Tips for Using Left Over Paint

If your basement or garage is anything like mine, then you have an area designated to left over paint. Whenever we paint a room there always seems to be a quarter to half of a can of paint left over. And we just can't seem to throw it out. We think maybe we'll have to touch up something or we'll go with that color in another room. Whatever excuse we use, the paint usually ends up sitting in the basement or garage taking up space until it dries out.

So here's a few tips and ideas on what to do with that leftover paint. With these ideas, you won't have to feel guilty about wasting money by throwing the paint out.

If you're getting ready to paint a room and will need a coat of primer or a base coat, consider using the left over paint as your primer or base coat. This is a great way to use up several shades of the same color. And it will save you money by not having to buy enough new paint to cover the wall more than once. The key to this is making sure that your final new paint will cover the base coat. In most cases, if the final paint color is darker than the left over paint you are using as a base coat, then the new paint will cover it in one coat.

Another great idea is to mix several different shades together. I did this recently with several shades of beige and brown and came up with a great color. It is now on my kitchen wall. It is actually quite pretty.

You can mix several different colors together if you want to get unique and unusual colors. Who knows, you might come up with a new shade. And if you need more of the shade, you can always take a sample of it to your local home improvement store or super center and have it matched. So if you mix several left over cans together and come up with a color you like, but, you're afraid it won't be enough, what do you do? Simple. Just take a sample of it and have more mixed. One tip here, though, is to take your mixture and the new paint you had matched and mix it all together before you start painting. This will help ensure that the final color is the same on all the walls.

You can also check with family and friends to see if any of them need any left over paint for any projects. You never know, you might have a shade that someone could use to paint a small bathroom or laundry room. They might could use it to paint old furniture or even dog houses. It could be used to paint a basement or the inside of a storage shed.

Some charitable organizations that do repair work on homes for the elderly or low income might be interested in the left over paint. Call and ask if they would want it. You might have to drop it off, but at least you won't feel like it is going to waste.

Last, if you can't find anything to use the paint for, then set it out beside the curb a couple of days before garbage day. Put a sign in front of it that reads: "Left over paint-FREE-Take all you want". If it's still there on garbage day, then just remove your sign and let the garbage men haul it off. Because if you haven't figured out a use for it by then, you really don't need to worry about it anymore. Just let it go.