This Simple Hack Makes Mixing Paint Easier

Properly mixed paint is essential when tackling any painting project, whether redecorating or putting the finishing touches to a tabletop miniature.

All paint comprises two ingredients: Medium and pigment. The medium helps the paint fix to a surface, and the pigment gives it its color.

However, as anyone who has left a bottle of acrylic model paint on the side for a while, it has a horrible habit of separating in its container. Using it like this is guaranteed to end up with an uneven finish, and if your paint contains multiple pigments, odd variations in color.

Perfectly Mixed Paint in a Zip

Though it’s easy enough to grab a small pot of paint off your desk and give it a good shake, when you’re about to paint a room with a large tin of emulsion, it’s not as easy to fix.

The simple solution is to stir it with a piece of scrap wood, but this is time-consuming and doesn’t always mix everything properly despite your best efforts.

But if you want your painting projects to take off, this hack from HouseDigest will have your paint mixed like a pro in no time, and all you need is an electric drill and zip ties.

Grab your drill and a long drill bit, then attach three zip ties to the end in different directions to make something that looks like a propeller or fan. Then trim them down to about 2-3″ depending on the size of your paint can, and you’re good to go.

Sink the drill bit into the can about halfway, pulse your drill at a mid-high speed until you see the separated paint churn together nicely, and there you have it, perfectly mixed paint or stain in seconds.

Clean Up

The easiest way to clean your new paint stirrer after you’ve finished (and the paint is still wet) is to use it in a bucket of soapy water until it’s clean.

Alternatively, you can cut off the zip ties, rinse the drillbit under the tap, and scrub it with soapy water and a brush to remove the paint if you plan to use it for other projects.

If the paint dries on the bit, cleaning up is trickier but still manageable. Clip off the zip ties and soak the drill bit in mineral spirits for a few hours before scrubbing it clean with an old toothbrush