As most of you who follow along probably know, I'm in a rental home now. It definitely needed a new paint job throughout. My first priority was to get my daughters' room looking as familiar as possible. It looks great, but after dropping over $100 to paint a room in a house that's not mine...I was over it.
So, I looked into more
*Without further adieu, here are my tips to get your paint on for F R E E !*
1. Don't be too picky!
Seriously. Beggars can't be choosers, right? Be open to numerous colors or be willing to customize your own! If you're collecting paint for furniture, I think it's easier to be more open to color options. Especially if it's a smaller furniture piece. I love statement furniture pieces that add a fun pop of color! Color without the commitment! I got the paint for this little table, you guessed it...FA-RA-EEE!!!
You also have to be flexible on the sheen of the paint. This matters even less if you're using it for furniture and planning to top coat it with a sealer anyway.
I've painted a good majority of this home white now. I took all of the white shades that I got for FREE, and mixed them in a 5 gallon bucket...that I also got for free! I had ceiling paint, high gloss paint, pearl white, off white, etc. The only thing I shied away from was any white that was too yellow. However, with the amount I was mixing one gallon of yellowish white probably wouldn't have had a large impact in the overall color.
Here's a shot of my "entryway" that I painted all white. It was completely dark knotty pine before!
2. Use what you have.
This might not technically be free, but it's no additional cost to you. When I painted my son's room, I used the customized white that I mixed up for the top half. The bottom half I used a light grey that was given to me free and added in enough black that I already had to darken it up to a shade I liked.
3. Visit your hazardous waste facility.
Did you know these were even a thing? I didn't for the longest time! It's obviously where you go to dispose of hazardous waste....including paint! Most of these facilities will save any paint that is still good. Their methods will vary, but my local one has a little shed on the premises that they unlock during business hours on certain days and whatever they have is free for the taking! You just have to sign your name on a little sheet and that's it! They also have stain and other similar items. Be sure to call and find out your local facility's policy before you go!
4. Ask!
There are lots of "free" groups on Facebook. Find some local to you and just ask! I got a TON this way! People buy lots of paint for a project, and the remainder just sits. Often people over buy! Wouldn't it suck to run out of paint on a partially finished project? Yes, yes it would. This works to your advantage! All this extra paint just hangs out. Doing a whole bunch of nothing. And a trip to the hazardous waste facility to dispose of it is just another hassle they might not want to mess with! Or if they're like me, I HATE the idea of throwing out anything that's still usable! One mans trash is this lady's treasure! ;)
I got the majority of my white paint, simply by asking! I love the progress I've made on our home for freeeeeee!
Check out my free paint dining room!
I love free! Free paint, free furniture, all the F R E E! It's amazing what people are willing to throw out! I'd love to see your free finds!!! Tag me on Facebook ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥ Pinterest ♥ YouTube
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