DIY Custom Painted Wooden Baseball Bats

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I’ve been batting this project around in my head for a while now. I’m glad I finally stepped up to the plate and got it done, because this simple DIY is a home run!

Sorry…there’s something about sports that makes me lapse into cliches! Maybe I have a calling as a sportswriter.

I’ve been wanting to paint a baseball bat for months now, after seeing the gorgeous custom painted wooden baseball bats from The Mitchell Bat Company. Theirs are amazing and I love that part of their proceeds go to revive baseball in inner cities.

But I realize the $245 price tag might be out of reach for a lot of baseball fans. So, I came up with an inexpensive DIY version that you can customize to your favorite team’s colors. (The Atlanta Braves, in my case.)

Supplies:

• wooden baseball bat
• DecoArt Americana Multi-Surface Paint in Night Sky, 2 oz.
• DecoArt Americana Multi-Surface Paint in Cottonball, 2 oz.
• DecoArt Americana Multi-Surface Paint in Lipstick, 2 oz.
• painter’s tape
• foam paint brush
• sandpaper or sanding block

I got my baseball bat at a yard sale. I don’t remember exactly what I paid for it, but probably no more than $1.

My bat had been used and was fairly beaten up.  But that’s exactly how I wanted it, a little vintage looking.

Before painting with DecoArt Americana Multi-Surface craft paint, I sanded the bat lightly to remove any ball marks and scuffs and also to prepare those areas where I would be painting.

Next, I used painter’s tape to mask off those areas where I wanted to paint.

This part is a little tricky. You can’t just wrap the tape around the bat, or you won’t get straight lines. You have to work the tape around the curves of the bat.

I wasn’t aiming for perfection, so I just did the best I could to get the lines straight. I painted two to three coat of each color to get the coverage I wanted.

Sanding blocks come in handy to hold your bat in place while the paint dries.

I generally take the painter’s tape off before the final coat of paint dries completely to ensure sharp lines.

When adding stripes, make sure the other paint has dried completely before taping over it. Or you may want to use a delicate surface painter’s tape to avoid damaging the areas you’ve already painted.

While I did take my painted bat to the ballfield to snap these photos, I don’t actually recommend using it for a game or batting practice.

It’s strictly decorative. Can’t you imagine it in a baseball themed bedroom? Or at a little slugger’s birthday party?

Oh, and let me just tell you a funny story about this photo shoot.

I stopped by one recreational league ballpark, and I was just about to unload my camera gear when I spotted some coaches and field workers hanging out near the diamond.

So, I thought better of if and drove to another park. When I got there, the grounds crews were mowing and working on several of the fields. But I decided to go for it.

I threw my camera bag over my shoulder and walked onto the field through the dugout and started snapping photos.

I kept waiting for them to call me out and throw me off the field.

One guy rode by me on his mower and gave me a nod and a smile. But he didn’t say anything, so I kept right on styling and shooting photos.

The things I do for blogging!

If you like this baseball-themed project, you may want to check out the Atlanta Braves inspired painted mason jar I just shared on Made From Pinterest.

This ombre dresser is an old favorite project of mine. I styled it with a basket of softballs and a glove.

This baseball-themed hot dog toppings bar might give you some ideas for how to celebrate Labor Day.