There are several different tools used in the driving world to help horses have better action. Some use weighted boots, others chains, bands, or there are “flip flops.” Flip flops for driving horses consist of a strap that’s buckled around the horse’s pasterns with a length of hose hanging off. When the horse moves, the hose dangling makes them pick their legs up higher and helps get them in better shape and stepping bigger.

Supplies Needed to Make Flip Flops For Your Driving Horse

• 2 9″ lengths of hose
• 2 1 1/2″ split key rings
• 4 or more #10 split/lock washers
• 2 nylon dog collars
• 2 or more #10 x 32 – 1″ machine bolts with nuts (these are 1/4″ longer)
• Lighter
• Scissors
• Pliers
• Drill and 3/16″ drill bit
• Optional: Leather punch
• Optional: Duct tape

Steps to Make Flip Flops For Your Single or Country Pleasure Driving Horse

1. Cut the dog collar to be 10″ long, then use the lighter to burn the end so it doesn’t unravel.

2. Use either the drill or a leather punch to punch holes in the newly shortened collar and the lighter to burn them and prevent unraveling.

3. Next, take one of the key rings and install it on the collar’s leash loop. In the past I’ve used solid metal rings for this, but they had to be sawed to install on this piece, so I’m trying key rings this time. We’ll see how it goes! Another option is to have solid rings and put them around the collar itself, I just prefer to keep the metal off of my horse’s legs.

4. Fold the hose in half and use the drill to put holes going straight through both ends of the hose (four holes).

5. When the holes are drilled, slip the ring onto the hose so it hangs in the fold.

6. Place one washer on the bolt. Using your pliers to help squeeze the hose down a little bit, run the bolt through the four holes to hold the flip flops together. Once you get it through all four, place another lock washer on the other side and the nut. Make sure to not squeeze down on the hose too much, you don’t want a lot of excess metal from the bolt sticking out.

7. Optional: For extra durability and to help cover up the metal portions on the hose, wrap the flip flops in duct tape.

The post How to Make Flip Flops for Driving Horses appeared first on Little America Miniature Horses.

Have you ever wondered how people get boots that perfectly match those jewel-toned, bright red, deep gray or whatever color showmanship outfits? They’re probably a custom paint job! I have to thank a friend from the ring, Jillian H. for exchanging multiple texts with me sharing all the details on how to pull this off flawlessly.

Matching Paint to Your Showmanship Outfit

Obviously, you’ll need paint that matches your boots as one of your supplies. There are two ways to achieve this match.. but first, an important note: You SPECIFICALLY must buy water-based (aka latex or acrylic) paint! I’m told oil-based will peel off of your boots.. not a good look! Anyway, back to color matching:

Run a Color Match Against Your Showmanship Fabric

If your local hardware store offers this service, it’s what I would recommend! In my case, I went to Home Depot. So you don’t risk losing stones from the top… take the pants from your outfit into the paint department and let them know you need a water-based satin finish paint sample that matches the fabric. If they offer the service, they’ll be able to scan it and get a closer match than would happen with paint chips. Mine cost only about $4.. not bad!

Compare Your Fabric to Paint Chips

If you don’t have access to hardware stores that have the color matching option, no problem! You can get a pretty close match using paint chips. Head to the paint department of your local hardware store with the pants from your outfit. Take a look at the walls of paint chips (color samples) and pull a few that appear close to your outfit. A tip from my friend: “some store lights lie!” Take the fabric and chips out of the store into the sunlight to get a better grasp on the right match.

Once you’ve found the right one, ask for a water-based satin finish paint sample in that color. Easy peasy!

None of them close enough? Try another store if that’s an option! I first went to Lowes looking at paint chips, then to Home Depot where I discovered the color matching option and did that instead.

Supplies for Painting Cowboy Boots

Note: We’ll receive commissions for purchases made through the Amazon links in this supplies list.

• Tailored show outfit (matching top+pants)
• Boots to paint
• Painter’s or masking tape
• Water-based primer OR fine sandpaper to prep boots
• Water-based satin finish paint sample matching your outfit
• Cardboard
• Paintbrush or paint sponge
• Smaller paintbrush for details

Instructions to Paint Boots to Match your Horse Show Outfit

1. Tape the areas of the boots where you don’t want paint. I taped around the soles but it wouldn’t hurt to tape where you want to stop before the upper portion too, assuming you’re not going to paint the entire boot.

2. Setup a spot to paint. I used cardboard to keep the paint from getting on the ground or anywhere unwanted.
3. Stir or shake your water-based primer then paint your boots. If you have multiple brushes, use the bigger one to do most of the work then touch up with the small brush. Some of those crevices, in particular, around the seams, are difficult to get.
4. Let the primer dry for an hour or so.
5. Stir or shake your water-based fabric-matching paint and get started using the regular paintbrush!
6. Followup with the smaller paintbrush for the detailed areas to really make sure they’re covered.
7. Once the colored layer has dried completely, cover in a second coat to eliminate any streaks.
8. Let the paint dry then carefully remove the tape. Voila! You’re ready to hit the ring with your horse!

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Story Behind the Supplies

I used to apply crystals using bent end tweezers and would dip the crystal in glue then apply it, one by one. It worked. It also was painful.. it took FOREVER! At the American Miniature Horse Association World Championship show earlier this year I saw a vendor working on a shirt using some amazing tools, so that’s the process covered here. I’ve linked to the vendors and tools I purchased in the supplies section. The shirt I’m blinging in the video is a custom made one by Show Off Designs. That said, there are plenty of shirts available off the rack or on eBay that are great for blinging!

The syringe recommendation came from some trial and error. For my first purchase, I bought small squeeze bottles with even smaller gauge blunt tip needle caps. I thought they looked like what I saw the vendor using, but when I got them the opening was too small to get the thick E6000 through, and the needle tip was too fine as well. The syringes I’ve linked below though work well. Whatever you use, I wouldn’t recommend getting a blunt tip needle much smaller (higher number) than 14 gauge for E6000. The smaller the gauge number, the bigger the needle circumference and more glue will come out quickly.

For glue, I always use E6000. It’s what the pros use and does not disappoint! A good tip to keep your glue in working order is to run vaseline around the threads of the opening to the glue bottle the first time you open it. This will keep the sometimes stringy glue from sticking and gluing the lid shut! The glue is VERY strong and has toxic fumes, so be sure to use it only in a well-ventilated area.

For rhinestones, I ordered this time from Dreamtime Creations, but I also sometimes pick up stones at M&J Trimmings. The stones used in the video are Swarovski Xirius Rose 2088 flatbacks (style) SS30 (size) in crystal and light siam (colors). I’ve also used the same style and colors but sized SS20 on this shirt to fill in when there are gaps SS30s are too big to fill. The opposite of needle gauges, with rhinestone sizes, the smaller the number, the smaller the size crystal.

Finally, the jewel pick up tool! The tool I linked below is fabulous because it’s several tools in one. It has the pick-up/clay tipped end for picking up crystals. To get the clay to flow out, just gently twist the tip of the pen to get it flowing, then twist back in the opposite direction to stop the flow. These instructions are written (though VERY easy to miss) on the outside of the pen. Then when you look at the other end, you can pull the bevel edge tip out of the pen to reveal a blunt tip and a little slot in between the two that you could use for a key to press glue out of the tube if you have a small enough bottle of E6000.

Supplies to Add Crystals to Horse Show Clothes

Note: We’ll receive commissions for purchases made through the Amazon links in this supplies list.

• Shirt to decorate
• E6000 Glue
• Syringes with 14 gauge blunt tip needles
• Flatback Rhinestones
• Silhouette Pick-Me-Up Jewel Tool/Setter
• Paper towel
• Mousepad with rubber grip back (optional)
• Glue respirator (optional)

Instructions to Bling Show Clothes

1. If your stones aren’t already face-up, pour them out on the back of a mousepad. Gently run your hand over the top of them to get them to all flip right side up. This is much faster than doing it individually by hand!
2. Plan out where you want to put what. If you need to, lay some of the crystals out to get an idea of the sizes and look so you know where to apply the glue and how to space it out. Also, think about your breed and event before you begin! For example, I show miniature horses, so I’ll typically wear shirts with a number clip that hangs from my collar. Because of that, I left a gap in the crystals on the collar so the clip has a comfortable spot to go.
3. The E6000 glue is toxic, so make sure you’re either in a well-ventilated area or wearing some sort of filtering protection! Trust me, this stuff is STRONG.
4. Twist or press (depending on the type) your needle onto the syringe and insert some glue into the syringe from the opposite, wide-open end. Start with just a bit! A little can last a long time, and you don’t want to leave the glue sitting in the syringe when you’re ready to stop for the day.
5. Gently press down on the plunger of the syringe to get the glue flowing. Apply small dots of glue where you want to apply crystals, keeping them smaller than the crystal size you’re using since the glue will spread under the flatback. Be sure to leave enough room in between the glue dots so there’s space for the crystals to fully sit on the fabric and glue instead of on each other. E6000 can be very stringy if you’re not careful and it gets on the stones and is hard to remove, so press/drag the needle gently on the fabric before moving to the next dot to cleanly move. When you’re ready to stop, gently pull back on the plunger to bring the glue back into the tube.

   

6. Use the paper towel to wipe off the tip of the needle as necessary–the glue will dry and build up the longer you go.
7. Take the jewel pick up tool and gently touch the top of the crystal you want to pick it up, then touch to the glue. Don’t worry about pushing it too firmly into the glue–just touch enough that the glue pulls the crystal off of the tool. I’ll sometimes twist or roll the tip off of the stone as sometimes coming straight up just pulls it back off of the glue.

   

8. Once you’re done covering up the glue dots, you can use the beveled or pointy end of the setter tool (you can pull that end out to reveal both types of ends) to firmly press the crystals into the glue or adjust it as necessary.

   

9. Repeat until you’re done! Then clean out your syringe. I use up all the glue in the syringe, then use water and a safety pin to clean out the syringe and needle. You can get lots of uses out of a single syringe if you do a good job of cleaning it. I recommend leaving a safety pin through the needle until you’re ready to use it again., then leave the safety pin through the needle until you’re ready to use it again.

There you have it! Now you know how to bling show clothes. Now go get busy!

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ARDMORE, Okla. — Tiny horses took Ardmore by storm over the weekend.

The American Miniature Horse Association held its Central Regional Championship show at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum.

There were several entry categories, including obstacle driving and country pleasure driving.

“You can drive them, so they can pull carts,” said exhibitor Lauren Greaves. “That’s actually my favorite thing to do. I’ll be doing it with one of my horses later today. You can also take them over jumps, we just do it in hand instead of actually riding.”

Miniature horses are smaller and less expensive to maintain than their full-size cousins. 

“You want to enjoy your equines, but you want something that is safer, or maybe more docile, or just less expensive to own, because horses are a very expensive hobby and miniatures are much more affordable-sized horse,” explained AMHA regional show manager Laura Mullen.

When it comes to these horses, anyone of any age can enjoy them.

“You’ll see here at this horse show that some of our exhibitors are as young as five years old,” Mullen said.

“It’s just fun to come see the different ages of people that are here showing,” Greaves said. “We have everything from probably four-year-old children up to 70. My dad is 73, and he’ll be showing this weekend as well.”

The three-day championship event continued through Sunday. The AMHA World Championship show will take place August 23-31 just down Interstate 35 at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth.

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Get started! How to clean a mini horse harness:

Supplies Needed

• Pledge
• Brasso brass cleaner
• A soft cloth or two to clean with, preferably microfiber or an old tshirt
• Rubber glove (optional)
• Old toothbrush (optional)

Instructions to Clean a Mini Horse Harness

1. I start with the brass on my harness because the cleaner can get on the leather. Put on your glove and either put some Brasso on the cloth, or on your glove, and rub it in a circular motion on each brass part of your harness. The more tarnished the brass is, the more you’ll need to rub to clean it up.
2. Once you’ve restored the shine, use a clean portion of your rag to wipe off the rest of the product.
3. Repeat for the rest of the brass on your harness. TIP: Unbuckle each piece to work on it, then redo the buckle before you continue so you don’t change the way your harness is fitted for your horse! You can use the opposite side of the harness to remind yourself where to redo the buckle.
4. If your cloth is covered in Brasso, use a different cloth for cleaning with Pledge. Spray the pledge on your cloth (NOT on the harness) and rub it on the leather portions of the harness, taking care to avoid the embroidery.
5. For hard to reach areas of the harness, spray Pledge on the toothbrush and gently use it to clean those areas, then wipe them dry with the cloth.
6. Repeat until you’ve finished cleaning your harness!
7. Head to an AMHA show and get it dirty again!

Find your next miniature horse driving prospect with Little America. We have foals by LR Phantom’s Secret Storm, son of 35-time World Champion Single Pleasure Driving and Roadster horse, Silver Meadow’s Phantom Storm.

We also own 22-time AMHA World Single Pleasure Driving and Roadster winner, Lymrick’s Irresistible Force, “Guinness” and have his progeny for sale. Not only has Guinness won World Reserve Grand Champion Single Pleasure Driving Horse in both open and amateur, but he’s also been World Grand Champion Roadster Horse at AMHA World!

The post How to Clean a Mini Horse Harness appeared first on Little America Miniature Horses.

This is no tall tale.

The Stock Show has had miniature horse shows for more than 30 years, and Tony Greaves and his small equine have competed in every one of them.

The 72-year-old Buda resident and his tiny horses, which cannot be taller than 34 inches, were there Thursday for another round of competition.

An estimated 60 of the cute animals are in the competition, which continues Friday.

“I’ve brought 13 horses this time,” Greaves said Thursday as he took a short break from preparations. “It looks like we’re going to be entered in 90 classes.”

His love for the tiny horses is legendary. And why not? One look at them and your heart melts.

Greaves’s family didn’t start out raising miniature horses.

“My parents had Shetland ponies and quarter horses, but I wanted a horse even smaller than the ponies,” he said.

As a senior at Lamesa High School in the South Plains of Texas, Greaves started with one miniature. He now has 170 at his Little America Miniature Horse ranch just south of Austin.

“They are addictive,” Greaves said. “No one can have just one.”

For the last 50 years, Greaves and his small horses have gone coast to coast in competitions; this year he plans on entering at least 14 to 15 events.

And he’s been a winner. Greaves has had seven world champions at the American Miniature Horse Association World Championships. In recent years, that event has been held in Fort Worth.

This passion for the tiny horses has been a family affair. His two daughters have shown miniature horses, and his 29-year-old daughter, Lauren Greaves, will be on hand Friday.

The Greaves even had a baby shower at a miniature horse show event in Fort Worth when Carol Greaves was pregnant with Lauren.

“I have never known my life without them,” Greaves said Thursday in a telephone interview. She noted she had a pony and an Arabian horse growing up. “It was so funny. They were so much bigger.”

Like her father, Lauren Greaves said her loyalty remains with the very small horses.

“I just love them,” she said.

Not only has the Greaves’ family become fans of the miniature horses, but they’ve spread it to others. One way has been through Greaves’ Thursday Kids, a program in the Buda area that introduces kids to the animals.

That program is what got Shelley Baker of Austin and her daughters, Emily, 16, and Kayla, 13, involved.

“I grew up around a horse ranch, but nothing like this,” Shelley Baker said Thursday. “We’ve been showing with Tony for five years, and it’s been great.”

Greaves has even spread his love for miniature horses around the world.

In recent years, Greaves has sold his small horses to owners in Russia, Australia and Costa Rica.

The post These horses are no taller than lawn chairs. That’s one thing that makes them so lovable appeared first on Little America Miniature Horses.

“Lifetime Achievement

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a nominee who has been an AMHA member in good standing for a minimum of five years. This individual is to have demonstrated an exceptional and specific contribution toward the perpetuation, use and/or breeding of the American Miniature Horse. They have earned documented recognition and respect as a positive, active and inspirational representative of the American Miniature Horse Breed and of the Association, having clearly served to strengthen the foundation and to direct the vision of the breed and/or the association.

Shared from Pete and Jennifer Welma’s nomination letter: Many of you know Mr. Tony Greaves, either through his constant smile and friendly demeanor or for the fact that he has been involved in the miniature horse industry for over fifty years. Tony has served the American Miniature Horse as a showman, educator, breeder and most of all an advocate for the breed himself.

Tony Greaves came from a long line of horsemen. He grew up on his family’s Quarter horse ranch but was inspired to own a Miniature horse by a Bozo the Clown comic book he read as a child. Fifty years ago, in the spring of 1963, Tony’s first miniature-sized horse, “Big Un,” was born. And in 1978 when the AMHA was founded, Big Un was Tony’s first AMHA registered horse, measuring at 31 inches tall. From there Tony began breeding Miniature horses in earnest, naming his farm Little America Miniature Horses. Today that farm in Buda, Texas is home to approximately 200 Miniatures. Tony is an international breeder, selling horses in Scotland, Thailand, Mexico, Russia and France. Each horse sold proudly carries the Little America name prefix. And they number almost 900 now.

Tony’s commitment to his business of breeding and selling Miniatures is just a small part of his passion. His enthusiasm and knowledge propelled him toward a more active role in 1993 when he became AMHA’s Secretary. From there his involvement blossomed as he served as Vice President (twice) and President of AMHA (3 times). He continued to be very involved and served on the Board of Directors and in 2005 received a well deserved “A” Award for Volunteerism.

Also in 2005, Tony’s daughter Lauren started a program called Thursday Kids that allowed children of all ages to come to the ranch and learn about Miniature horses. Now, seven years later the program is still going strong thanks to Tony and Lauren’s tireless efforts to educate children about the amazing Miniature horse, all the while promoting AMHA by supporting its shows and involving families that would not have otherwise ever been introduced to a Miniature horse. Tony uses every opportunity to share the Miniature horse with his community. The list of ways he’s found to showcase them is staggering from festivals and parades to career days at schools, Pet Appreciation Days, local nursing homes and yearly barn tours in his community.

But the most personal way Tony has found to share his love of the Miniature horse is with the hands-on approach that he uses with the numerous children that visit the farm every week. Kameron Welma is one of those fortunate kids who won the friendship of this amazing man over the past four years. Kameron soon learned the rules of the barn, “brush, water, check and clean the stalls and no running in the barn area.” In appreciation of the responsibility, knowledge and skills Tony bestowed, Kameron is now more confident, has a better attitude and his self-esteem has grown leaps and bounds. During the four years, Kameron has been involved in the Thursday Kids, he has won countless ribbons, belt buckles and other outstanding rewards. But he counts Tony’s friendship as his biggest win so far.

It seems fitting to award Tony Greaves this lifetime achievement award for his continued drive and faithful service to promote the Miniature horse and the AMHA on this 50th anniverary of the registration of his first Miniature horse.

Congratulations Tony!”

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“Jumps for Hunters and Jumpers will be made of 1-1 1/2″ schedule 40 PVC piping or other suitable light-weight material with jump cups, not to include pegs, nails, bolts, etc.  All jumps must be a minimum of five (5) feet wide… Jumps thirty-two inches (32) or more in height must have a second rail added.  All post and rail jumps must have a ground pole.  Uprights are to be a maximum of forty-eight (48) inches in height. …Any decorations or jump wings must not protrude more than twenty-four (24) inches from the uprights.”

Supplies

• ??— 10′ length of Schedule 40, 1.5″ diameter PVC pipe (Use the underlined totals in the directions to calculate how many 10′ lengths you will need according to how many jumps you want to make, and which height of uprights you want–hunter and/or jumper.)

  

• 2-4 — 1.5″ PVC caps (2 for hunter uprights, 2 for jumper uprights)
• 2– 1.5″ PVC T connectors
• 2-6– 2″ PVC T connectors (For jump cups. 2 for hunter uprights, 4 for jumper uprights because jumps over 32″ in height must have a second pole added to keep horses from running under.. trust me, I had it happen at a show once when the rule wasn’t followed!  I like to have a cup/D-ring on both sets of uprights so I don’t have to change them out when I switch from hunter to jumper)
• 4– 1.5″ PVC Elbow connectors
• 2-6– D-rings (To hold jump cups. 2 for hunter uprights, 4 for jumper uprights. I like to have a cup/D-ring on both sets of uprights so I don’t have to change them out when I switch from hunter to jumper)
• 12– 1″ Sheet metal screws
• Saw
• Drill and bits
• Screwdriver

Directions to Build Mini Horse Jumps

1. Cut the 1.5″ diameter PVC into the following lengths:

• Long side of base and jump pole length: 5′ (x3 for hunter, x4 for jumper) = (15′ of PVC used for only hunter, 20′ if doing jumper for an extra jump pole)
• Short side of base length: 10″ (x4) = 40″= (3.33′ of PVC used)
• Jumper uprights: 4′ (x2) = (8′ of PVC used)
• Hunter uprights: 3′ (x2) = (6′ of PVC used)

2.  Now it’s time to assemble the base!  Attach one 10″ piece to each of the two opposite ends of the T (x2) to form the sides of the base.
3.  Attach the elbows to the open ends of the 10″ pieces that are attached to the T (x4), with the open end of the T facing straight up so the uprights can go in later.
4.  Use two of the 5′ lengths to attach the two ends of the base and complete the rectangular base.
5.  Place the uprights in the T on the jump.  Put a cap on the top of each jumper or hunter upright pole.
7.  Use your measuring tape to mark where you will drill holes on the uprights:

• Hunter: By AMHA rules, hunter jumps have a minimum jump pole height of 18 inches and maximum of 28 inches, so I recommend starting with a hole at 18 inches, and ending at 28.
• Jumper: By AMHA rules, jumper jumps have a maximum jump pole height of 44  inches, so you don’t need holes past 44 inches from the ground.

8.  Time to drill holes for the uprights!  Grab a bit that’s bigger than the peg of the D-ring you’ll be using.  It’s hard to get the holes aligned perfectly through the upright and through the cup later, so you’ll want some wiggle room.  Get them as straight through both sides of the pvc as you can.
9.  Now onto the jump cups.  Take your oversized Ts and cut out a little more than half of the  section that branches out (see below).  You want it to be a little over half gone so it makes it easier for the jump pole to fall down.  That way your jump doesn’t get broken when a horse hits it!  Then drill a hole through both sides for the D-ring to go through.

10.  To keep the base together, I recommend that you use sheet metal screws.  You DON’T want to use PVC glue, because if any piece gets broken, you’ll have to cut it off and splice it together.  With the screws, everything stays together but if something gets broken, you can take it off without cutting.  We use screws at every connection point on the base except where the uprights go in.

11.  The final step is to put the jump cups on the up uprights, pins in, and adjust the length of your jump poles.  For measuring everything out, it’s easiest to use 5′ for jump poles, but for them to fall out of the jump easily, they need a few more inches taken off.  Just put the poles in the cups and see how much you want taken off, it should be at least two inches.

12.  Congratulations!  You’re now finished and can enjoy your jumps!  To learn how to make striped jump poles, visit our other blog post, How to: Paint Obstacle/Jump Poles.

The post How to Build Mini Horse Jumps appeared first on Little America Miniature Horses.

For their April/May issue, AMHA ran an article in the Miniature Horse World about how Thursday Kids began.

Here are some of our favorite pictures from other shows in 2012.

The post 2012 Show Season appeared first on Little America Miniature Horses.

project and decided I’d use it to enhance our obstacle/jump course, and figure out how to paint horse obstacle/jump poles.  Since then, I was given three more cans of paint (one that’s fluorescent yellow!), so I’m now working on some more jump poles and figured I’d share the main way I go about painting them, as well as a few other options for having decorated obstacle poles. These make a great addition to your practice course at home; I know the miniature horses on our show string have benefited from using them!

Supplies

• • • PVC pipe of the diameter and length you want
    • Spray paint suitable for plastic surfaces (one or more colors)
    • 1″ masking tape
    • Several feet of string (length of the pole or could use a measuring tape instead)
    • A pencil
    • Two plastic bags (I use bread bags)
    • A sandwich bag or regular plastic bag (to protect your hand while spraying)
    • Two clothespins
    • A couple of paper towels or an old sponge
    • Scissors

Instructions to Paint Horse Obstacle/Jump Poles

1. Read the directions on your spray paint can to make sure it’s an appropriate day for painting!

   

2. Wet a paper towel or  and clean any dirt off of the PVC pipe that is to be painted.

   

3. ***For if you want to have a base color instead of white.  If not, move on to question number four*** shake up the paint and then put the sandwich bag on your hand to keep the paint off and spray away!  I hold one end of the pole up while I spray.

   

4. Get a piece of string and cut it to be the same length as the pole.  Decide on a width/spacing for your stripes, then use the string to measure even spaces/stripes by folding in half and marking it with a permanent marker or tying knots in the string at appropriate spots.  You could also use a measuring tape instead and skip this step, I just find the string to be foolproof, I have a tendency to mess up numbers!

   

5. Use a pencil to mark the appropriate spots along your rope or measuring tape.

   

6. Run masking tape around the pipe along the outer-most side of each stripe’s pencil marks (My pictures end here because I realized that previous poles that I had painted with this paint were fading because the paint was NOT for plastic!  Make sure you use paint that is for plastic.)
7. Make a hole smaller than the pole’s diameter in each of the bread bags and pull them onto the pole, stopping at the middle of the masking tape.  You don’t want any paint to leak past the tape, so use a clothespin to secure each bag and keep it out of your way.
8. Follow the directions on your spray paint can to get it ready.
9. Prop the pole up or just hold one end up with a hand.
10. Put the sandwich bag on the hand you’ll be spraying with!!  You could also use a rubber glove or bigger plastic bag.  Trust me, if you don’t use something, you’ll end up looking like you have chickenpox or something weird going on with your hand for several days.  I learned this the hard way after doing my first poles in red!
11. Apply second coat after around 10 minutes (or whatever your directions say), if you want.
12. Allow it to dry, then move the bags to the next stripe to be painted!

    

–Lauren Greaves

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