Tole painting is a decorative art form where the artist paints items that can include tables, tin cans, platters, cloth or any other number of items. It is a fun and interesting craft that almost anybody can enjoy. As long as you have some time on your hands, a few supplies and a desire to have fun, you can enjoy tole painting.

 The word tole comes from the French word for tin and was originally practiced in the 18th century by German immigrants in the New England area. There was also a similar art form emerging at the same time and practiced by Scandinavian immigrants. While the German immigrants tended to concentrate on metal and tin items, the Scandinavian practice tended to focus on wooden objects. Regardless of your heritage, tole painting can be done on many things and enjoyed by anybody.

 Today, tole painting thrives as an art form that anybody can do.

 Work from a piece of wood  Paint the background color first  Choose either a still life or landscape as your subject matter-portraits will be more challenging  Transfer the picture to the piece of wood  Carefully paint the image in  Let dry –cover with a varnish