i used to be scared of spray paint. what kind should i use? do i need a protective coat? will it chip? are there certain spray paints for certain things? how many cans will i need? it was intimidating! in this post, learn how to use spray paint on anything from furniture, to decor, to plastic yard chairs to update things in your home on a budget.
if you’ve been thinking about trying spray paint to make some of your old decor pieces and furniture look new, but you’re slow to get started because you’re wondering…
- how do you spray paint correctly?
- what is the best kind of spray paint to use?
- how to do you spray paint evenly?
- how do you spray paint step by step?
- what are some good spray paint ideas
get excited because you’re in the right spot! i’ve been painting furniture for years. in fact, in high school i worked for a shop that repainted antique furniture in the summer so i learned a lot about the proper way to prep, paint, and seal a piece of furniture so that it didn’t chip.
now as a Mom of three, most of our family’s furniture has been repainted including my kids’ beds, our kitchen table, coffee table, hutch, and even our piano – so i used to just stick to what was comfortable.
however, as much as i love painting furniture, paint paint is sometimes a process. you have to get out the brushes, the drop cloths, the paint opener and stirring stick, the primer, the paint, the polyurethane, and sometimes the sander. don’t get me wrong. i love the painting process. but spray paint has a certain appeal because it is so low maintenance.
when it comes to spray paint, i was first inspired by my neighbor angie who spray painted her kitchen chairs. first of all, they were aqua. so of course i loved them.
but more importantly, i watched her stand out in her driveway and spray those spindles and it looked a thousand times easier than painting them. don’t get me wrong. i love the chairs i’ve painted. but spindles are a bit maddening.
so i decided to ignore all my what if’s and my perfectionistic tendencies and try out a few spray paint projects.
FREE PRINTABLE DIY PROJECT PLANNER:
before starting any project, it is super helpful to get organized. as a busy mom, i don’t have time to go to multiple stores, multiple times. but without a plan, that’s usually what happens. i finally got smart (and CUTE!) and created this super helpful DIY project planner to organize new project ideas.
now i can keep everything written down in one spot and it saves me so much time and energy! you can snag a copy of this FREE DIY Project Printable for yourself for right here. as part of the Grateful Home Starter Kit not only will it help you keep your project details straight, when you’re organized in small ways like this, it also frees up time and space to notice the things you love the most about your home and the people there with you!
HOW TO SPRAY PAINT FOR BEGINNERS
so as it turns out, after a bit of trial and error…i love spray paint! in fact, my husband (and neighbors) would say i’ve gotten a bit carried away. but i’m ok with that.
spray paint has the power to make old things look new, or different, in seconds! also, i love any way i can save money. if you’re like me, and you’re still hesitant, read on for five easy things you can spray paint this week. and if you’re already on the spray paint bandwagon, hopefully this post can give you some new ideas!
5 easy spray paint projects
spray paint project #1
spray paint your knobs, hooks, and other hardware
have you ever gone to buy new knows for a cabinet or dresser, only to learn how expensive they actually are? it’s crazy! even on sale, they are at least $4 each. multiply that times the eight you usually need and that’s more than $30!
on the flip side, spray paint is about $5.99 a can and at craft stores you can use a coupon. one can of spray paint is MORE than enough for a set of knobs or drawer pulls. i also like to use a clear spray paint sealer or top coat, and even with that, spray paint can help save money when it comes to small projects like changing up your knobs, hooks, and other hardware.
this is a picture of a dresser i painted. it was originally a honey color when i first got it from my friend stephanie. the first time i painted it, i used brown [why?!]! soon after, i repainted it white to match the set of nightstands it came with.
when i was done, i REALLY wanted some new knobs but the dresser had 15 of them! that was going to be way too expensive, so instead i sprayed the originals a bronzy brown color and only bought 3 new ones for the top. i saved a lot of money and the bronze color matched the rustic white a lot better than the original silver knobs.
when you spray paint knobs, hooks, or other hardware, the easiest thing to do is use a piece of cardboard and do it outside. you can either set the knobs right on the cardboard or poke holes in it and use the screws that come with the knobs to keep them in place on the cardboard while you spray.
in my daughter K’s room, i found some inexpensive knobs for her dresser in a cute rose design at homegoods. but the silver outline didn’t really match her room. it was an easy fix to spray them pink and wrap them with twine to match more of her room.
i also spray painted the command hooks in her room that we used to hold up a couple cute galvanized buckets above her bed.
i am a big fan of command hooks! but they mostly come in white, clear, silver, and black. white would have worked for K’s room but pink is way more fun and looks a little more decorative!
also in this picture, you can see an aqua “L” and two white frames that were also ALL spray painted!
if you’re not sure what kind of spray paint to buy, i get it. that was one of my fears when i started as well. to make it easy on you, i put together this quick guide to painting all kinds of furniture.
when you sign up to grab the FREE Grateful Home Starter Kit, including the DIY Project Planner, you will also get access to this helpful Guide to Painting Furniture – it’s 3 freebies in 1!
in the Guide, you’ll find all my favorite supplies for using paint and spray paint to update things around your home. there are some parts of DIY that i love, like the actual creating part. there are other parts, like the buying supplies part, that aren’t as fun. make more room for the fun part {and the LITTLE things!} with this list of tips and supplies.
spray paint project #2
spray paint your outdoor furniture
i got these hard plastic adirondack chairs from my neighbor for $5 a piece. they were very sturdy, a lot more so than the lighter weight plastic ones we already had. but the color was a bit shabby.
i think i am the third neighbor to own them. so i updated these outdoor chairs with spray paint! i have to admit, i wasn’t sure spray paint would be durable enough for the snow and rain. we do not have room in our garage to move these in for the winter. but it was worth it to me to try.
each chair took about 1 and a half cans, which is still cheaper than buying new chairs. plus, i got the exact color i wanted because spray paint comes in a million colors.
the chairs lasted three summers before i had to repaint them, which was just as easy and inexpensive as the first time! they never chipped, just faded a bit, so the second time i sprayed them i also used a protective top coat to help it last longer.
spray paint project #3
spray paint your signs and decor pieces
lately, instead of buying new decor to style shelves or fill wall spaces, i’ve been reimagining some of my current pieces. i bet you can probably do the same at your house.
i have a small stash of decor goodies in my basement, most with the trailing thought of if only this were a different color. for example, we’ve had a black family sign since back when we lived in florida. my husband has always liked it but it did not match anything in our new house so it’s been in the basement for four years.
i recently splurged on some shelves for our bedroom, so i was determined to style them with items i already had, to justifying my purchase. i thought of the family sign, and how it would be perfect if it were a different color. i had some white and some aqua spray paint left over from another project so i took 10 minutes to spray it. the gold crate on the bottom shelf is also spray painted.
this sign you see on the shelves above was also a spray paint project. if you don’t have decor around your house to refresh, most certainly the clearance aisle at your closest hobby lobby or target does.
a couple months ago, my friend jenny and i made a date to make fun signs for our houses. i scoured the clearance aisle for existing signs i could spray paint and reword.
this i love us sign started out saying the kitchen is the heart of the home. i think it was $2.99. if you are a regular reader, you know the original quote is not so true for my house. i am the worst cook. my least favorite room is the kitchen. but i liked the shape and size of the sign. a LITTLE spray paint, paint pen, and glitter did the trick. now the quote “i love us” fits our family perfectly.
in addition, i found some other fun pieces in the clearance aisle, i’ve priced arrows like the one on the top left before and they are at least $20. and even then, they might not be the right color. this one was $6.00 and an additional percent off {maybe 50%}. i didn’t love the mirrored look and black didn’t work for what i wanted. so i spray painted it navy to match our new laundry room.
i also purchased one more square sign {bottom left} that day. i think it was about $2.00. i needed one more small piece for my husband’s office gallery wall {pics on right}. i spray painted this one black and then used paint pen to write don’t worry be happy, a song he loves to sing with the kids.
all of the white frames in this gallery wall are also spray painted. just take the glass out, spray, and replace. other decor ideas for spray paint might include lamps, lamp shades, baskets, crates, mirrors, candle sticks, mason jars…the possibilities are endless.
spray paint project #4
spray paint your small tables
tables like this are often on clearance at places like homegoods. but sometimes they have a chip or, like this one, don’t match anything in your home. i bought this when we lived in florida, when our furniture used to be all black and distressed {remember that style?!}.
in our new{er} house in indiana, it didn’t match anything. when i redid K’s room, i decided to spray it aqua to coordinate with her decor. now it sits in front of her window, matching just perfectly.
{5} trays
i have recently gotten into trays. i am always on the hunt for a new one to help corral decor {or in my son’s room, legos}.
this tray {top right} was perfect for the halloween season. my mother-in-law gave it to us. i liked it for halloween but wished i could use it all year. i decided to spray it white. i added some gold feathers to make it more fun! now i can use it from season to season. that’s what i love about trays. they can easily move from room to room to switch up the decor every now and then.
i forgot to take a before pic, but this pink tray used to be covered with fat LITTLE chefs in a red and white checkered pattern. i got it on clearance at homegoods. homegoods ALWAYS has clearance trays. i spray painted this one pink for K’s room, easily covering up the old design. when she had a fish, it was perfect for that. now that our fish are in toilet bowl heaven, it is on her dresser for whatever her latest collection might be. i know, having a girl, that this collecting and displaying will continue, but at least i have somewhere to put everything so it makes me a LITTLE less crazy.
spray paint is easy. it is cheap. it is super fast. if you’re worried about what kind to use, click here for a list of all my favorite paints, including spray paint {or if you’re already a subscriber, check out the DIY section of the resource library}. while you’re in the LITTLE printable library, don’t forget to grab your DIY project planner to keep yourself organized in all your DIY adventures! getting prepped and started is always the hardest part. make it easier on yourself with this CUTE printable so you can spend more time focused on all the parts of DIY that bring you JOY!
{want to save this idea for later? click the red save box on the image below to pin this post. or follow notice the LITTLE things on pinterest here.}
