What’s the best thing to do with leftover paint? Use it up! The best place for paint is where it belongs: on walls, fences, furniture, murals, and in art pieces. To inspire you to use up your summer leftovers, here are 3 DIY projects we absolutely love.
Tip: If you have a project in mind and need paint, see what might be available through our PaintShare program.
Now, on to the projects:
1. This joyful vintage-style game
We can’t get enough of the gorgeous flowers on this DIY bean bag toss game made by Katherine. She created it using some leftover plywood and 1x4s, and leftover outdoor stain to paint the base. (Tip: leftover stains, sealants and primers often lend themselves well to DIY projects. They’re recyclable, too!) Katherine said: “I originally made this for a work event. The game was a huge success and we had a line up for the entire 6 hours. People still really love the old fashioned games.”
2. These remodelled serving trays
This serving tray, given the DIY treatment by Deborah from Ontario, is a great example of how we can reuse things we already have to bring us joy and meet our needs! Deborah updated an old wooden tray from the 90’s that she already had. For this project, she used leftover materials from previous DIY projects: chalk grey spray paint, patterned burlap, lacquer, and garden twine for the handles. The result is a modern serving tray that suits her home decor. Bonus: Deborah’s coffee table is also upcycled from an old lobster trap!
(After; before)
We similarly love this tea tray by Ally, from Vancouver, who spruced it up after finding it by the side of the road. After a good scrub and some rust paint, it’s looking better than ever!
3. This beautiful rain barrel
We couldn’t end without highlighting this rain barrel painted by Jessika, from BC, who transformed the plain white surface with her beautiful artwork. In Jessika’s words: “Rain barrels benefit the environment, our plants and our budget!” What better way to use up your leftover paint and brighten up even the rainiest of days?
Have you used our PaintShare program before, or used up your leftovers in a creative way? We’d love to hear from you! Share your DIY leftover paint projects with us on Facebook or Instagram – and finally, if there’s any paint you can’t use up, make sure you recycle it.
