Types of Craft Paint

Craft paints are a versatile medium used to add color to a variety of home projects. Whether you are making a new project or touching up an existing item, some kind of craft paint is typically what you will reach for. From wood to fabric to glass, craft paints are the general choice for home projects that need paint.

Acrylic paint comes in both small and large bottles for the home crafter's use. These paints are nontoxic and clean up easily with warm water. A home crafter will enjoy the fast drying properties of acrylic paints as well as the myriad of colors from which to choose. Acrylic paints are suitable for painting paper, ceramics, metal, wood and plaster. For even more versatility, mix acrylic paints with a special ingredient and then apply to fabric.

Fabric craft paint is available in small bottles for painting a variety of fabrics. Fabric craft paint may be preferable to acrylic craft paint that has been mixed with fabric medium for applying on fabric because the acrylic paints often stiffen the fabric. Fabric paints will not soak into the material, which means that the fabric will stay soft and pliable. Fabric paint bottles have tips for writing directly onto fabric, if desired. Fabric paints come in a wide variety of colors, with glitter and shiny products as well.

Enamel craft paint is more durable acrylic paint. Enamel craft paints are suitable for painting ceramics, metals and glass. After applying enamel craft paints to these surfaces, the item can be baked in an oven to set the paint with heat. This process makes the painted surface durable enough to withstand washing in a dishwasher. Enamel craft paint is also suitable for outdoor metal, plastic and wood items. Enamel paint comes in a wide variety of colors to fit almost any need.

Tempera craft paint is the oldest form of paint and dates back to ancient civilizations. Mix your own tempera paints with tempera powder or use premixed tempera paints in a variety of colors. Advantages of mixing your own tempera paints include only mixing what you need to avoid waste and being able to control the consistency of the paint. Tempera paints are a popular medium for children because the colors are bright, the paint is washable, it is easy to work with and it is relatively inexpensive.

Watercolor paints are a mixture of color pigment and a binder ingredient. Over the centuries, people have experimented with a wide variety of binder ingredients to make a high-quality watercolor paint product. Apply watercolor paints to paper with a paintbrush by moistening the brush with water and dipping it into the watercolor medium. When the watercolor paints dry, they will appear somewhat transparent on the paper.