This post came about in a funny way. After losing the same items over and over in my garage, I began to think that I am unorganized and beyond hope. I decided to solve this little problem by making sure that I had at least 2 of my “necessary” items on hand, so that when I really needed them, I could put my hands on at least one. Yes, I know “everything in its proper place…”. But, this works for me –okay?
So what are these items that I am constantly using and always losing? They are so basic, it’s almost silly to post about them, But, I’ll bet there’s at least one person out there like me who needs to go ahead and buy 2 just in case one is ummm…misplaced :)
For painting furniture, these are my go-to items:
1- Purdy Cub paintbrush
Yes, there are tons of other paintbrushes out there, but for me and my small hands, the cub is my BFF. And if you take good care of it, it will last for a long, long time.
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2- Plastic Scraper
This simple and inexpensive tool comes in various widths. Buy several; they are cheap. They are great for scraping off excess paint after sanding and for getting the goo off left over from labels and stickers.
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3- Paper plates
Again simple and inexpensive. I almost never use the paint trays that they sell at the home improvement stores, unless I’m using a roller. And that’s really ,really rare. So a good ole paper plate does the trick for mixing colors, thinning paint, and providing a disposable palette.
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4- Drop cloth
Yes, you can use old sheets, towels, blankets, etc. to paint on. I have done that and still do sometimes. But in my experience, nothing beats the drop cloth! The seams on a drop cloth are weighted just a bit. So, as you are painting that end table, a big gust of wind doesn’t come along and blow your sheet over the freshly painted side of the table causing it to stick. Don’t ask me how I know! The big box stores charge quite a bit for drop cloths, but I’ll tell you a secret. Shhh… If you are lucky enough to have a Big Lots in your town, buy your drop cloths there. They are half the price. And if you are really frugal like I am, you can cut off one whole panel or at least six inches or so along one side to get crafty with. Make yourself a banner like this Candy Corn Banner.
5-Baby wipes
What can I say, painting is messy, and I like to hide the evidence- quick! No really, baby wipes are wonderful to have on hand, because they stay wet all the time and are portable and handy. I buy the generic- whatever is on sale type.
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Okay, I’ll bet you are really ready to tackle a big ole painting project now huh? Doubtful, but I did want to share a few of my favorite little things that keep me going as I paint all kinds of furniture with different kinds of paint. There are so many other cool tools out there, but these top 5 are “must have’s “ for me to even get started. Maybe I’ll talk about paint next, or how to choose a good piece of furniture…. keep reading along.
Share: What are your favorite painting “tools” ? You can leave a comment here on the blog, or on my Facebook page. I’d love to know what you find invaluable. A few of my Facebook friends have already chimed in. Go check it out. And “like” my page to keep updated. You never know what I may come up with next….
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