Mix and match - what to do with the paint left at the bottom of the paint can

I'm Kirsi, a passionate tuner and vintage enthusiast. My paid work is in the interior design and furniture industry, and my free time is pretty much the same. One of my Insta friends even calls me the "project queen"  .

I wouldn't know how to live without these DIY things, they are also therapy for me, when I relax and disconnect from everything else around me. When you always have "a hundred irons in the fire" and a couple of new projects in mind, time really never gets boring.

I have promised to present you some finished projects that I have realized with Frenchic Paint products. Hopefully these will also inspire you to grab a paintbrush and bravely try something completely new!​​...

Projects often have paint left over, sometimes a little more, sometimes less

If there is about half of the paint left in the jar, you should close the lid tightly and store the paint in a dry and warm place.

I myself often put a plastic bag over the paint can and tie it tightly with a bag sealer so that the paint does not dry out. On the bag, I write the name and color of the paint on a piece of masking tape.

This way I can easily find the paint and color I need later. In the winter, you should also make sure that the paint does not freeze if it is stored, for example, in outdoor storage.

If a small drop of paint remains at the bottom of the paint can, and you don't want to throw it away, it's time to make your own paint mixes!​​

I personally like to mix different colors together and see what the final result is.

Sometimes I also mix colors quite consciously, when I'm looking for a certain shade that should fit in with its surroundings, but still also stand out from the crowd.

This is what I have done, e.g. with the hall side table, the color of which includes wall paint in the color Green with Envy , and Al Fresco paint in the color Constance Moss .

In this way, the base color of the hall table matches the kitchen and hall wall, but is fresher and greener in color.

When you mix the paint mix in a glass jar with a lid, such as an old jam jar, even the paint chips will stay fresh for a while longer.​

Black Al Fresco paint was left over from the greenhouse project when I painted washed concrete tiles with a stencil

With this black, Blackjack color, I have painted old, tin trays, which I use as notice boards, etc., in the style of chalkboard paint.

The surface is completely matte and resembles a chalkboard.

Chalk and glaze also adhere well to this surface.

When there was still black Blackjack paint left, one evening I painted a small checkerboard on the cover of an old stool with it

The bottom of the grid is made with masking tape and is not completely symmetrical. And that's not the intention. Small mistakes are part of life and also make the furniture more personal .

I wanted the checkerboard to look old, so after the paint dried I lightly sanded it with fine sandpaper here and there, so that the pattern looks like it has always been there and worn out in use. I used colorless Frenchic furniture wax for finishing, so that cleaning is easier in the future and the surface feels smooth under the hand.

With the ends of the paint can, you can conveniently paint pots, candlesticks, statues, toys, or really anything small and fun

For me, everything white, whether it's a piece of furniture or an interior item, is like ready-made white paper that's just waiting to be colored.​

This also happened with these two "lady's head vases", which looked a bit boring in white. Namely, I wanted a jar for all the brushes and brushes, from which I could easily grab the appropriate work tool.

I love to combine gold with jewel colors, so the other lady got the Victory Lane shade left over from the front door project as the base color and a touch of gold in a few places. I first painted the vase three times with Victory Lane color and after the paint dried, I dabbed gold paint on a few spots with a thin watercolor brush.

If you want to get a light finish with that gold color, you should first dab the brush on cardboard or something similar, so that there is not too much paint on the final part.​​

The second lady was painted with the first Bradstock color twice. After that, I brushed the shadows on the arms and in the appropriate places with a gray shade of Greyhound . After this dried, I added Bradstock color lightly on top of the shading.

The yellow flower is painted with Honeycombe paint, which was left over from the bookcases in the study. In the end, this vase also got a light touch of gold. I also brushed the flower with gold paint on top of the yellow, so it got a beautiful, dull shine.​​

Personal and beautiful brush tins are good for storing tools on the counter between projects.

I hope these tips inspire you to pick up a paintbrush and try something completely new!

Follow Kirsi on Instagram: @pieni_paivansade