Painting Tips for Budget Decorators

Painting a wall or your entire home is a simple and inexpensive way to decorate. You do not have to paint all the rooms in your home to add ambience and elegance to your home. In fact, most people on a budget start with one room, and eventually work their way up to decorating their entire home. You may find painting one wall makes a dramatic difference in the way your home looks. Try it, let it sit for a while, and then paint some more if you feel you need to.

When you decide what room or rooms you want to paint (or what walls need paint) you must buy proper tools. You do not want to buy unnecessary items. Always look for the best paint, but not the most expensive. Paint is much like a bottle of fine wine. Some of the best wines are not the most expensive wines, but not the cheapest either. Usually they fall somewhere between the two extremes.

Say for example, you want to paint your living room, and place some artwork on the walls. To achieve these goals, you may need:

·A drop cloth or other item to catch paint that falls from rollers or brushes while you paint. You can buy a formal cloth, or use large blankets you have no other use for and do not mind spilling paint on as long as the paint won't leak through to the floor. Some people prefer to coat their floors with plastic first and then a drop cloth of some sort. You may find a used drop cloth at a garage sale. The same is true of wall hangings for your newly painted home.
Buy indoor paint and possibly a protective coating, to help prevent chipping or damage to your walls. If you are not sure what type of paint you need, ask an expert at your local interior design or home improvement store. You can select from many paint colors and textures. Many come with built in lacquers or chip proof ingredients that will save you money. Often you will find you do not need to buy the most expensive paint to get good paint. Ask a specialist to refer you to the best paint you can get within the budget you have. You can also research the type of paint you should buy online. You may find it less expensive to order paint online after consulting with an expert at your local home improvement store.
Paint brushes or rollers. Here is another example of a product you want to buy that is of good quality. However, your brushes and roller do not have to be the most expensive on the market.
Nails or hooks to hang wall fixtures with, unless you already have a readily available supply. You may also need a hammer.
A ladder if you plan to paint ceilings in your home, or other hard-to-reach areas in the home. If you are not comfortable using a ladder, be sure you have someone with you to steady the ladder when you use it.
Tape you can use to cover the boarders underneath your wall so you do not accidentally spill paint on them. You can find the right kind of tape at most home improvement stores. You want tape that is not going to leave a sticky film on your walls, but tape that is stronger than scotch tape. "Painters" tape is all you have to ask for.

You may need other supplies depending on the type of painting you want to do. If you plan to decorate over paint by applying stencils or by using the sponge painting technique, you will need different supplies. Again, do your homework. Seek some advice from an expert at your local paint or home-improvements store. They will tell you what you need. Make sure you buy only what you need, and not the extras they may try to sell to you.

If you are not able to buy all you need, find out if you have friends or family members that may have some of the supplies you want, and ask to borrow them. Most will be more than happy to lend a hand, and may even help you paint.

Painting Tips To Save You Time And Money

If you paint rather than hire someone to paint, you will save a lot of money. You do want your home to look elegant however, so if you plan to paint it is important you do it right.

Here are some tips to ensure you paint well even if you have zero experience painting.

Always use a plastic cloth called a drop cloth to protect your floors or carpets from dripping paint. I know we've pointed this out before, but you would be surprised at how many people fail to use a proper cloth. You will spend more money getting paint stains out of your carpet than you will to paint your walls if you are not careful.
Cover your paint can with plastic or set on a cardboard surface so paint does not drip from your paint can onto your floor. You do not after all want to spend even more money buying products to remove spilled paint.
Cover your shoes and other articles of clothing to avoid paint stains. You can use simple plastic bags or shower caps to protect your shoes, and select a tired or worn out pair of jeans and a t-shirt to use for painting projects. Be sure you take the covers off your shoes before you walk around the rest of your house, so you do not spread paint to floors in other rooms in your home.
If you plan to paint the ceiling, do this first. If you do not, paint might drip to your walls.
When painting, always paint from high to low, again to help prevent unnecessary dripping. If you make a mistake, do not fret, cover it and try again.
Tape around electrical outlets (and remove the covering) to avoid paint leakage. You can also place tape around moldings to help prevent accidental spills.
Fill in any holes in your walls unless you plan to hang a picture in the exact place you paint over. You can do this easily with a little "spackle" available at almost any home improvements store. You may find you can borrow some from a friend or neighbor, if you want to save money and do not want to buy an entire can.
Use a primer when needed. If for example, you plan to paint a dark wall a lighter color, use another lighter color to paint over the dark color to prime or prepare your wall, so the color you select turns out the way you want it to look.

You may want to try painting a small room first before moving on to larger projects. The more practice you get, the better you will be at painting. Some people take time out of their day to follow professional painters as they do their job. You might consider this, especially if you know someone that paints well. Or, you may know a professional painter that could use some of your services, and offer a trade, so you save money.

For example, you may offer to do their taxes if they paint the interior of your home. Just make sure if you do enter agreements like this, you always sign a contract so you avoid unnecessary battles about who agreed on what. You should also make sure you set a deadline for all work to be completed by. This helps prevent arguments.

If you are still not sure about what you need, check in with the experts. Here are some great resources for information on what types of paints to buy and accessories if you plan to decorate your home inexpensively. By researching these sites, you will save money on a costly consultant or professional estimate of your needs.

· See My Design - This site offers a comprehensive review of paint products, color selection advice and paint safety. You can even click on links to specific brands of paint to learn more about them. You will find tips for designing or decorating your walls using abstract techniques, and even learn about texture and layout. Just visit: www.seemydesign.com/livingroom/elementsideas/paint/index.htm. You can also visit the main site at SeeMyDesign.com and use the search box to research paint and other interior decorating tools and advice.

· DIY - This site, "Do It Yourself" offers tips for interior decorating and painting for people on a budget. The best way to save money is to do something yourself. The link provided here will take you to the page that talks about interior paint. You will find a dozen or more tips about buying paint and supplies, as well as tips for painting if you are a novice painter. You can search for tips using the main link at DIYnetwork.com and type interior paint into the search box, or use the navigation bar on the left to find information on other important interior decorating tips for the "do it yourselfer."

· The Home And Family Network - Here you will find a wealth of information about selecting the right colors for your home. Selecting color is half the battle when it comes to painting. You can also use the navigation bar to gain additional insight about decorating your home. Visit: www.homeandfamilynetwork.com/decorating/color.html

Remember there are thousands of resources you can look into about painting. You can even buy books that teach you how to paint well, or take classes. Many home improvement stores hold workshops that last anywhere from an hour to a day, and most are less expensive even after you buy the paint than hiring a professional painter to do the job for you.

The more time you spend planning, the more money you will save.