If you’re like the majority of folks, your garage probably has a bin littered with half-empty paint cans.
You know the drill: you buy more pain than necessary because you don’t want to run out mid-project and have to make a mad dash to the paint store in your hair-half-up, sans-makeup, paint-covered old tee, ratty pants look.
And because paint can’t just be tossed to the curb with your regular trash bin (and you know that you never have time to take it to the proper disposal facility), you end up with quite a collection.
Why not repurpose that tiny bit of a can for a quick, fun, and cheap DIY craft instead of letting them waste away?
Eight Ways to Use Your Leftover Paint
- Accent your walls: Create a fantastic corner in your home with just a bit of leftover paint. Depending on the amount of paint you have, you can cover a whole accent wall or simply create your own work of art by taping off a few abstract lines and filling in the spaces with the colors you choose.
- Wall trim gone wild: Change the entire look of a room simply by updating your wall trim with a small amount of leftover paint.
- Revamp your tired furniture: You’ve likely got at least one piece of old furniture lying around your house that needs a facelift. You can use leftover paint to bring old chairs, benches, shelving, end tables, and more back to life!
- Crazy-up the cabinets: Depending on the amount of leftover paint you have available, you can choose to update just a few cabinet doors and facings or even paint the interiors of your cabinets to bring a whole new mood to your kitchen or bathroom.
- Frame fame: Update the frames for photos, mirrors, and more with a tiny swatch of paint. It doesn’t take too terribly much paint (or time) to change up the look of the family photo wall!
- Pretty potted plants: Give your plants an updated, funky new home by using leftover paint to recharge pots.
- Don’t forget the doors: Painting doors in your home can give your entire house a new feel. You can change from dull, plain white to pops of intense, eye-catching color.
- Create homemade chalkboard paint: You can make your own chalkboard paint with just a bit of plaster and water! Add two tablespoons of plaster and one tablespoon of water to three tablespoons of paint, and you’ve got chalkboard paint!
If you aren’t interested in using your leftover latex paint for any updates in your home, you can always simply dispose of it (without having to take it to a facility). All you need to do is add an equal amount of cat litter to the can, stir the mixture, and allow it to dry. After the paint has thoroughly dried, you can simply throw it out with the trash.
Marc Poulos began his real estate and financial services career, but he soon realized that his true passion was beautifying homes. He started working with various small craftsman shops before serving an apprenticeship with the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Chicago. His commitment to excellence won him Top Apprentice from Washburne trade school in Chicago – the country’s premier school of its kind.
