How to Handpaint Knobs for a Room

Prepare the knobs. Unfinished knobs are available in a variety of materials, each requiring a different preparation. Wooden knobs will need to be sanded lightly with 220 grit sandpaper to remove any surface irregularities. You may prefer not to use primer if you like the grain of the wood to show through a bit. Metal knobs will need to be primed with a spray metal primer (i.e. Rust Oleum). Resin knobs require the least prep--a light sanding with 220 grit if the surface is uneven. No primer required--just start painting!

Base the knobs with 2-3 coats of paint. It's best to keep paint off the bottom of the knob (the part that will go against the drawer or cabinet face) as this can cause a ridge that makes it hard to get the knob to screw in tightly. Let each coat dry thoroughly before re-coating.

Design your knob. It's best to figure this out before you start painting. Keep it simple or go wild. Look at fabrics or wallpaper in the room for inspiration. In the beginning, keep it simple! A couple lines for a stripe, a few more for a plaid. You can base your designs on the fabrics and wallpaper in the room. Just take the original material to your local copy shop, (along with the knob for scale) and reduce or enlarge them to fit the knob.

Make a pattern. Trace the knob shape onto paper, then transfer your design to the traced shape. You can transfer this design to the knob after you've basecoated it by using graphite paper, or you can do it freehand.

Decorate your knob. Here's the fun part. If you transferred your design with the graphite paper it'll be just like those paint-by-number projects you did when you were a kid. Keep a damp sponge handy--if you don't like what you've painted, and you've let your earlier coats dry completely--you can wipe off anything you don't like. Just do it quickly. If it's dried and you're not happy, just grab some sandpaper and take it down to what you do like!

Varnish your knobs when you've got them just the way you like them. Use 4-5 coats for a kid's room. Also be sure to use water-based varnish. It dries quickly, it's really durable and it's safer for kids to be around.

Finished.