I've been researching this here and on the web in general but have found a wide range of information and I'm kind of under the gun, time-wise. I'm making a baby gift (it's a small toy) and need to paint it. I'm far from a finish expert but I know even less about paint. I prefer wood grain but for reasons not worth going into, it has to be paint. So I'm trying to find a safe paint and finish combination for something that a baby might handle or gnaw on. My research has led to acrylic paint with shellac as a sealant, among other suggestions.
So here are my questions:
Is this the best combination?
Is spray shellac OK? If so, will it go bad over time? I have a can from a previous project but it's been around for a while.
Should I wax it with paste wax after shellac? I think I saw this suggested.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. By the way, the baby is a long way from being old enough to play with it, so time for curing isn't an issue.