I really enjoy painting, especially cutting in! I guess you could say it’s therapeutic for me…odd, I know :). Anyway, here are some tips I’ve learned from painting with my gma throughout the years that will hopefully help you enjoy painting, too.

Pictures below!

1. Buy a GOOD QUALITY trim brush. The most resent one I bought was a Purdy (cute name, huh?). I don’t even tape off trim anymore, I just freehand it. Having a quality trim brush is what makes cutting in enjoyable!     
2. Using a damp cloth, wipe down the walls before painting. This gets all the grime, dust and cobwebs off.
3. Before you begin painting, be sure to have a wet rag handy to clean up any mistakes (i.e., if you accidentally get paint on the trim, ceiling or wrong wall, etc.). The rag that I use is actually a piece of an old sheet, I think (it’s what my gma gave me to use, so I’m not sure exactly what it is). It doesn’t have to be a sheet, but it will work best if the cloth is thin and smooth.
4. Use grocery bags to preserve brushes and rollers when taking a break. After I pour the paint into a paint tray, I always use a brush to wipe off the excess. I know I will be using the brush again before I’m finished painting for the day, so instead of cleaning the brush, I wrap it up in a grocery bag. This helps keep the paint from drying out and ruining your brush. Same concept with the roller — If you’re taking a quick lunch break, wrap it up in a grocery bag so it doesn’t dry out.
5. Put your grocery-bag-wrapped paint roller in the freezer to use the next day. NO CLEANING NECESSARY! Isn’t that exciting? Roll out all the paint you can onto the wall, then put the roller (with paint still on it) in the grocery bag, wrap it up well, and stick it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it the next day, take it out, let it thaw for 20-30 minutes or so, and you’re ready to roll (pun intended ;)). If you’re painting in the winter, put the roller (still in the bag) by a vent and it will thaw more quickly.
6. THOROUGHLY clean your paint brushes! This may take a while, but it’s super important. If you buy a good quality brush, you want to take good care of it so it lasts. Begin rinsing out the brush using soap and warm water. With the water still running over the paint brush, use a scrub brush, beginning at the base of the paint brush and moving to the tip, to help remove all the paint from the paint brush. Lastly, hold the paint brush, tip side up, under the running water. Once the water at the base of the brush runs clear, your brush is clean! Squeeze out the excess water, smooth out all the bristles, and wrap it in a paper towel. This helps keep the bristles together nicely.

Tip 3 (wet rag) & Tip 1 (quality trim brush)

Tip 4 & 5 (use grocery bags)

Tip 6 (clean brush using a scrub brush)

Tip 6 (make sure water is running clear out the base of the brush)

Tip 6 (squeeze out excess water, smooth bristles and lay brush on paper towel)

Tip 6 (wrap brush in paper towel and keep it this way until you use it again – I actually store my brushes in the paper towel)

Share your painting tips, too – leave a comment!