Be sure the tape is rubbed down firmly so that the paint will not bleed underneath the edges. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before taking off the tape. When several colors are to be used, paint all of one color in the first operation, let it dry, take off the tapes and retape for the next color. Stripes are painted with the blunt lettering brush. Small motifs, such as those shown on the French bottle on page 41, are done with the small pointed brush. Dots, circles, floral designs and figures are also done with the small pointed brush.

Florals and figures need a sure swift hand that knows exactly what it is doing. First efforts may produce work that is wavy and clumsy. Do not try to retouch an unsatisfactory stroke. Either wipe it off immediately or leave it alone. Perhaps you are being over-critical about its lack of perfection. It may not seem so obviously bad to someone else as it does to you. It may blend into the design and, if noticed at all, be considered but a charming inaccuracy that is typical of handwork. After all, you are not trying to duplicate the machine precision of a factory job. On the other hand, you owe it to yourself to keep practicing those strokes until they meet with your own keen approval.

In working out freehand designs for painted decoration keep in mind the things that add so much appeal to the European peasant designs. Gay, bright colors and simple amusing motifs make the most attractive decorations. Remember how quaint and sometimes silly the peasant animals were? Their charm lies in the fact that their lines are reduced to the simplest elements without too much concern for realistic details. This is true as well for their flowers which have the simplicity and directness of kindergarten drawings. Even their human figures have a paper-doll flatness that is delightful and highly effective in this kind of painted decoration. Without copying them, try to get the same feeling in the designs you create.

Work out the first few designs on paper before beginning to paint. Your pencil sketch can be very loose and unfinished, conforming only to the dimensions of that part of the bottle that is to be decorated. Its purpose is to give you an idea of how the motifs hang together and cover the area. Use it as a guide as you paint. Before long you will be able to visualize a design, to see in your mind's eye how it will fit into certain areas. You can then paint directly on the bottle itself without making any preliminary sketch.

When the painting is completed, put away the bottle for a few days. That rest period will give you a better perspective on the work. Take it out and examine it quite critically. Look at those leaves. Wouldn't a thin streak of white along the upper inside edges, and a dash of yellow on the stems, add sparkle? Now put some red speckles down the left side of the girl's skirt and a swish of blue across the tips of her shoes. See how those touches add vitality and brilliance to the figure. The thinnest edge of black often dramatizes a small motif by emphasizing it. Be careful, however, in adding these touches, for too many of them will confuse the design. Used with discrimination and taste, these color highlights give a professional finish to the work.

Other containers that may be decorated in the same free and charming manner are canisters for holding cereals, coffee, tea, etc. While you may buy new containers for this purpose, do not overlook the possibilities of using empty ones that are usually discarded. Some brands of cookies and cereals come packed in simple round tin boxes that are perfect for future decoration. Even the more usual cardboard containers may be used decora-tively if they are opened carefully and handled gently until such time as their original contents are finished.

Whether tin or cardboard or wood, such containers will have to have a cover coat of paint or lacquer to hide the printed matter on them. Two kinds of paint are quite satisfactory for the cover coat; a casein water paint, called Spred, which dries with a hard, enamel-like surface, or real lacquer. The latter may seem more expensive to buy but in the long run proves to be most economical because a little of it goes such a long way. Both kinds dry rapidly with a hard, brilliant surface.

In putting on the preliminary coat of paint, take care that neither the bottom of the container is smeared nor the paint allowed to drip inside the upper rim. The cover must be handled with particular care as it is usually quite shallow, thus tempting you to hold it in the left hand while painting it. The best way is to place it on a piece of newspaper on a table. While the left forefinger steadies it, paint the rim first. Then the top is painted. In painting the rim of the cover and the bottom edge of the container, the brush will inevitably also paint the newspaper upon which they rest. Before the containers are quite dry, move them slightly to one side so that they will not stick to the newspaper. When that happens, it is almost impossible to take them off the paper without having pieces of it stick to the edges.

When the cover coat of paint is quite dry, the decorations may be added, using the same kind of paint and brushes and following the same technique as that for decorating bottles. Now an additional note is added; it is customary to indicate on a canister what its contents are. Marking the canisters involves either printing or script lettering. Of the two, the latter is easier and usually conforms with the style of the design more harmoniously. A little practice in writing out the words "coffee," "tea," "cereal," etc. with the paintbrush will give you sufficient skill to make an acceptable job on the rounded surface of the canister. The trick is to keep the script large enough to be read at some distance. A lightly pencilled guide on the can will help in getting the letters all the same size.

Strive for gay and fantastic effects,free and easy lines, bold colors. Wooden toy-type animals and flowers-that-never- s grew make the most amusing and attractive designs when used smartly.

If, however, you insist upon having printed lettering, make up your mind to do quite a lot of practicing before tackling a real job. It is quite a different thing to print on a flat surface than it is on a curved one. A piece of paper, scotch taped to the can, will help you get the feel and control necessary to produce good printing. Some art supply stores sell plastic lettering stencils which may be used for this purpose. First, a guide line, to keep the lettering straight, is very lightly drawn .Then the stencils are placed so that the bottom of each letter touches the guide line. Lightly pencil the outline of the letter through the stencil. It is not advisable to try to paint the letters through the stencil because the curved surface of the canister makes it almost impossible to hold the stencil down tight enough to prevent the paint from bleeding under the edges. After pencilling the outline of the letter it may be filled in using the small pointed brush for that purpose.

Wood trays and bowls become most attractive when painted with bright, gay designs. While they may be bought from art supply stores, you should first investigate the possibilities of a local millwork and turning concern. It is often possible to get odd-sized plywood trays or pieces that can be turned into trays of various sizes for much less money than one would spend in a handcraft store for similar items. The millwork company will cut the wood to your specifications when you have worked out original designs. They can suggest ways and means of working out articles that are individual and unusual. Take advantage of their skill and experience.

These wooden items may be treated in two ways: decorated directly on the wood surface or first given a preliminary coat of paint, and then decorated. By all means use lacquer when a colored background is desired. It looks more professional than other types of paint, requires but one coat, dries with a soft brilliance that is most attractive and does not show the brush strokes. The style of decoration is a matter of personal choice. The size of the designs and motifs should be scaled to the size of the articles they decorate. A final coat of clear lacquer is desirable to protect both the design and the background. When so treated these trays and bowls may be washed without injuring the decorations.

When using lacquer, either colored or clear, work quickly, flow rather than brush it on, and keep a window open. It has an unpleasant smell which can give you a headache if used in a closed room. Care should also be taken not to work with it near an open fire. The cans must be tightly closed when the work is done and the brushes cleaned in a lacquer thinner, not turpentine.