, paint a closet door. They’re inexpensive, removable, and make a great mural canvas!

Colleen

about Colleen

Filed Under: murals, my paintings, My Stuff

Comments

  1. Kelee Katillac says

    January 18, 2010 at 4:36 pm

    These are adorable! Great use of a child’s interests! Beautiful painting–you are talented!

    Happy to meet you…stop by!

    love,kelee

    Reply
  2. Kristin @ Meanbean says

    January 18, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    beautiful! I love the simplicity of the sunflowers one with the roses trailing down…so gorgeous! You are one talented woman

    Reply
  3. Maryann @ Domestically-Speaking says

    January 18, 2010 at 5:05 pm

    You are so talented!

    Reply
  4. Kaysi says

    January 18, 2010 at 5:07 pm

    Wow, you are an amazing artist! They look great and such a fun idea, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. asnipofgoodness says

    January 18, 2010 at 5:44 pm

    Great work, and it isn’t a guy thing, cuz I LOVE the plane on the closet, Very Cool! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  6. panamamama says

    January 18, 2010 at 5:48 pm

    So cute!

    Reply
  7. Phyllis AROUND THE HOUSE says

    January 18, 2010 at 6:38 pm

    wow ;you are so talented, love all the art work you did on the walls, so creative…i will be back to visit, i am a new follower of yours, come for a visit…

    Reply
  8. Judy Harper says

    January 18, 2010 at 6:50 pm

    Such a cool idea! I have a room for when my grandson and granddaughter visit. I now know how to make a focal point on one of the room walls! Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Debbie says

    January 18, 2010 at 7:29 pm

    What great work! I love that Pooh room so much.

    Reply
  10. Lou Cinda says

    January 18, 2010 at 8:49 pm

    Oh My Stars!! I am SO loving these!! Oh, if I only had a talent like yours! Awesome!

    I love the airplane nose and propeller! Just Awesome!!

    I am a follower!

    Lou Cinda

    Reply
  11. Luschka says

    January 18, 2010 at 9:14 pm

    I love those murals. I’ve alwasy wanted to do one for my daughter’s nursery, but we are in a rented lace

    Reply
  12. Luschka says

    January 18, 2010 at 9:15 pm

    sorry, meant that to say we’re in a rented place and can’t paint.

    Reply
  13. marissa says

    January 19, 2010 at 5:09 am

    wow those turned out so cool

    Reply
  14. Kimm at Reinvented says

    January 19, 2010 at 4:26 pm

    What great ideas, you are very talented! I love the louvered doors, the detail is amazing, and I can imagine how hard that must have been! Thanks for linking up.

    Reply
  15. Erin A says

    January 19, 2010 at 4:57 pm

    Wow, this is amazing!! LOVE that airplane door, it is so cute! Very creative.

    Reply
  16. Nikki says

    January 19, 2010 at 5:02 pm

    Wow your work is beautiful!! You are such an amazing artist and I love the idea of painting the closet doors with the walls in a room! I think the tree one is my favorite. We have blue walls in our bedroom and green walls in our living room and I’ve been thinking about painting, with maybe brown and purple, some flowers with stems going up almost to the ceiling and then a flower on the top. thanks for the inspiration!!!

    Reply
  17. The Persimmon Perch says

    January 19, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    Wow that is amazing. Great work. Thanks for sharing with Made it Monday! Jules

    Reply
  18. Tammy at Tattered and Timeless says

    January 19, 2010 at 11:42 pm

    Love them. My A-10 pilot hubby would love the plane nose and he would have gotten it without the explanation. guy thing
    tammy

    Reply
  19. Jane says

    January 19, 2010 at 11:46 pm

    I love the growth chart especially! I have no doubt that will be something your daughter is sentimental about as she grows up. I rent, but like you said, the hallow core doors are cheap enough I could easily do this and then swap it out for a new door if we move. Plus then I could keep all my hard work and take it with me! Love this idea!

    Reply
  20. Kim -today's creative blog says

    January 20, 2010 at 2:42 am

    love the plane!

    Reply
  21. Katie@Yoga Gal says

    January 23, 2010 at 3:06 am

    The plane nose mural is amazing! My husband would love that. You have given me some great ideas.

    Reply
  22. Cindy says

    January 23, 2010 at 5:07 am

    No way!!! You need to come to my house and do something spectactular on my closet doors

    So glad you could Mi4M

    Reply
  23. Lianna Knight says

    January 23, 2010 at 1:32 pm

    LOVE the plane closet doors…SO creative!

    You can see my DIY here…

    http://bethouaknight.blogspot.com/2010/01/liannas-labels-debut-and-giveaway.html

    Reply
  24. Niki says

    July 27, 2011 at 4:11 pm

    These are all so cool!! You do such amazing work!!

    Reply
  25. Katie says

    July 28, 2011 at 10:31 pm

    The airplane one is the COOLEST! You are one talented gal!

    Reply
  26. Feral Turtle says

    January 7, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    You are a very talented artist! Good job! Gonna have a snoop around now and see what else you’ve been up to! Hope you come snoop around mine too. Cheers!

    Reply

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    About Me

    Hi there! I'm Colleen, a self-taught artist, writer and blogger, among other things. You don't get to be old enough to order off the Denny's senior menu without accomplishing a few things in life. Read More…

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