As I’m sure you know,these mixers are pretty heavy. So like most people, mine just stayed out on the counter. After several years I finally decided, “why not paint it?!” It wasn’t difficult at all.
Here’s everything I used:
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First, I started off by removing all of the silver pieces like the little plate on the bottom and the strip that goes around the top. These are really easy to take off.. just a few screws and that’s it. It’s probably a good idea to remove these occasionally anyway even if you’re not planning to paint your mixer. I keep my mine pretty clean, but when I took off the metal strip I found that there was stuff behind it... Gross!
Anyway, I put all my pieces into a Ziploc baggie so they wouldn’t get lost. I gave it a really good scrub with some soap and water. Then I gave it a quick scuff sanding to help with paint adhesion. This step may not have been 100% necessary because I was already planning to use Slick Stick, but I just wanted to be extra safe.
To scuff sand, you can use really any fine grit sandpaper. I like to use Rad Pads because.. well, they’re pretty amazing! They’re sandpaper on one side and foam on the other. They're super flexible and they work really great. You can use them wet or dry, and they come in different grits. I use them for lots of things! Anyway, so basically I took my Rad Pad and just gave it a quick buff all over. Then, I took a lint free rag and wiped it down with some rubbing alcohol. Notice, I wasn't trying to remove the paint or anything, only scuff the surface to give it a little texture.. something to grip on to.
It’s a good idea to tape off anything that you don’t want paint on at this point. So I put some painter's tape on my lever and around the base of the cord. I didn’t see the point in covering the entire cord because I would just try to avoid getting paint on it. But for the other stuff that was close to what I was going to be painting, it was just easier to wrap with painters tape... No sense in taking anything else any farther apart.
Now it’s ready for some Slick Stick. This is a product made by Dixie Belle specifically as a gripping primer. So basically, it helps the paint adhere to things that are non-porous or that it wouldn’t ordinarily be able to grip on to. I applied a solid coat of Slick Stick over the entire mixer using a good synthetic brush. I used a Dixie Belle Mini, but really you can use any brush as long as it is a good quality, preferably synthetic brush. This is important if you want a nice smooth paint finish. I let the first coat dry for two hours and then I applied a second coat and let it sit overnight.
Now we’re ready for the fun stuff... Time to actually paint your mixer! Again, I used my Dixie Belle Mini synthetic brush and their Chalk Mineral Paints. I applied two coats of paint. The colors I chose were Antebellum Blue and Sea Glass. You can use really any colors you choose.. As many or as few colors as you’d like.. options are pretty much limitless!
I used my first coat just to get an idea of where I want it each color to be. I didn’t focus too much on blending them together. On my second coat, I made any adjustments I felt necessary. In my case, I decided I wanted a little more Antebellum Blue up the sides.
The paint dries pretty quickly, but I let it sit for a few hours to be safe. You can speed this process up with a hairdryer if you want.
If you’re happy with your paint job you can stop here and seal it at this point.
But I wanted to add something a little extra. I chose to use part of a Redesign with Prima transfer. The entire transfer itself is pretty large but I just cut a few pieces off that I wanted to use and saved the rest for other projects :)
I carefully applied my transfer exactly where I wanted it, one small section at a time. Take your time with this part. Rub on transfers are easy to apply but can get a little tricky when going around awkward curves. Feel free to cut it into smaller pieces as many times as you need. Once it’s on you’ll never be able to tell it was cut.
Make sure you don’t have any loose pieces or air bubbles. I like to gently rub over my transfer and make sure everything is pressed down well. Took my finishing pad and gave it a quick once over to burnish it in.
I gave it two coats of Dixie Belle Clear Coat in flat, waiting about an hour in between coats. I chose flat just because I really like a matte finish, but it comes in flat satin or gloss. Any one of these will work. Now if you did not add a transfer onto your mixer you could skip the clear coat. But if you did, you definitely need to seal your transfer.
At first this is where I stopped with mine. Now I put all my pieces back on just the way they came off and it looks like I had a brand new beautiful mixer!
However Dixie Belle’s Clear Coats are water resistant but not water repellent. This is actually fine for me and I’ve left it for the past two months or so just to test it out for durability. Let me tell you, this paint is not going anywhere! However, I did recently decide to go back over it with two coats of Gator Hide. This makes it super super easy to wipe down.
Here's a Recap:
Remove loose parts and Clean clean clean!
Buff with sanding pad then wiped down with alcohol
Apply two coats of Slick Stick using a synthetic brush and let dry overnight.
Apply two coats of Dixie Belle. Chalk mineral paint
Optional: embellish with transfers or stencils etc. if you want to!
If you used a transfer seal it with a Dixie Belle Clear Coat. If not, you can skip this step
Apply Gator Hide using a synthetic brush or sponge
Replace all loose pieces and enjoy your newly painted mixer!
Keep in mind that Dixie Belle Paints will dry right away but can take up to four weeks to fully cure.
You can still use it during this time just take extra caution to be gentle and wipe clean with a damp cloth as needed.
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