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How To Spray Paint Anything

Everyday items can go from boring to irresistibly beautiful with one small change: a coat of spray paint! I am totally in love with everything bright and colorful and I’ve realized over the past 8 years we’ve used spray paint in so many projects. It is one of my favorite crafting tools… so today I am sharing my best tips and tricks for how to spray paint anything…and I seriously mean (just about) anything.

How to select the right spray paint for a project

There are some pretty awesome things about spray paint… it’s easy to find, relatively affordable, comes in just about every color, and does the job quickly. So here’s my tips first off on selecting the right spray paint for your project:

  1. Decide what you’ll be painting. There are different types of spray paint for different surfaces, and some that work best for painting plastic, wood, and metals. When in doubt, there’s all-surface spray paint that can pretty much handle it all!
  2. It’s a good idea to grab some primer and some sealant. Although they’re added steps, they’ll ensure the paint job lasts longer.
  3. Select a finish. Most spray paints come in high-gloss, satin, and metallic. But, there are also endless fun options like glitter, crackled, textured, antique, chalkboard, and more.
  4. Make sure you clean the object before you start painting. This prevents dust or anything else from sticking to your final product.
  5. Before you begin, prepare a clean work station that you don’t mind getting a little messy…if you’re anything like us, the object you’re working on isn’t the only thing that’s getting painted ;)

Now that we’ve gone over everything there is to know about picking out the paint, it’s time to think about all the things you want to spray paint. Is there a vintage dresser you’ve been wanting to give new life? A thrift store find you just can’t seem to match to the other décor in your home? Or, do you simply get a thrill from making something old look shiny and new? If you said yes to any of the above, grab a can of spray paint and I will show you how to spray paint anything… let’s do this thing!

The Best Way To Spray Paint Anything

We’re going to go over the best way to spray paint some of our favorite things:

  1. A piece of furniture
  2. A hat
  3. A wall
  4. A cake stand

How To Spray Paint Furniture

Furniture is such a fun project for spray paint. We love going garage sale hunting and thrift store shopping for affordable pieces that just need a little bit of a makeover. The important thing to note about wood furniture is that it typically needs to be sanded prior to spraying on primer or paint, while metal furniture is good to go. Sanding helps make sure there are no bumps or bubbles before the paint goes on, to give it a smooth look. How fun would it be to paint an old wooden chair in a bright hue for a reading nook, or to fill a glittery painted bookshelf with fairytale stories? We updated a plastic sun chair with spray paint into a rainbow of bright color last summer.

How To Spray Paint Fabric

Spray paint works particularly well on a couple of our favorite hats: trucker’s hats and straw hats. The reason is, they have a mesh or airy design that allow the paint to stick better than on a solid surface. Pick up some fabric-based spray paint for the best results on this project or other fun fabric based projects, like a picnic blanket. We can’t wait to do a summery yellow hat for pool season and a cute navy trucker as a go-to ball cap in the spring.

How To Spray Paint A Wall

Graffiti-style painting isn’t the only wall art that comes from a can. We’re all about spray painting adorable designs on the wall! Like everything else we’ve discussed so far, make sure the wall is clean prior to starting. Since a wall is basically a blank canvas, plan out what you’re going to paint before pulling the trigger. Maybe use a stencil or draw out the text or image with a pencil first. Some fun ideas are: an inspirational quote in your home office, stars on the ceiling of a kid’s room, you and your spouses initials stenciled in your bedroom. There are so many designs, shapes, and symbols to choose from!

How To Spray Paint A Chandelier

An old builder grade chandelier is another easy project for spray paint update. We took this chandelier from a shinny gold to a deep and gorgeous plum in about 20 minutes! To get the lighting fixtures of your dreams, start by unscrewing the light bulbs, taping off the electrical components and giving it a couple coats of a matte spray paint. Since this one was purely for party fun, we went ahead and spray painted the light bulbs as well a fun silver. Before you toss out the old lighting in the house, consider upgrading with a bit of paint for a fresh look.

How To Spray Paint Party Decorations

A cake stands and sweet little favors might just be our favorite things to spray paint. For one, it’s the home of a cake…so obviously. It’s also super simple and can be done time after time. Cake stands are fairly small and inexpensive so if you find one you really like, do it a new color for every celebration! Display cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or any other sweet treats on your beautifully spray painted cake stand All. The. Time! We especially love the metallic paints for this job; they make a fancy cake stand in just a few minutes. Or, try different hues of the same color on a multi-tiered stand for a rainbow look. The options are truly endless, while a rainbow of spray painted pinecones instantly brighten up any party table.

Here are a few favorite things I just adore that we’ve spray painted so far, to show you how to spray paint anything:

I really hope you enjoyed learning all about spray painting as much as I did sharing about it! What kinds of projects you’ve sprayed in the past & which ones are now inspired to do. Share with us in the comments… I can’t wait to pop over to your photos and see!

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