How to paint glow in the dark pavers

• 3 pavers (mine are 270mm x 270mm)
• Computer and printer
• Craft knife
• Scissors
• Sellotape
• Resene testpot paint in your choice of colour, Fleur used Resene Quarter Milk White
• Stencilling brush or small piece of sponge
• Plate
• Pencil
• Painters tape
• Resene FX Nightlight

Instructions – Method one

Step 1:  Start with a paver. Fleur’s pavers were 270mm x 270mm square and charcoal in colour.

Step 2:  The first way to make a patterned paver is to find a stencil online. Measure the size of your paver and then re-size your online image accordingly. Print this out on to normal printer paper and use a sharp craft knife to cut out the stencil. Use loops of sellotape to attach the back of the stencil to the front face of the paver. Or create your own stencil design.

Step 3:  Use a stencilling paint brush to fill in the stencil with Resene Quarter Milk White. Hold the paintbrush like a pencil and dab it up and down to paint the paver. Avoid smearing or wiping the paintbrush from side to side as this will push paint under the stencil. If you don’t have a stencilling paintbrush, then a small piece of foam or sponge works well.

Step 4:  When the paint is dry, use the same painting method to apply three coats of Resene FX Nightlight, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next coat. Carefully remove the stencil as soon as you have finished applying the third coat.

Instructions – Method two

Another way of doing this project is to fold a square piece of paper that is the same size as your paver and cut it out with scissors like you would to make a paper snowflake. Again, use loops of sellotape to hold the paper in place and use the same painting method as described above.

Instructions – Method three

Or for a really simple method, trace around a plate with a pencil and use painters tape to tape around the circle and to add random lines and shapes across the circle.

Repeat as above with a coat of Resene Quarter Milk White, and once dry, follow with three coats of Resene FX Nightlight.

The Resene FX Nightlight will softly glow-in-the-dark as dusk falls and then will wane into the evening. If you need lighting late at night, the best idea is to install security lighting.

Top tip:  For the most standout glow-in-the-dark effect, use Resene White as your base colour.

Styling and images by Fleur Thorpe. Mar 2021.