Scared to paint? Here’s a pep talk!

When I posted my last painting project:

…some of you had questions/comments that I wanted to answer in a post so that all of you could see the answers. So, here you go.

I wish I was nearby & could be your apprentice for a few projects, and then learn to do them myself. I’m always inspired by your work!

It would be so much fun to have a furniture rehab class with all of you. If only there were 83 copies of me to travel around and do that. Ha.

But I also want to encourage all of you by saying that no one ever taught me how to paint furniture.

I painted some walls at my townhouse back in the early 200s, and then in 2005 at my next house, I did a lot of spackling, sanding, and painting of walls. But no furniture!

In 2007 or so, though, I got a nightstand from Freecycle, and I decided to try painting it.

I am sure that if I did it again now, I’d do a better job, but it turned out well enough to give me inspiration to do more painting.

And now I have eleventy zillion furniture painting projects under my belt.

I’m really glad I tried that first nightstand because since then, I’ve learned lots of stuff by trial and error, and now I know a lot about furniture painting.

A few things that make a good first project:

• do something with simple lines. Ornate pieces with lots of curves and detail make it harder to sand and paint.
• do something small. It’s much less overwhelming to do a nightstand than a whole tall bookshelf (or your kitchen cabinets!)
• pick something that doesn’t need a bunch of repairs. A simple paint job is a good start. As you get more comfy, you can tackle things like removing veneer, fixing broken pieces, changing hardware configuration, and so on.

I wish I had the courage to try this myself. I have had the same stool for more than 20 years now. It could really need a fresh coat of painting…..

Ok, I want to tell you something that helps me with courage: start with something that is so ugly/worn that you couldn’t possibly make it worse.

It’s even better if that thing is free.

That way, it’s very low-stakes! The odds are so good that you will make the item better than it was before. And even if you don’t, it’s no big deal!

I think your stool sounds like a perfect first project; it’s small, you already own it, and it’s super worn. I encourage you to give it a try. 🙂 You might be delighted with the results.

Also, something to remember is that paint is not permanent. If you tackle a project and decide you don’t love it, you can always sand it smooth and start fresh. It’s ok. 🙂

I was just wondering what steps you take for cleanup of the brushes? It is such a silly question, but somehow, after painting, I always seem to stumble on the cleanup. Do you have any pro tips?

Sure, I can tell you what works for me.

I always do multiple thin coats of paint (that makes for a long-lasting, smooth finish), so in between coats, I cover the brushes/tray/roller with plastic to keep them from drying out.

I have some plastic cases for larger brushes and rollers (the type you use to paint walls), and I do like those.

But for the small materials I use for furniture, I often just put the whole mess inside of a plastic grocery bag and make it sort of air-tight. This would not be sufficient for a long storage time, but for a couple of hours, it’s fine.

When I get near the end of the project, I try to get the last bit of paint brushed/rolled on so that there’s not a bunch left on the brushes and rollers.

After that, I usually soak the roller and brushes in water overnight and then I rinse them. The soak helps to loosen up the paint and it makes the rinsing way easier.

Then I squeeze/pat the brushes/rollers dry and let them air dry before storing them for the next use.

As long as your paint and primer are water-based, you do not need paint thinners and mineral spirits. Water works just fine and is way way less stinky.

I hate using mineral spirits. Blech.

Do you have any other painting questions/comments? Let me know!

P.S. At the bottom of this other post, there’s a list of all the supplies I use when I paint furniture.

P.P.S. Just to be clear, it’s totally ok if you don’t want to paint furniture. But if you DO have an itch to try, I’m cheering you on. 😉