Simple and Easy: DIY Paint Transformation

Colors can completely change the way objects and spaces look and feel. Whether the colors are dark, vibrant, or soft and light you are going to feel a certain way simply based on the color. What a wonderful thing that so many things can receive a color change fairly easily and inexpensively. Que: DIY Paint Project!

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below, but these are products I recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used.

Garage sale season is upon us and you know I love it! You can snatch up some awesome finds for great prices at garage sales. The only downside to garage sales (if you can even call it that) is you’ve got to be willing to hunt. Thrifting is one of my favorite ways to decorate my home. I love it for a couple reasons: you generally can get a good deal and you can often find one-of-a-kind pieces that make your home uniquely yours. That being said, sometimes you find things that you like, but they aren’t the right color. Well, today I wanted to share a garage sale find I scored and the fun DIY paint project I did to completely change the style of this piece.

Before

When I found this water dispenser at a garage sale I loved the blue on the bottom and the antique brass spigot. I also loved the idea of setting this cutie out on a table for the girls. Since they are 2 and 4-years-old I’m constantly battling the “Me do!’s & “I can do it myself’s!” I thought this would be an easy way to let them do more things independently.

But I wasn’t loving the green. Especially next to the blue, I felt like the green was a little too intense. But it was the right price! After thinking it over, I decided to purchase it because I knew a can of spray paint could completely transform this water dispenser. With a simple can of spray paint I could not only give our girls some autonomy, but I could also create a beautiful addition to our kitchen!

Supplies

I started by gathering the necessary supplies.

Cardboard
120 Grit Sandpaper
Tack Cloth
Painters Tape
Spray Paint (Color of your choice-I chose white)
Clear Coat

Process

Step 1. The first thing I did was tape the portions of the water dispenser that I didn’t want to paint white.

To do this I tore short strips of painters tape and placed them on the water dispenser in small sections. It took longer, but by doing it this way I was able to be more precise with the line between the blue and green. I found this to be the least frustrating way to cover the portions of the round dispenser that I didn’t want to be painted. (If the object your painting isn’t round you could probably get away with long strips of painters tape for coverage.)

Step 2. The next thing I did was take my fingernail and scrape it against the painter’s tape to give it a rough and imperfect line.

I did this because the bottom portion of the water dispenser was imperfect in its appearance. So I wanted to ensure that the new spray paint didn’t appear too “perfect” on this vintage piece.

Step 3. Since I intend on using this water dispenser, and not just setting it up on the shelf to look pretty, I didn’t want to get any paint on the inside. To prevent paint from going where the water would be, I used the same method of ripping short sections of painters tape and taping off the hole at the top.

Step 4. This is something that I neglected doing and I’m kicking myself for it. After the water dispenser is taped off, what I should have done is take the sandpaper and lightly rough up the portion that I planned on painting. This helps the paint to adhere better.

Step 5. If you don’t neglect step 4 make sure you wipe off the object with a piece of tack cloth to get all the sand particles off.

Step 6. The next step is to begin painting! I put the water dispenser on a piece of cardboard in the yard and followed the directions on the can of spray paint.

Step 7. As a rule, I generally paint 2 coats when I do DIY paint projects. This project wasn’t any different. I like the coverage 2 coats provides.

Step 8. After the paint was dry I took the tape off the bottom portion of the dispenser. I noticed that the satin finish of the spray paint didn’t look very good against the glossy finish of the bottom portion of the dispenser.

Step 9. So, I put the painter’s tape back on the bottom portion of the water dispenser and sprayed one coat of a glossy finish clear coat.

Step 10. After the clear coat was dry I took all the tape off and gave it a few days before using it.

Final Product

I love the way this paint DIY turned out! I’ll be honest, I was skeptical at first, but now that it’s over I’m obsessed! It matches my decor style so much better with these softer colors. The green wasn’t a terrible color, but light blue and white are a much better combo for the style I use to decorate my home. The other thing that I like about this project, is with a simple can of paint this dispenser has now become an object to display. I used to have it hidden behind a cabinet door, but now I don’t. Now that it’s finished it’s another functional decor piece that I love to use in my home!

Sometimes we pass over pieces that could be a perfect addition to our home because the color isn’t right. But with a can of spray paint, or a brush and some chalk/milk paint, you can transform just about anything. I hope that this paint DIY inspires you to take a chance on the next garage sale item you find that’s the right price, just not the right color. Also, if you’re looking for another paint option, I did a Milk Paint DIY post you can go check out.

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Open Your Doors,
Aliya